I have a pair of lovebirds that I haven't had dna sexed yet but I am assuming they are male and female because they have been mating. I didn't buy them together to breed them but I would be excited to have eggs then lil babies. What I need help with is this.....I have never bred birds before. I have no idea what to do if she lays an egg. Are there any links I could go to and educate myself quickly? I also have a pair of cockatiels that have been trying to mate as well. I just don't want to mess anything up and I've read a lil on here about eggbinding and that makes me very nervous. I'm so new when it comes to breeding and eggs and young............please help me because I have no idea what to even expect.

I can't help as I have no experiance with this...but you may want to PM NCVon, Andie's mom, I think Paula has breed maybe before...but these are some knowledgable ladies.

If you don't know how to breed birds, then don't. Breeding parrots is a science and there can be a lot of problems involved. Start researching and talking with avian vets before embarking on this journey. The health of your birds depends on it. Also, just because they are exibiting breeding behavior does not mean they are male and female. They may be the same sex, it just means they are sexually mature. So, do your research and then have cute little babies. Your birds will thank you for it!

Christina

I agree... seek as many opinions from knowledgeable resources in person and online first.. before brining new lives into the worlds that you will now be responsible for caring and nuturing..


Have a professional bird breeder demonstrate handfeeding techniques and then help you learn to do it yourself before having lil ones relying on you to do it right for the first time.. lil bird lives can be lost in an instant from so many needless handfeeding errors...

With that being said.. have you considered all the reprucussions of breeding? What happens when they grow up? Do you have space available in your home for hem if you cant sell them? what about additional vet cost for the breeders if something goes wrong?

I'm not trying to be harsh but ther are MANY thins to consider before breeding birds... if you've saught professional help and feel fully competant with raising baby birds then good luck!!!!

I've not had any experience with Love birds so I'm really not much help there, however, my understanding is you cannot tell male from female just by looking, they need to be DNA tested or surgically sexed. It is also true that same sex birds will go through all the same mating rituals as opposite sexed birds do. So just observing them going through the motions isn't good evidence other than that they are mature or nearly mature.

If you are truly interested in raising them then I would start with getting breed specific books and looking for breeders in your area that you can befriend and ask them to become your mentor. You're going to find that you can have a dozen breeders and each and every one will do things a little differently than the others because what works for some might not work for others, but the general idea's will be the same.

Some of the major things you'll need to consider is do you have the time and the patience and the money to be a breeder because there is far more to it than just having a pair of birds that lay eggs and will set them to hatching.
You'll need to decide if you have the time to hand feed them and that means very little sleep for the first few days after pulling them from their parents. It also means having the necessary equipment to keep them safe and warm and well fed. Or you'll need to decide if you're going to allow the offspring to be parent raised entirely. Which for Lovebirds is not really a good idea in my opinion if you want to raise them to sell. Hand fed, hand tamed and socialized birds make far better pets than parent raised birds.

And something you need to understand as well is there is a big difference in being hand fed and being hand tamed and socialized. And to do it correctly (in my opinion) takes a lot of time and energy.

You also need to be prepared for the worst and be willing and able to accept death because not every baby will live out of every clutch...sometimes things can and will go wrong even when you are or think you are doing everything correctly. It can be devistating to say the least.

So I would advise that before you even attempt to set them up you first make sure that they are a definite male and female and that they are healthy and are able to produce. Then learn what the specific type species and sub species require and there can be a big difference in the kind of nest each sub species requires; and what works for one person won't necessarily work for you... And also before you set them up with a nest box, you need to have all the other materials needed for raising and nurturing babies set and ready to go so that you can step in from day one after they hatch if need be. Not all birds make good parents especially first time parents and its critical to know what to look for and what to do should something go wrong.

So I would really study study study, find a good reputable breeder and go visit them and ask lots of questions. If you don't know of any lovebird breeders talk to your vet, s/he may know of some or beable to send you in the right direction.

Remember, breeding birds is a big responsibility. from the moment the birds hatch till the moment the birds die, You are responsible for what you bring into this world. Which means you need to be willing to find good homes for your wards, you must be willing to track their lives and be willing to take back birds that don't fit in with a particular home. Which could mean you get a lot of birds back and if you don't have the space to do that, then you might consider not doing it at all because, In my opinion, you are responsible for that bird for its entire life. There are too many breeders out there that don't feel that way. that once they are weaned and sold they are no longer their problem...that's why we have so many rescues and sanctuaries out there because breeders were in it for the money, not for the welfare of the birds.

Remember also that just because you might have a true pair (male/female) of birds it doesn't mean that you have to allow them to have off spring. So until you are sure you are prepared to take on all the responsibilities please, please, don't allow it to happen.

Von has done it many times and has some P'lets ready to go right now. She's very knowledgable.
I haven't done it but would love the experience just one time.

Von has done it many times and has some P'lets ready to go right now. She's very knowledgeable.
I haven't done it but would love the experience just one time.

I'm a breeder and I have to agree with what every one has stated. I did LOTS of researching before I made the first plunge. I read books, online websites, joined breeding groups on yahoo, joined some aviculture organizations and shadowed a breeder for a while. I did all of this before setting up my first pair of birds and let me tell you, even though I knew how to do it, it sure is different then actually doing it.

Breeding is hard work and expensive. I can also guarantee you that you won't make any money doing it either

I didn't buy the birds to breed them, I said that in the first post. I bought them as pets and though I have had all of my other birds dna sexed I haven't had them dna sexed yet. I just thought I would ask for help since they seemed to be mating incase one laid an egg. I understand there is alot to think about before you breed birds. These birds are my babies, all of them and that's why I purchased them, however mating is a normal thing and sometimes if you are ready or not it happens, that's why I asked for help and I do appreciate the help I recieved.

if you dont plan on breeding them and you dont plan on having them dna sexed i'd keep your birds in seperate cages if you dont want babies it shouldnt have to be a ready ornot here we go have new baby birds... if you dont want them .. take preventitive action to ensure it doesnt happen...

Exactly!!!!

Whether you bought them for pet purposes or breeding purposes, if you have two birds in the same cage that are mating, there is a good chance the hen will lay eggs and they could have babies.

So what should you do? Separate them. If you're not ready to breed, don't let them breed.

Thank you all for your help but I feel like you're all jumping on me because they are doing what animals do. I bought them together, they have been together since I brought them home and they don't like to be seperated and I don't want to put them through that extra stress. I will have them dna tested just like I did my other birds but I haven't been able to yet. If they are male and female and babies came, I would be very excited to share that with them. I'm not just a totally irresponsible person btw, if I was, I wouldn't have asked for help to begin with. Again, thank you all, have a great day.

Im sorry to hear you felt we were jumping on you....

I think what was meant to be taken from the posts was simply that if you want to breed birds (heck a ton of people do) do so with actual LIVE in person experience...

we cannot teach you the proper techniques etc of eg. handfeeding on an online forum.. although tons of advice can be given nothing replaces good ole' fashion hands on experience... with a breeder where you know you can practise and have a watchful eye of an experienced bird breeder to guide you and ensure everything goes smoothly... and while it is a natural occurance for bird to breed.. it is my personal opinion that i can buy cockatiels, budgies, lovebirds etc etc at a very decent price and there are literally TONS around...

so breeding for the sake of breeding without plans for the babies future to me is as unfair as letting my cat breed simply becasue she's a cat.. or lettng my dog breed simply because he's a yellow lab.. sure he'd enjoy it.. sure i'd enjoy lil pups all around.. but i must think of all the poptential costs and implications of allowing him to produce babies when he really doesnt have ANY buisness doing so when there are many to choose from at local animal shelters..

So Once again.. I will apologize for myself and im sure the rest of the forums memebrs if you thought we were being harsh because that certainly would never be our intention.. this forum is not meant for that

ts just that no one here wants the worst to happen (babies die from burned crop, choking from formula going into their lungs etc) and like to offer fair warning of the potential risks but also great rewards of breeding birds