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Re: Lovebird Mules
Posted by Brimonster on 4/26/07

> On 9/25/06, Kelly wrote:
>> Hello, My name is Kelly, and I have a few questions that no
>> one seems to be able to answer. Maybe you can help.
>> We have 6 love birds, (Now 10). Our Lutino mated with
>> our fischer, and we now have 4 babies. I read that they
>> will be mules, and this sort of breeding is highly frowned
>> upon. So here comes the questions...
>> What are the reasons why mules are frowned upon? What
>> Charistics do do
>> they portray? Is there a risk of getting deformities or
>> retardation?
>> What should I expect? How should we handle our mis matches?
>> Is it
>> possible to switch the couples up? I read they are mates
>> for life. How long
>> after hatching do their eyes open? Thank you in advance
> for
>> you'r

>> help. :)

Peachface and Eye-ring Lovebirds, like Evelyn said, make nests
different ways. That is only one reason for the frowning-upon
of hybrids. Your birds should all be seperated and paired
accordingly. Peachface with peachface, fischer's with fischer's
and masked with masked. Hybrid lovebirds (even 2 eye-ring
species) can certainly muddy up the bloodlines. I understand
that your birds picked their own mates, but you should not have
housed them together in the first place. I don't mean to be
rude, but maybe you should have done the research on Lovebirds
before breeding them. And yes, if you added a nestbox, you
planned to breed. They will be fine if you seperate them. They
do form strong bonds, but it sounds like you have them all in
one aviary? Since you say they picked their own mates, I would
assume they are all housed together, if not, then they did not
choose their own mates, they took what was given. Lovebirds are
NOT monogomous (sp?). They do mate for life, but partners will
mate with other birds. I only breed PF Lovebirds and I have a
few males who mate with more than their own partner. Your birds
will be fine when they are seperated.

Your babies will not be retarded or deformed, they will just be
hybrids. They will look like peachfaces, but will have an
eye-ring and a darker bib. They will also have a darker rump.
A hybrid is not hard to identify, so hopefully any home they go
to will know what they are and not breed them.

Lovebird's eyes open at about 1 week of age, sometimes a little
longer or shorter.

Briana

Posts on this thread, including this one

• Lovebird Mules, 9/25/06, by Kelly.
• Re: Lovebird Mules, 9/26/06, by Clyve.
• Re: Lovebird Mules, 9/26/06, by Dave.
• Re: Lovebird Mules, 9/27/06, by Kelly.
• Re: Lovebird Mules, 9/27/06, by Kelly.
• Re: Lovebird Mules, 9/28/06, by Jo-Ann.
• Re: Lovebird Mules, 4/23/07, by Evelyn.
• Re: Lovebird Mules, 4/26/07, by Brimonster.