beginner questions about getting new lovebird

[zoinksberg]

Hello I am new to this forum and (besides the parakeet I had when I was 7) new to birds! I have been messaging a breeder about one of his lovebirds who should be old enough to ship in around 2 weeks to me and I have a ton of questions that I've found either vague or inconsistent answers to so here they are:

I have the Vision M02 bird cage it's 15Wx24Lx36H with 1/2 bar spaces. Is this a large enough cage for one love bird? I am a little worried that the width is too small.

Since the bird is hand raised how does that affect taming? Also what are some general guidelines for taming? I saw some sites say that you should tame them in the cage and others say you should take them outside of the cage. Which is best?

I could use help on anything related to taming them and the initial settling in process.

Do love birds like those fleece hanging huts? They look really cute and honestly I'd want to sleep in one.

What are some good toys for a young lovebird?

Is the diet of a young lovebird different from an adult?

Any other thing you think I should know would be useful. I'm really surprised about how little I could find on these guys as popular as they are.

Thank you!

 

[LordTriggs]

If you can fit a bigger cage, get a bigger cage. No matter how big it is. 1/2 inch bar spacing is correct for them

it means they're more used to hands, taming is the same though. Talk to them from out of the cage, offer treats through the bars, go at their pace not yours. Taming in the cage I prefer as it makes them more okay with hands in the cage.

Those huts are DEATH TRAPS never get one. They don't sleep in a hut in the wild. Just let them pick a perch to sleep on.

find out what toys yours like, different birds like different toys

The diet doesn't change. Make sure you feed pellets, fruits and veg. Not just seeds. The breeder should be making sure they are eating proper food before coming to you.

I would be wary of getting a bird shipped. This is commonly how scammers operate through selling a bird that doesn't exist by saying they'll ship to you. It's better to go to a breeder so you can find a bird that picks you out, or better yet going to a rescue and adopting one

 

[zoinksberg]

I already bought this cage though /: I do want to eventually get a larger cage but it was nearly impossible to find a cage that was as big as I wanted and had small bar spacing. Do you have any recommendations for when I can afford a bigger one?

That makes sense! I definitely don't want it to be territorial of its cage.

Thank you so much for telling me that!!! I'm really glad you told me before I bought one. Out of curiosity, why is it a death trap?

Okay he does have it on a diet like the one you described so that should be easy enough

I really think he's not a scammer it's this site here https://lovebirdfarm.com/welcome.html he has sent me more pictures when I asked and he sells them locally he just ships them as well. I have been cautious but he seems not only real but also like a really reputable breeder.

Thank you so much for your reply!!

 

[LordTriggs]

Not knowing where exactly you are I'm not too sure, I'm only familiar with UK places. If you have the brand "Rainforest cages" they do a model called the "Chile" which is the biggest I have seen in regards to 1/2 inch bar spacing. Nothing wrong with that one, think of it like an open plan apartment. Once you put your furniture and everything else in what seems like a big place suddenly feels small. As long as they can open their wings then it's okay.

As for the huts what happens is parrots often chew them, they can then ingest the fibres which get stuck in their crop, or they can pull up a thread and get tangled in it. If they're lucky they get a toe caught and bite it off in panic. If unlucky it gets caught round their neck. You can guess how that ends.

Doesn't look like a scammer. I'm a bit paranoid after being scammed myself once by what appeared to be a good breeder. Just make sure that you pay in a way that you can recover your money (paypal or anything similar) it's a shame to have to resort to stuff like that but unfortunately scammers like to ruin things for their gain

I expect pictures once you have your lovebird

 

[zoinksberg]

Wow that's a really nice cage! Unfortunately it's a little over my budget right now but when I want to upgrade I'll definitely go for that one!

That sounds horrible ): I'm glad you told me I don't want anything bad happening to my little baby once I get him/her.

I payed the deposit with paypal and plan on doing the rest the same way thank you for checking the site out I was getting nervous.

I definitely will be putting a million pictures on here once it comes in!!!

 

[kq_fan]

I have always heard good reviews on the vision birdcages. I believe it is a good size for now so I wouldn’t worry about it. I think eventually it’s always best to go big or go home so if you ever have the money or space I do suggest getting a bigger cage because bigger is always better for birds.

I used to have a snuggle hut For my green cheek conure but I noticed as she played with it and chewed on it it did start the fray and I had read about how dangerous they are so it’s gone but instead I have a fleece hut and that works best for her she snuggles it at night.

When you set up his or her cage don’t forget lots of toys, toys they can tear apart, toys that make her mind think like puzzles, or toys that are shiny because I’ve noticed that lovebirds prefer shiny toys. And even in some toys place a treat in them for when she chews them up!

Hand raised birds are much easier to tame then birds that were raised by their parents. My cockatiel phoebe seems to have been raised by her parents instead of a person and she is not tame at this point but now I need to go on the long road to training her and taming her

For food I suggest pellets and all fresh fruits and vegetables. He or she may be a little bit hesitant to eating these things because maybe the breeder started her on seed. But don’t stop trying, and please don’t just feed her seed this is very unhealthy for birds.

I hope this helps and congratulations on your new baby!

 

[zoinksberg]

Yeah I really like the vision cage so far it was really easy to put together and every piece was so well thought out! I plan on getting a larger cage when I have the money and I plan on using this cage for finches or canaries.

your conure sounds so cute in that little fleece bed

I will be heading to PetSmart tomorrow with those exact toys in mind j plan on making a lot of the toys out of bits of wood and hay to save money so we'll see how that goes.

That makes sense. Good luck on taming Phoebe!

I plan to ease it off the seed but I've read that some seed is okay. Should I still have a few seeds mixed in with her regular food?

Thank you!!!!!

 

[kq_fan]

A little seed never hurts

You sound like a wonderful bird owner, I am so excited for you and your birds future together!