Ok, to help explain how I got these two I'll tell this little story. About a year ago I had two budgies, and that was it for my birds. I went into a pet store that I liked, had Harrison's, good prices etc ... more so the owner knows what he is talking about when talking about birds. Except the fish, he breeds all the animals in his store.
Anyways I went in to buy pellets and noticed this little bird cage with a yellow bird in it. I asked to see this bird and as I was doing so a mother and her bratty little terror wanted to see too. The girl working there brings us all into the bird room and opens the cage door. The terror goes and thrusts his obnoxious little hand into the cage trying (NO JOKE) to grab the now very scared bird inside!
The girl is trying to get the mother to stop the terror and kicks them out of the bird room (she was almost in tears - the girl was). While she was doing this the little scared bird came flapping and running over to me and climbed up my shirt and hid between my boobs (would have been funny if the bird wasnt so scared). It was the first time a bird had actually on its own touched me. I was totally shocked! So I scooped the little one up and cuddled it to my chest and spoke softly to it.
The girl came in and was apologizing and such; thanked me for "saving" the bird and was shaking visibly. I took the baby home (once she settled down that is - both the bird and the girl). I set her cage up and she settled really quickly into my home (within days). LOADS of attention and some soft talking brought her right around. I named "her" Serenity.
About two months later (after taking in a - 3rd - budgie in dire need of rescuing) I get a phone call from my mother telling me to check my email right away. I look and theres an ad from a popular community site for a "probably male lovebird". The attached picture was SO sad.
In the crappy picture was a dark lovebird, clinging to the back of his cage. There were two toys and about 3 perches in a big cage that came with the bird. I have never seen a sadder little fid in my life. So, I call the number and arrange to come see him that night.
My mother goes with me and are showed in and to the bird. I looked at him, saw that they obviously tried to make it look like they gave a shit about him (new newspaper on the bottom of the cage, but poop stuck to all sides around it and to most spots on the perches. The toys had not been played with and looked brand new. The bowls of cheep unnatural multi-colored seeds was over full and the water had obviously JUST been changed (there was a small bit of wetness under the bowl on the newspapers like when you put a bowl in and it spills, but hasn't dried yet).
Anyways I kneel down beside the cage and start to talk softly to the little bird inside. He hops a little closer and eye-balls me for a minute then hops away again. I open the front door of the cage and step back hoping he will come out so i can see him better. He does and eye-balls me some more.
At this point my mother was nearly crying (shes a softy too). I offer him my hand (to step onto or bite, whatever he wanted to do was fine and understandable) and he put one foot on me then ran away. Then he flew across the room and landed behind their tv. The son got him and brought him back and I asked what the little guys name was.
They said "oh, he doesn't have a name" --- WHAT!?! So I say "then his name is 'no name'" and picked him up. I looked him over to check for any obvious signs of anything alarming and clipped his wings (so he'd not fly off while bringing him home). I put him in a shoe box and gave them the money they were asking for and off we went.
While waiting for the bus (not ideal but hey, necessary) the sun was almost set and the sky was so so colorful and I commented on how it looked like a tropical sunset (as if I'd ever seen one of those in person lol). So, I named little 'no name', Pix.
Got him home and all set up, put some more toys and some other good stuff in his cage and put all the birds to bed.
In the morning I woke up and go check on them and theres Ms. Serenity and Mr Pix-e-doodle were pressed up against their respective cage bars eye-balling each other and singing and contact calling and all that (the budgies were too, but they seemed oblivious to the budgies lol).
Short story long they ended up in the same cage and have been the others shadow since. They now live in Pix's cage and my one remaining budgie is in a matching cage (Shangrila!). They all (usually) eat Harrison's ultra fine or fine pellets and get fresh stuff too (broccoli, spinach, herbs, some fruit, nuts etc).
They have more toys and swings and things to do than they know what to do with and are blissfully happy.
When they began (on their own) mating I got them a nest box (didn't want baby birds born on the floor), and they had 5 eggs, but they got cold and the 3 fertilized ones died. They took a break and then decided the time was right again ...
I put the nest box back in when I saw them mating again and supplied all kinds of things for them to make a nest with (string, various types of paper, pulled apart 100% cotton balls, and whatever else like that I could think of). They built another nest and had 5 new eggs and this afternoon the first one hatched!!
Tonight I have heard the baby squeaking very quietly a couple times.
Serenity, after laying the first egg, pretty much has stayed in the box, only leaving for a minute or two at a time and maybe 2 or 3 times a day. Pix brings her food (regurgitates it) and visits her to keep her company. Today she came out for a little tiny bit longer, but only once and right back in to her eggs and baby.
I never would have thought instinct would be that strong as it apparently is with both of them.
By no means am I an expert, far from it, and really, I don't think you can really badly screw up if you use common sense and do some research / ask questions.
I am actually thinking of maybe making this a job ... get another pair of lovebirds (possibly blackmask, or fishers, or both ...) and starting my own business. Right now no, but maybe in the next year or so. I will be thinking about this and speaking with my partner about this as well (I won't do it if he is not wanting to - not fair for me to thrust it on him if he doesn't want it).
Anyhow, thats my set up. Because of my present and temporary situation, my bird cages are in my room (I am renting a room for now) where they get gobs of sunlight and fresh air. I have a space heater to keep the room warmer than the rest of the house (also because I like it warmer) and a fan for if it gets too hot (never directly on the birds though).
I spend allot of my time in my room, so they get allot of time with me.
Anyways, I'll send this now.
