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Re: Is this true?
Posted by Jessica on 7/11/06

Aly,

Don't believe what you're being told! I am a breeder of
lovebirds, and the greater majority of our babies go into pet
homes. I also have three pet lovebirds of my own.

Lovebirds do often have a dominant streak, but this is
something that you can control and even prevent to begin
with. Establish with your baby, while it is young, that you
are the leader of the flock. Practice step-up training
routinely, as this is a way that you give a command that the
bird must follow, placing you in the position of leadership.
Also, establish the ground rules that you would want long
term (what your bird is and is not allowed to do), and stick
with this consistently. Punish bad behaviors by verbally
scolding or putting the bird in a time-out cage. As you
establish your leadership in the flock, your bird is much
less likely to challenge your authority later in life.

Mood swings do sometimes occur once a lovebird reaches sexual
maturity (10 - 12 months of age). If your bird indicates an
unwillingness to come out of their cage on a certain day,
respect that. But don't fear sexual maturity! The hormone
swings will generally occur once or twice a year, and they
pass.

Many people will say that male lovebirds make better pets
than females. It is interesting to me that most of these
breeders are not DNA or surgically sexing their babies before
selling them into pet homes.

Personally, I think that females make just as good pets as
males. They are just a little different. Females are more
likely to challenge authority (in a pair bond, the female is
more often than not the dominant bird) and owners should
focus more on establishing their leadership in the owner/bird
relationship. My own pet birds consist of one male
peachfaced lovebird and two female masked lovebirds. All are
individuals, have their own personalities, likes & dislikes.

Don't fear that your bird will become mean! There are many
lovebird owners that have their birds as pets for a long
number of years. Do what you can now to prevent any problems
in the future, and enjoy your bird. :)


On 7/10/06, Aly wrote:
> Greetings,
> I keep hearing this about my beloved baby lovebird and
> I'm not sure if these bird people are telling the truth or
> have just heard it as a rumor. I've got a lovely little
> green-violet baby, handfed and very nice. But, a lot of
> people keep acting surprised that he's still so nice. (not
> sure if "he" really is a he, just guessing). Everyone says
> as my baby gets older, regardless make or female that he
> will get aggressive and nippy. He'll get dominant and
> demanding and I'll no longer be able to hold him without
> bleeding everytime. Is this true? I couldn't think all
> lovebirds do this but I was just curious as to what our
> future holds.
> THANKS in advance

Posts on this thread, including this one

• Is this true?, 7/10/06, by Aly.
• Re: Is this true?, 7/11/06, by Jessica.
• Re: Is this true?, 7/12/06, by Mickie.
• Re: Is this true? Sorry... my response was meant for Aly. , 7/12/06, by Mickie.
• Re: Is this true?, 7/13/06, by Jessica.
• Re: Is this true?/ Jessica, 7/14/06, by Mickie.