Pairing, Separating, and Behavior

[Hohenheim]

Hello everyone, well this is my first post here on Parrot-Forums and I have a question(s) about pairing and/or separating already bonded lovebird pairs. In my case I was recently given the opportunity to care for two lovebirds of different species (a black-mask and a peach-face) after their previous owner could no longer care for them. I have put them in a much larger cage than they were in and they seem to really love it! They are 3 years old and bonded;judging by their behaviors it seems that the black-mask is the male and the peach-face the female. Although I am not certain of their gender I do plan on DNA testing them to find out. My question is, for breeding purposes, can I introduce more lovebirds of their respective species into the cage (30"x 18"x 54")? If not could I perhaps separate them and pair them with another lovebird of their respective species? I would much rather prefer the former, however I don't really know what to expect in terms of behavioral changes. What I don't want to happen is any aggression towards the new birds and also to separate them as they really are bonded to one another.

 

[MonicaMc]

If you keep separate species together of opposite genders in the same cage, you must expect hybrids to occur. If you don't want to produce hybrids, then you need separate cages for each species/pair.

 

[Hohenheim]

I've heard that hybrids in aviculture are not appropriate to breed for due to sterility and behavioural issues. I would like to try and breed the lovebirds but only with their appropriate species to avoid those problems. Although this pair has bonded and been with each other for the span of their life (3 years), I assume, I'm sure upon a successful quarantine and introduction of more lovebirds they would certainly take to their instincts. That is what I suppose at least. I'm not entirely sure what to expect though as I've not much experience as an aviculturist or in parrot behaviour.

 

[MonicaMc]

If you introduce more lovebirds to an already bonded pair, that will not break up the bonded pair. Hybrids do occur in mixed aviaries.

 

[itzjbean]

Is there a specific reason you want to breed your lovebirds? Is there any reason why you can't let them be together, and take away any eggs laid by the pair so no babies get hatched? They can still live perfectly happy lives, bonded without having babies.

When you bring other bids into the mix with the intention to separate the already bonded pair, you're asking for trouble. If you put them all in one cage, you'll end up with dead lovebirds very quickly. So no, I would not separate this pair and I would not introduce new bids. let this pair be happy in their own cage, if you wish to get other lovebirds, do so if you wish but keep in another cage.

Know that lovebirds allowed to breed will usually not stay tame, not sure if your birds are already but they will show aggression to you and to other birds.

If you let your birds breed.... are you prepared for them to become aggressive towards you should you let them breed and have babies, and are you willing to step in and pull babies if the parents abandon or neglect them, and are you prepared to save starving babies with hand-feeding?

If you don't know how to help a baby bird survive when its parents reject it, then don't attempt breeding. Most breeders pull babies at 2 weeks old for hand-feeding (that makes them very nice and sweet), keep them in a warm brooder and continue to hand-feed until weaning around 8 weeks. Are you prepared to buy the necessary equipment needed to ensure the babies survive?

Just something to think about.