Lovebird question

[clairemagnolia]

Hello, I'm looking for advice and suggestions from lovebird owners We have had Percy for two weeks now, he is a peach-faced lovebird. Not handtame, but very curious and often perches on our arms/knees/shoulders. Very cute. I've no experience of keeping lovebirds - our other pet is a budgie.

My question is regarding diet, specifically the amount of seed I should feed him. He was on a basic cockatiel mix at the petshop, but I am transitioning him to a specialised lovebird mix called JR Farm (from Zooplus). He's taken to it really well and I'm quickly phasing out the cockatiel mix. The packet recommends to feed approx 5% of bodyweight daily, which I've worked out is 3g if he weighs 60g (although I haven't weighed him lol, but when I checked, I learned that lovebirds weigh on average between 40g and 60g). This seems a very small amount of seed, barely a heaped teaspoon. I have been giving around 3 teaspoons daily as he does scatter it about a bit and he also gets a lot of exercise, free-flying every day in a good-size room.

I wondered if the feeding recommendation was for birds which aren't allowed to fly free - surely they would need less? Or if I am potentially overfeeding him?

Any advice/info most welcome!
Claire in Blackpool

[clairemagnolia]

Forgot to say that I am also offering veggies and fruit - so far he has tried (and seems to like) kale. I have offered blueberries and raspberries, but he's not been so interested in those. I intend to offer as balanced a diet as I possibly can!

[Bird Junky]

Hi Claire. The writing on the seed box is just to fill up the space.

Like most pet birds they should have access to the basic seed

mix 24-7. with all the other foods fed as your schedule allows.

Treat your Lovie exactly as you would a budgie. Click on below

For more info. Yours B.J.

budgerigarsforum.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=budgietaming&action=display&thread=2867

[clairemagnolia]

Thankyou Birdjunkie! I suppose if he's not hungry he won't eat it - not like a dog lol ;o)

I bought 3 kilos of food and then worried that I'd bought about 2 years supply going by their feeding recommendations! Now I'll just fill the dish up every day so he's got fresh as I do with the budgie.

Cheers
Claire in Blackpool

[sweety]

When I used to keep Lovebirds they got a mixed seed diet (forgot the mix now) & they were very happy on it & healthly & they only ate what they wanted/needed. Mine used to love apple & went crackers for pear. Sounds as if you've got a good bird as I found mine could be real nasty little monsters when they got going & the hens were the worst

[clairemagnolia]

Hi Sweety,

Sorry I'm only just getting back to you, I've not been on the forum for ages

Good to know that they will only eat as much as they need - since my initial posts Percy has settled down with us a bit more and is eating pretty much the same amount of seed every day as far as I can tell. He is also experimenting with non-seed foods - broccoli was a huge hit yesterday! He also likes toast and the occasional nibble of banana.

Lol about him being a good bird! We've had him for two months now and I'm starting to think he might in fact be a hen. He's still very, very nippy - it's like a compulsion and he just can't help himself. I would say that he spends about 90% of every day nibbling on something and often that something is my fingers We've had to separate him from our other bird (Banana the budgie) because he was harrassing him constantly and I was worried that Banana would get hurt, but thankfully Banana is happy in my son's bedroom where he still gets lots of attention.

Since we've split them up, Percy is responding to my efforts at training and discipline and I think we're establishing the beginnings of a real bond now. I spend a lot of time playing with him and he lets me stroke his head and neck, which I think he quite enjoys - although he would never admit it and he will nip me really hard just the same afterwards to put me in my place. Fingers crossed I can train him not to nip as he learns to trust me even more over the coming months. Fortunately I have the patience of a saint when it comes to birds, wish I was the same with my kids lol!

[voiceofbudgerigar]

by nature lovebird are chew master and they love to destroy wooden material but happiness in cage all around so count the proportion in daily diet or better to use coconut shell for good exercise and healthy environment ..