Many people associate romance with lovebirds, little colorful-feathered parrots from nine different species. If you have them, or would like to start breeding them, you will need to be very careful and put in effort, especially as they are monogamous animals for life. However, by taking a pair and caring for them and their eggs, raising these budgies, which presumably inspired Valentine's Day, can be a relatively uncomplicated experience.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Preparing to Raise a Couple
Step 1. Learn about lovebirds
Raising these budgies can be a risk, especially if one of them dies. To be sure breeding them is the right choice for you, learn about their management and mating process.
- Understand that unlike other animals, lovebirds form a couple for life and can continue to reproduce even after 15 years of age. Monogamy underlies their social structure and is vital to the stability of the flock.
- Be aware that if either partner dies, their partner may experience a behavioral alteration, such as presenting with a form of depression. Lovebirds don't like to be alone.
- Enjoy the fact that these budgies are very loving to each other, they may even feed each other to reestablish the bond after a period of stress or separation.
Step 2. Purchase specific items to raise and house lovebirds
In nature, they live in holes in trees, rocks or shrubs. Buy an aviary that is welcoming and where they can breed successfully.
- The cage must not be smaller than 45x45x30cm and the space between the bars must not be wider than 19mm. Look for one that's square or rectangular so they have corners to hide in.
- Place perches of different sizes, along with various toys, for the budgies to be happy and stimulated. Avoid wooden objects.
- Put separate bowls for food and water, away from the bottom.
- Clean the cage and bowls daily to keep the lovebirds healthy. Disinfect the aviary once a week.
Step 3. Find a lovebird pair to raise
Choose the best specimens; in this way you will be sure that both are in good health and you can raise them properly.
- Check that the budgies you want to catch individually are not already mated with others.
- Make sure they have not already mated more than 2 times with others, as this could cause them serious discomfort.
- Avoid mixing races, as crosses may arise that do not belong to any species of inseparable.
- Determine the sex of budgies by checking their plumage, as it is different in males than females. Be aware, however, that some species are androgynous and it is difficult to determine their sex with absolute certainty. Other types of signals, such as nest building, may need to be checked to determine which bird is female.
- Contact associations, such as Parrot Bird, to help you recognize birds of the same species as the ones you already have.
Step 4. Choose a healthy mate
This is very important so that they both remain healthy and can be raised to the fullest. When choosing a mate or pair, check the following characteristics to make sure they are good specimens:
- Rounded body shape.
- Good ability to stand and walk.
- Wide shoulders and back.
- Rounded and swollen chest.
- Tail pointed and compact.
- Large, broad and rounded head.
- Wide and charming face.
- Big, round and proud eyes.
- Thick, clean and uniform plumage.
- Feathers in perfect condition.
- Legs clean, large and strong, with straight toes, without scars.
- Clean and large beak, without scars.
Part 2 of 2: Raising the Choice Couple
Step 1. Check the health of your lovebirds
You cannot start breeding them until you are sure they are both healthy. Take them to the vet for a visit.
- Let your doctor know that you want to have them reproduced.
- Ask him any questions about budgies, their health and breeding them in pairs.
Step 2. Consider quarantine
If you bring a new pair into the flock, consider keeping them in solitary confinement for a few days. This can help ensure that they are healthy and that the female does not become territorial or reject the male.
If you want to breed budgies you already own, you most likely don't need to keep them in quarantine
Step 3. Introduce the new couple once you are certain that they are healthy
Do it gradually, it will take a few days for them to settle in and become attached to each other.
- First put them in two separate cages, next to each other.
- After a couple of days, move them to the same aviary.
- Place nesting material to encourage them to build a nest.
- Move any budgie that shows signs of aggression or rejection towards the potential partner.
Step 4. Check the pairing signals
The lovebirds are very prolific animals and the clues that they are in the reproductive phase are many. They include:
- Courtship.
- Aggression.
- Showing jealousy or being "passionate".
- Carrying material between the feathers.
- Nest building.
Step 5. Feed budgies properly
These animals need solid and nutritious food, as their bodies are stressed due to intense reproduction. Don't just give them seeds, as they don't provide enough nutrients for puppies too. Here are some examples of foods you can mix:
- Pasta cooked al dente.
- Hulled barley.
- Frozen vegetables.
- Seaweed in granules.
- Whole brown rice.
- Apples.
- Vegetables.
- Cereals, rusks or crackers.
- Cuttlefish bones.
Step 6. Check for eggs
It's the only way to be sure the lovebirds have mated. In most cases, the female lays the first egg about 10 days after mating and, after she has also deposited the second, she begins to hatch them.
- Check the nest every morning to see if there are any eggs. The female usually lays them overnight. She can lay one per day, up to 5-6 in total.
- Be aware that two females, if present in the same aviary, can lay up to 10 unfertilized eggs.
Step 7. Allow the female to hatch
For about 25 days it will be squatting on its eggs. Let them do it non-stop for at least 10 days.
Know that the female leaves the nest only to fulfill her physiological needs, to drink and to eat a little. In most cases it is the male who feeds it directly into the nest
Step 8. Find out if the eggs are fertilized
If the couple is too young, or old, it is very common that some are not. You can check them after letting the female hatch them for 10 days.
- Handle the eggs as gently as possible.
- Check the egg by holding it up to the light and look for the presence of a membrane, a sign that the egg is fertilized.
- A week before they hatch, you can check by placing the eggs in water, in a shallow bowl. After 5 seconds, examine them and look for the membrane.
- Know that it is normal for an egg to be unfertilized or for the chick to die before being born.
Step 9. Wait for the eggs to hatch
Hatching should take place after about 21-26 days of hatching. Do not handle the eggs or young for the first 6-8 weeks of life.
- The mother will feed the chicks for about 6-8 weeks with the food you provide.
- Remove any eggs that have not hatched or stillborn chicks.
