Love Bird help

[Nutty-Donut]

hello thanx for the welcome http://petshub.com/ubb/smile.gif i have read thru some of your previous posts & already recieved some help but things have took a turn for the "better" i have 2 adult love birds called Romeo & Juliette & Romeo has been Pulling his feathers out (twice this yr) & has made a right mess has been to the vets etc & hopefully gettin sorted now BUT was advised that it mayb could be coz he wanted to mate so i got a nesting box & HEY PRESTO they have mated - no eggs yet as it was only today BUT that is where i come unglues LOL coz i know next to nothing - i have a great vet in the next town but of course they busy so......ne help you could give me would b a god send ty again

[Tweety]

A suggestion would be that you provide some twigs and branches for your birds to build the nest. Hopefully this will deter it from plucking any of its feathers.
------------------
Tweety é Canary

[tappajabba]

Hi donut,
is romeo really a romeo?
pulling feathers and using them to line the nest is a naturall thing for the birds too do.
the male will try and help build but the hen wont let him have anything to do with the building its her job - shes the home-maker

you should supply them with apple or fruit branches and they will strip the bark and the twigs will be stuck into her back so that she can carry them to the nest, he will try this too but she will throw his back out ( shame...and he tries so hard to help!!!).

18 - 21 days will pass after the first egg was laid before hatching will take place depending on when she laid her first egg.
normally a clutch of four or five are laid.
offer her plenty of calcium at this time as shell need the extra calcium to help produce the eggshells.calcium is given through cuttlefish bone.


best of luck....

------------------
Tappajabba....
helping to promote healthy pet keeping worldwide...

[Nutty-Donut]

first off id like to thank you both for your help -
im probebly about 90 % sure Romeo is a Romeo (will a female try to "mate" with etither another female or a male as a Male?) if not then he is deff a he if so - i aint possitive lol
The nesting idea was given to me after this second bout of sever feather plucking & i noticed today that even tho it looked as if he was healing up he has pulled a scab off & has blead a bit - the Vet cant give me any tips @ all on how to stop him except the breeding idea & if he a male then he has attempted to breed with Juliette BUT it hasnt stopped him....so i gettin worried incase he goes real bad again - i thought he was dying less than a fortnight ago he had an injection & antibiotics.
1 thing is - He does seem to spend a lot of time in the box both with her & on his own but i havent seen either of them actually taking bits of newspaper or feathers into the box should i help by putting stuff in or will this deter them
i have a fair idea now on beddin matterials n such like baby chick food n the calcium BUT who long till the eggs r laid (to make sure i not away for the weekend) i want to get every thing right n i gettin excited bout the idea of having chicks so as much info as poss please on what to do to help Juliette or what to do if she cant look after the chicks etc
ty very much

[*~*BirdCrazy~*~]

dont give you birds ahrd twigs or stick as if they do breed the sticks could puncture the eggs and this makes one hell of a mess and it also makes the bird distresed i think you should have you birds sexed next time you goto the vet.another reason the bird could be pulling his feathers out is because he "THINKS" he is dirty lovebirds love to bathe in dishes of water if you can put a shallow bowl of water in the cage and buy some "FEATHER PLUMAGE SPRAY/OINTMENT" in the water and this will hopefully stop the bird/s pecking they pull there feathers out because they clean them so much and water proof them with an oily liquid at the base of there tail so much that there feathers get "stick" hope this works and good luck with breeding.

------------------
~*~ßirdCrazy~*~
http://birdcrazy.net

[Nutty-Donut]

first off ty all for your help but things havent gotten any better in fact Romeo n Juliette are now in seperate cages as Juliette isnt making the problem any better in fact i think she has started to have a go @ him too is it @ all possible that they are no longer compatable they have been together over 3 years now so...
IF this is the reason do i need to get each of them a partner or are they ok in cages that are face to face juliette hasnt laid any eggs yet so i dunno if to remove the box or leave it - she seems to like it a lot Romeo looks more destressed than Juliette to being on his own i am really lost & worried & all the vets tell meis to bathe his back n stop him bitting when i catch him but i cant b with then both 24-7 so any extra help would b appreciated as the only choice i feel i have is too let some 1 with more time & an avery have them - which i would do if i knew it would make him happy n stop him hurting hisself even tho it really saddens me coz i love them to bits thanx a lot for past & future help