Lovebirds are often associated with love. Birds consisting of nine species are all small parrots with light colored feathers. To own or maintain and breed them requires a lot of consideration and commitment, especially because lovebirds are monogamous, loyal to death in one partner. However, by mating and taking care of lovebirds and their eggs properly, breeding this beautiful bird that is said to inspire Valentine's Day is relatively easy.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Preparation for Breeding a Pair
Step 1. Learn about lovebirds
Breeding lovebirds has risks, especially if the mate dies. Having knowledge of lovebirds and their mating process can help decide if this is the right decision for your pet and yourself.
- Understand that unlike other animals, lovebirds only have one partner in their lifetime and can continue to mate throughout their fifteen-year life cycle. Monogamy supports the lovebird's social structure and is vital to the stability of the flock.
- Remember, if the mate dies, the lovebird may exhibit strange behavior due to depression. Lovebirds are not the kind of birds that like to be alone.
- Enjoy the fact that lovebirds are romantic with their partners and may feed each other to strengthen the bond between them after stress or separation.
Step 2. Provide breeding equipment and lovebird cages
In the wild, lovebirds usually live in recesses in trees, rocks, or shrubs. Purchase equipment to provide a comfortable cage for a successful breeding process.
- Provide a minimum cage measuring 45 x 45 x 30 centimeters with the distance between the bars not exceeding 2 centimeters. Try to buy a box or square cage so that the lovebird has a place to hide.
- Place a number of perches of different sizes and toys in the cage to keep the lovebird happy and stimulated. Avoid wooden
- Separate the feed and water containers and keep them away from the floor of the cage.
- Clean the cage and the feed and water containers every day so that the lovebirds stay healthy. Disinfect the cage once a week.
Step 3. Select a breeding partner
Choose the best lovebirds to breed. This can help ensure the health of the lovebird couple and their young.
- Make sure the lovebird you want to pair is not from the same lineage.
- Make sure the marriage does not occur more than twice because it can make the lovebird seriously ill.
- Avoid crossbreeding which will result in lovebird hybrids that do not belong to any lovebird species.
- Find out the sex of your lovebird by checking its feathers. Male lovebird feathers are different from female ones. However, you need to be careful because some lovebird species are androgynous, making it difficult to determine the gender. You may need to watch for signs, such as nesting, to make sure the lovebird is female.
- Contact groups such as the Indonesian Lovebird Community to find out where you can find birds of the same species as your lovebird.
Step 4. Choose a healthy partner
The health of lovebird couples is important so that after marriage, the two lovebirds and their children remain healthy. Look for the following qualities when choosing a partner for your lovebird:
- Round body shape
- Can stand and walk well
- Wide butt and back
- Chest puffy and round
- Sharp and concise tail
- Head round, big and wide
- Wide and attractive face
- Big, round and sharp eyes
- The fur is neat, the color is intense and bright
- Perfect fur condition
- Clean, big and strong feet with straight claws without scars
- The beak is large and clean, without scars.
Part 2 of 2: Marrying the Chosen Couple
Step 1. Check the health of the lovebird
Do not pair lovebirds unless you are sure they are both healthy. Check with your lovebird pair to the vet to make sure they are both healthy enough to mate.
- Let the vet know that you intend to breed the two.
- Ask the vet everything about your lovebird partner, both health or about mating the two.
Step 2. Consider quarantining both of them
If you are bringing a new lovebird into your flock for mating, consider quarantining the pair for a few days. Quarantine will ensure both are healthy and so that the female does not become territorial and reject the male.
Quarantine is not required If what you want to mate is from one flock
Step 3. Introduce the couple to each other
After knowing both are healthy, introduce them to each other. Take it slow, because the birds need a few days to get acquainted.
- Place them in two side-by-side cages before uniting the lovebird pairs into one cage.
- Move both lovebirds in one cage after a few days.
- Provide nesting materials in the cage so the pair can start making nests.
- Separate birds that show signs of aggression or rejection of potential mates.
Step 4. Watch for signs of mating
Lovebirds are actively reproducing so you may notice a lot of signs of mating. Signs of mating can include:
- Intimacy
- Aggression
- Jealousy or "hormonal" behavior
- Inserting objects/materials to make nests in the wings
- Make a nest.
Step 5. Provide adequate nutrition for both
Lovebirds that mate need nutrient-dense food to compensate for the stress their bodies are experiencing. You should not just feed them both grains because the nutritional content may not be enough, both for the lovebird pair and their children. Some examples of foods that you can add to your lovebird feed are:
- Cooked elbow macaroni
- Pearl barley
- Frozen vegetables
- Seaweed granules
- Whole brown rice
- Apple
- Green vegetable
- Cereal, toast or biscuits
- Cuttlefish bones.
Step 6. Check whether there are eggs or not
The only way to make sure a lovebird is mated is to have eggs. In some cases, female lovebirds will lay their first eggs on the tenth day after mating, then incubate them as soon as the eggs come out.
- Check the nest every morning to see if there are eggs or not. Usually female lovebirds lay eggs at night. Every day a female lovebird can produce 5-6 eggs.
- Please note, two female lovebirds, if placed in the same cage, can produce up to 10 infertile eggs.
Step 7. Let the female incubate the eggs
Female lovebirds usually incubate their eggs for 25 days. Let the female lovebird incubate her eggs for at least 10 days without being disturbed.
You need to know that during the incubation process, female lovebirds will only excrete, drink, and eat a little. Often the male lovebird will feed his partner while the female incubates the eggs
Step 8. Find out if the eggs are fertile
It is common for lovebirds to lay infertile eggs, especially if the couple is not old enough or too old. After the female lovebird is allowed to incubate her eggs for 10 days, you can check whether the eggs are fertile or not.
- Treat the eggs as gently as possible.
- To check, point the egg at a light source, such as a flashlight. If there is a membrane, chances are the egg is fertile.
- You can also place the eggs in a shallow dish filled with warm water, a week before they hatch. After five seconds, observe whether there is a membrane or not.
- Be aware that infertile eggs and babies dying without hatching are common.
Step 9. Wait for the eggs to hatch
After incubating for about 21-26 days, lovebird eggs will begin to hatch. Make sure you don't touch lovebird eggs or babies for the first 6-8 weeks.
- Mother lovebirds will feed their babies for 6-8 weeks with the nutritious food you provide.
- Discard any unhatched eggs or baby lovebirds that die.
