Lovebirds Breeding (Guide to Breed Love Birds)

Last Updated on July 28, 2022 by Ali Shahid

It must be that time of year when lovebirds start breeding. The question is, how do you know the lovebirds are breeding? What should a lovebird owner do when they are ready to breed? Find out everything you need to know about lovebird breeding.

You must give a lot of consideration and commitment to owning lovebirds and breeding them since they are inseparable for life.

Breeding these beautiful birds can, however, be relatively straightforward if you pair them and take proper care of their eggs. Despite being green in the wild, lovebirds have many color mutations when bred for pet purposes.

Their beaks are long and hooked, and their tails are short and blunt. Males and females look similar. As affectionate as they can be towards their mates, they are aggressive and territorial towards other intruders, such as other birds in the household.

The birds should be healthy before they start breeding if they are to breed successfully. Between the age of one and two, the birds should start breeding. To ensure your lovebirds are healthy, take them to the vet before breeding.

We will discuss lovebird breeding in this article, including basic requirements for lovebird breeding and breeding problems for lovebirds.

How to Properly Breed Lovebirds

1. Prepare a comfortable cage

You must prepare an enclosure before you start keeping lovebirds. Don’t buy your first bird right away. Although you recently purchased two Lovebirds, they have been left without a home. Do you want to put them where they belong?

Thus, make sure that you purchase a cage that will serve as a residence. It measures 60 x 40 x 40 cm for a Lovebird-sized enclosure. A single pair of Lovebirds can be bred in this enclosure. You can then add a nest box.

2. Nest Preparations

Put a small nest box in the darkest corner of the cage for the lovebirds. Some lovebirds prefer the cozy, snug feeling of hanging huts.

Adding a nest box is an excellent idea, but it should be around 12 inches long, 3 inches wide, and 3 inches deep with an entry hole of just 3 inches in size.

Fill the nest box with shredded newspaper, dried grass, sawdust, corn cobs, and other non-toxic shavings. For insulation, to absorb droppings from chicks, and to stabilize eggs, place this nesting material on the cage floor for about two inches.

Finding a pair of lovebirds

To breed the best lovebirds, choose the best ones. Choosing the best birds will ensure their health. If you want birds of the same species to mate, make sure they’re not related. A DNA test may be necessary for this.

You should make sure you don’t breed the birds more than twice, as this can cause serious health problems.

It is best to avoid mixing breeds of birds, which may result in hybrid birds that cannot be classified as lovebirds. You may have to take your lovebirds to the vet if you’re not sure whether they are male or female.

Quarantine the animals if Necessary

Think about quarantining a pair of new lovebirds for a few days before mating them. This can prevent the female from becoming territorial or rejecting the male, as well as help them remain healthy.

You most likely do not need to quarantine a pair of lovebirds if you are breeding them.

Introduce the lovebirds

Introduce the pair as soon as you know they are both healthy. Let the birds get used to one another slowly, as it may take a few days for them to adjust. Before putting the birds in the same cage, place them in adjacent cages.

Once the birds have settled into their new cages, move them back to their old cage. Make the cage nest-building friendly by providing nesting materials. Remove any birds exhibiting aggressive behavior or turning away a potential mate.

Breeding Environment

Breeding in an environment that is conducive to reproduction might prove to be very useful. Ensure that the cage is large enough for them so that they cannot fight.. A lovebird usually lives in a hole in a tree, rock, or shrub. Get the supplies you need to provide your lovebirds with a comfortable, breeding-friendly home.

• You can provide the lovebirds with different sized perches and toys to keep them happy and stimulated. Try to avoid wooden toys.
• Keep water and food dishes separate from the bottom of the cage.
• Cleaning your lovebirds’ cages and dishes every day will help keep them healthy. Disinfect their cages every week.

Install full spectrum lamp

Lighting cages will be the next step. A full spectrum of light is the best type of light to use on Lovebirds. It has a spectrum similar to that of sunlight due to the type of lamp it uses. This makes it very beneficial for bird health.

A full spectrum bulb has a color temperature of 5500 Kelvin. This gives Lovebird a sense of being in the wild. If you have a caged Lovebird in the room, you need full-spectrum lighting. The lights do not have to be on all day. They can be turned off at night. This is when Lovebird sleeps.

Breeding diet for lovebirds

If you want to make the bonded lovebird pair’s hormones rush, feed them a special diet that includes the following items:

• Vegetables that are fresh and leafy, such as spinach.
• Lots of fresh fruits, such as bananas and apples.
• Adding foods with natural sugars, such as grapes, to the bird’s diet mimics breeding emotions and provides energy in the form of carbohydrates.
• A lot of freshwater is necessary
• Eliminate/reduce foods that cause lethargy and fat accumulation, including seeds.

As soon as the lovebirds mates, there is a good chance that she will lay eggs soon. Therefore, it is essential to provide her with a diet that promotes the health of both her and her chicks.

• Increase her calcium intake to replace the lost reserves while making eggshells. Calcium supplements of high quality can also help speed up recovery. Calcium supplements should not be taken more than 5 times a week.
• Provide the chicks-in-formation with enough amino acids by adding proteins in the form of beans and legumes.
• To maintain healthy digestion, give your lovebirds a high-quality probiotic. As long as the lovebirds’ gut bacteria are working effectively, she can absorb the nutrients quickly and effectively, ensuring that she and the chicks remain healthy.

Watch for signs of mating

Many signs of courtship and nest-building aggression may indicate that lovebirds are in the act of mating.

Let the female brood

The average female needs 25 days to brood, or sit on, her eggs. You should allow her to brood for at least ten days uninterrupted.

Females will only leave for excretion, drinking, and eating. During brooding, the male usually provides food for the female.

Observe the eggs until they hatch

The eggs may hatch between 21 and 26 days after you brood them. If the eggs hatch within 6-8 weeks, avoid handling the hatchlings. Mother birds feed their babies nutritious food for 6-8 weeks. If any eggs do not hatch or baby lovebirds die, remove them from the nest.

Lovebird Breeding Problem

She may be too young and should not breed until she is about 2 years old. It could be that she is not a capable breeder, that she dislikes her breeding environment, or that she feels unsafe in her nest.

Peach-faced, Fischer’s, and Masked lovebirds are not sexually dimorphic, meaning that there is no difference in appearance between the males and females.

According to my experience, infertility is more prevalent now than it was in years past. Several factors, such as inbreeding, poor nutrition, genetics, and age, may contribute to this condition.

To support lovebird breeding, provide a private breeding environment, a high nest box attached to the cage, a nutritionally balanced diet, and of course provide a mate she bonds with.

Some birds don’t make good breeders, as you can’t force them to lay eggs or breed. As far as breeding birds is concerned, you just have to be patient, so make sure they are getting what they need.

Ultimately, she should start laying eggs. Making the pair breed is also a very expensive process. One might not find it as rewarding as it could be if one is doing it for commercial motivation.

Consequently, many breeders have stopped breeding lovebirds carelessly, because of more failures than successes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are lovebirds easy to breed?

There are several benefits of breeding lovebirds — not to mention that it is an educational, entertaining, and challenging experience. You can expect them to breed fairly quickly if you have a truly mature pair (at least 10 months old).

How can I get my lovebirds to breed faster?

You can breed your lovebird faster by following the tips given below.

• Comfortable environment.
• A cage with toys, perches, and ladders.
• A full-spectrum light
• The diet increases the hormonal rush.

How often do lovebirds mate?

They might mate several times every day. The pair of lovebirds commonly bond, build a nest and mate in captivity, which is why novice owners should stick with one lovebird and choose to be its companion.

How do I know if my lovebird is pregnant?

A pregnant lovebird may stay perched in one spot for much longer than usual to store energy for laying or making eggs. Your bird’s behavior may indicate that it is pregnant if it remains stationary for long periods or conceals itself in a corner.

Do lovebirds breed all year?

Lovebirds lay up to six clutches of eggs a year and are very frequent egg layers. There are usually between 5-6 eggs per clutch, laying every 2 days until the clutch reaches full size. In captivity, lovebirds are capable of laying eggs throughout the year, although they tend to lay eggs more frequently in spring and early summer in the wild.

At what age do lovebirds lay eggs?

A female lovebird should not lay eggs until she is at least 2 years old. Laying eggs is hard for a female bird. Their physical and mental development is not yet fully developed while in captivity, even though they become sexually mature at a young age. If the male is only 4 months old, the eggs are unlikely to be fertile.

How do you know when lovebirds are mating?

The pair feeds each other when they are courting. A female usually mates after the male feeds her. When they are about to mate, the male gurgles for the female to feed on. In most cases, females lower themselves closer to the perch with their mouths open before initiating this action.

Conclusion

Their instinct tells them the right time to rear chicks that will live a healthy life. Captive animals are the owner’s responsibility.

To ensure the pair’s breeding experience is as smooth and successful as possible, the human family should do everything in its power.

You don’t have to worry if you are unfamiliar with lovebird breeding. Make sure you read our guide on how to breed lovebirds successfully.