Baby lovebirds food

What To Feed Baby Lovebirds? (Foods & Feeding Tips)

Baby lovebirds are not capable of eating all the foods which adult lovebirds can easily eat. Adult lovebirds are capable of eating most of the food which fits in their beaks. Also, feeding baby lovebirds is a crucial part of their care. So, what to feed baby lovebirds?

Baby lovebirds can eat baby birds’ formula. Also, you can feed them moistened dog foods with some other foods, including crushed bananas. Let’s dive into the details and know-how to feed baby lovebirds with their favorite food.

Table of Contents:

• What Do Lovebirds Feed Their Babies?
• What To Feed Baby Lovebirds?
• How To Make Foods For Baby Lovebirds?
  1. Preparing Baby Bird Formula
  2. Preparing Homemade Food
• How To Feed Baby Lovebirds?
• Hand-feeding Baby Lovebirds
  • How To Hand-feed Baby Lovebirds?
• How Often Do Baby Lovebirds Eat?
• Baby Lovebird Hand-feeding Schedule
• How Much To Feed A Baby Lovebird?
• When Do Baby Lovebirds Start Eating Seeds?
• When Do Baby Lovebirds Eat On Their Own?
• Do Baby Lovebirds Need Water?
• How Long Can A Baby Lovebird Go Without Eating?
• Can Baby Lovebirds Eat Fruit?
• Can Baby Lovebirds Eat Bananas?
• Summary

Lovebirds feed healthy and fresh food to their chicks. Lovebirds have versatile feeding options easily available in nature. These food options include fruits, greens, veggies, whole grains, legumes, sprouts of legumes, and pellets.

All of these foods are available in wildlife. Female lovebirds feed their chicks through their beak. Baby lovebirds can only eat through parent beak stimulation.

Parent lovebirds gently push the food through the beak to their chick’s mouth, which stimulates them to suck the food. Lovebirds also give fresh water to their babies as needed.

The answer is relatively simple, baby lovebirds can eat almost anything from fruits, veggies, and nuts to pellets. But keep in mind that baby lovebirds cannot eat a portion of solid food while they are too young. You have to feed them a soft feed.

First of all, you have to determine the age of the baby lovebirds. Young lovebirds have different eating preferences according to their growth phases.

Lovebirds are said to be uncooperative when it comes to getting food from humans. So, here you have to be determined about commitment.

To feed baby lovebirds, you can use a professional baby bird food mix or make the food at home as well. When it comes to feeding options for baby lovebirds, you can use any fruit or veggie in your fridge.

Always serve crushed and chopped fruits or veggies. Besides the fruits and vegetables, you can also serve protein-rich crushed hard-boiled eggs. Another quick food option is bird pellets, and this is a great choice for weaving baby lovebirds.

Preparing food for baby lovebirds is very simple. There are two popular ways to feed baby lovebirds. The first one is baby bird formula for baby lovebirds, and the last one is homemade food for baby lovebirds.

Baby bird pet formula is the easiest food to prepare for baby lovebirds. Make sure you buy baby pet formula (as the baby bird formula is more soft and rich in essential growth nutrients).

Baby bird formula is in powder form, and you have to dissolve it in a liquid medium to prepare the food. Most commonly, water is preferred to mix the formula. Always boil the water to ensure there are no bacteria or germs.

After boiling water, let it cool down to be slightly warmer than at room temperature. Then mix the formula and give it a good mix, ensuring there are no lumps in it.

Now, when the food is ready, fill it in a syringe and hand-feed the baby lovebird. Keep reading to know how to hand-feed baby lovebirds.

We can always use organic diet options available at home to feed baby lovebirds. You can use crushed fruits, e.g., bananas, or chopped and crushed vegetables like carrots.

To step up the nutrition, you can also feed crushed hard-boiled egg mix with other diet options. These food options are easily available and healthy for baby lovebirds.

If you found a baby lovebird, try to find the nest and place the chick back in the nest. Baby lovebirds are one of those sensitive birds who reject taking food from humans.

So if you are a newbie bird rehabber or a licensed bird keeper, you have to struggle a bit with feeding baby lovebirds.

Baby lovebirds have a rapid growth rate when appropriately fed. Always be gentle while feeding these sensitive feathery friends.

Hand Feeding is the only best option to feed baby lovebirds. But if you aren’t familiar with proper hand-feeding techniques, your baby lovebird might not take the feed. Follow the instructions below to hand-feed baby lovebirds.

Hand-feeding baby lovebirds is a bit difficult as compared to other birds. Baby lovebirds are very sensitive and tricky to feed. But don’t worry about it. With proper hand-feeding skills and technique, you can easily feed your baby lovebird.

01. Fill the syringe with the food.

2. Make sure the head of the baby lovebird is tilted upwards. Because when the baby lovebird’s head is down while feeding, it can result in choking and even death in some serious cases.

3. When you have properly positioned the baby lovebird, gently place the syringe opening into the baby lovebird’s beak.

4. Observe the baby lovebird’s response to feeding. This will let you know when the baby lovebird is hungry. Usually, baby lovebirds start to jump toward the food or start making crying sounds.

5. Gently and slowly push the feed into the beak of the baby lovebird. You will notice the baby is swallowing the feed.

You can observe the swallowing as the baby will show head bobbing or body movement. Keep the speed of feeding according to the swallowing rate of the baby lovebird. Always be nice and slow when hand-feeding baby lovebirds.

6. Don’t overfeed the baby lovebird. To ensure it observes the baby’s crop. A crop is a bird’s food storage area before digestion. Which is located in the front below their necks.

The bulged crop is very prominent. If the crop has bulged, it means the baby is full and stops feeding. Sometimes there will be two bubble-like formations on the back of the baby lovebird. Stop feeding if you notice any of the changes mentioned above.

7. After feeding, clean the baby lovebird with a soft towel.

Let the baby lovebird have plenty of rest. You can put your baby lovebird to sleep by gently caressing its feathers.

As we have discussed, the eating patterns of baby lovebirds depend on their growth phase. Average feeding intervals are mentioned below.

It is straightforward, feed breakfast to your baby and keep checking after every 3-4 hours. You will gradually know the eating schedule of your baby lovebirds. On average, a baby lovebird might need to be fed every 2-4 hours, depending on its growth phase.

Baby lovebirds have good metabolism when eating a healthy diet. They might need to be fed several times around the clock.

Every bird has a different eating pattern depending on environmental and health conditions. The best way to know the feeding intervals is to observe the feeding pattern of your baby lovebird.

These feeding intervals are of average healthy baby lovebirds. Your lovebird can have more or less feeding intervals depending on environmental and health conditions.

To maintain a healthy feeding schedule, observe the eating patterns of your baby lovebirds. This will help you to feed the baby lovebird at optimal intervals.

All birds store food in crops before the process of digestion starts. All birds show some significant signs when they are full.

In the case of a baby lovebird, the crop becomes fuller and more prominent. Another visible sign in some baby lovebirds is bubble-like formations on the back of baby lovebirds.

Besides the above-mentioned prominent changes, you should serve a small amount of food per session.

When hand-feeding a baby lovebird, don’t push the excess amount into the beak of a baby bird. Let the baby lovebird swallow, stop when the bird starts to reject the food, and take a break.

In this way, you can observe the baby lovebird and set feeding intervals. Never over-feed the baby lovebird.

Usually, all baby lovebirds start to eat seeds at fledging phase (34 – 40 days). At this age, you can serve crushed seeds with their regular diet.

Lovebirds are a bit picky about eating new food options and start introducing seeds gradually. Once they have started to like eating seeds, you can now serve seeds all alone. Bird seeds are an essential part of all birds’ diets, and they are rich in protein, oil, and necessary fat.

A baby lovebird starts to weave at the age of 2 months. Weaving baby lovebirds need training to stimulate self-eating.

During the weaving phase, train the baby lovebird, serve them whole seeds, and have a regular diet on a platter. You can scatter the food-in platter to stimulate the wild activity of finding and picking to eat.

At this age, your baby lovebird can easily eat all solid feeds. Lovebirds are considered friendly when it comes to weaving. You can train them in a short period so that they can eat on their own.

Yes, baby lovebirds need water for sure. But here is a certain factor to consider before giving water to your baby lovebird.

At the very young age of 1 to 2 weeks, baby lovebirds might not need water because their water requirement is fulfilled through a semi-solid diet.

When the baby lovebirds are 4 weeks, you can then serve them fresh and clean water. At the start, you have to hand-feed water to them.

In some circumstances, baby lovebirds don’t get proper feed. Mostly when a baby falls out of a nest or is attacked by a predator, they have to survive without food as they aren’t able to eat on their own at an early age.

Hence, in any situation, a baby lovebird can survive for 48 hours only. This is the maximum time limit for a baby lovebird to survive without eating.

Yes, a baby lovebird can eat almost all fruits. Only there are a few exceptions, like avocado, which is known for being toxic for all birds.

Fruits are one of the ideal foods for young baby lovebirds. As fruits are easily available and mashed or chopped fruits, have a smooth texture.

This makes it the easiest diet for baby lovebirds. However, you must serve and feed fruits to baby lovebirds in small pieces in the mix with other food options. Fruits have amazing nutrition for baby lovebirds, including fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Yes, bananas are good for baby lovebirds. Bananas are one of the favorite foods of baby lovebirds. They have a very soft texture, and when mashed, these are the perfect consistency for a baby lovebird. Bananas are high in sugar, so you should serve them only a few times a week.

Summary

The food list for baby lovebirds can not be assumed the same as that of adult cardinals. It is important to know what are good and healthy foods for them and what baby lovebirds eat, including their ability to consume foods.

Feeding baby lovebirds is slightly different than feeding adult lovebirds. It requires proper caring and choosing the right foods for baby lovebirds. The first thing you should know about is what do baby lovebirds eat and how to feed them.

Ethan Harris

Hello! I am Ethan Harris, and I love to share about caring for birds, feeding birds, and many more things that you are searching for on the internet. After completing my Graduation in Zoology in the year 2012, I was living my life with birds from wild birds to pet birds. My 7 years of experience for caring birds is helping me to share information with you. Please do comment if you have any doubts.

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Hand Feeding Baby Lovebirds From Day 1

 
Hand feeding any baby Lovebird is a commitment, but hand-feeding a baby Lovebird from day 1 is a commitment, plus labor of love! Hatchling babies are very tiny, in addition to being very uncooperative.

The most important thing to consider when feeding a baby this young is timing. Parent Love birds feed their young around the clock for the first 7-10 days, and the hand feeder must also do this. Hatchlings are fed every 2 hours round the clock for the first 5 days. The schedule changes after day 5 and I will discuss this later.

The items needed for a hatchling are the same as for an older baby but there are a few other that are necessary with a day 1.

Most baby Lovebirds are taken from their parents when they are about 14 days old, so digestive bacteria and enzymes have already been established in their systems by their parents. This happens within the first 4-5 days. Hand fed hatchlings do not get this benefit from their parents, so the hand feeder has to add these items. I use Enfalyte instead of plain water because hatchlings tend to dehydrate easily. (I prefer Enfalyte to Pedialyte because it is rice based.) A small syringe gives me much better control when I'm trying to feed a very tiny baby.

Proper feeding temperature is still 106F-108F. Mom feeds at the same temperature, regardless of age. With hatchlings, feeding amount is measured in drops rather than by cc. If the very first feeding is 6-8 drops, that is a lot! This picture shows how full the crop should be for a day 1 lovebird baby. Note that the crop is full and the formula stops at the base of the throat.

Deciding when to feed a day 1 chick for the first time can be tricky. If I do an assisted hatch and choose to feed the baby myself, I wait about 6 hours before I feed. Feeding too soon can kill the chick. If the baby has been with mom and I discover she isn't feeding, enough time has usually passed were it's safe to feed immediately.

For the first couple of feedings, I use just Enfalyte or Pedialyte. This is to make sure that the digestive system is functioning before I feed anything that is harder to digest. As soon as I see that the baby has eliminated 3 separate times, I know I can begin feeding formula. As each formula is different, you will need to follow the mixing instructions on the individual packaging.

Once the baby is 5 days old, I thicken the formula so that I can extend the feedings to roughly every 3 hours. I stay on the 3 hour schedule until the baby is 2 weeks old, giving just one 4 hour break sometime between midnight and 5:00 a.m. to allow the crop to completely empty. Lovebird parents feed round the clock for roughly the first 2 weeks so I mimic their schedule. Even after the first 2 weeks, my first feeding of the day is between 5:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. This is also parent schedule. I allow 2 weeks for the digestive bacteria/digestive enzymes to populate the baby's system. Once the baby is 14 days old, I find that lactobacillus and papaya are no longer necessary unless I have a digestive problem with the chicks

Most important supplies: scale made for birds, O-ring syringes, Oxyfresh Cleaning Gel, bottle warmer made for human babies, a brooder that stays between 73-83 F, and Roudybush Handfeeding Formula (consistency of split pea soup to a heavy gravy served between 103-109 F with no dry, solid spots. Nothing should ever be added to the formula, and the formula should have the same thickness consistency from two weeks until weaned.)

2 weeks old:

5 feedings every 4 hours (8:00am, 12:00pm, 4:00pm, 8:00pm, 12:00am.) Many other breeders only feed 4 times every 4 hours the first week, but we do not want the babies crying for food in the middle of the night. Just like human babies, there are small babies (Pixy!) and there are large babies (her brother Jelly Bean!), so the amount of food is going to vary around 3.5-4.5 cc’s. Tamara and I do not say, “Ok baby, you have had 4 ccs, your full!” No, we fill up the babies until their crops resemble a full balloon or when they simply do not want anymore. Feed the babies all at once; competition is your greatest ally. Well-socialization goal: babies should recognize you, have a wonderful feeding response, and have names.

3 weeks old:

4 feedings every 4 hours (8:00am, 12:00pm, 4:00pm, 8:00pm.) Just fill those crops until they look and feel like a full balloon. At 3.5 weeks old, the babies will start to chew on their bedding. This is the time to introduce “big bird” food. Fresh, chewy Avicakes are the perfect introduction to solid food. Avicakes are highly nutritious unlike seed or millet. After babies are fed baby food, place a very small crumb into their mouths. This works great as a birdie pacifier also. We never feed them mashed-up or soft foods for weaning. Starting them on what they will eat as adults is best. After they are eating “big bird” food, we introduce small foot toys and toys they can shred. Well-socialization goal: babies try “big bird” food, recognize your voice, and step-up on your palm to be fed.

4 weeks old:

3 feedings every 6 hours (8:00am, 2:00pm, 8:00pm.) We never drop their feedings to three until we know they are eating the Avicakes on a regular basis. This is the time when we introduce crushed-up Nutri-Berries and a small pellet like Roudybush Crumble. Depending on the size of the baby, they should be receiving around 6 ccs at this point. Once again, feel the crop and if the babies refuse, do not force them to eat. After we feed them baby food, we place them over the solid food bowl. This is the time we introduce a small dish of water also. Well-socialization goal: babies play with toys, eating adult food on a regular basis, and cry out not only for baby food, but for attention also. Some of the older babies at this point have a natural protective instinct of their siblings and territory, so to dilute this trait we lay down on the floor, cuddle, play with them with their toys, and feed them adult food by hand after each feeding. When they have fallen asleep, we place them back into the brooder.

5 weeks old:

2 feedings every 12 hours (8:00am and 8:00pm or 6:00pm if some of the babies are screaming.) At 5.5 weeks of age the babies will start to fly. There first flight is always to us. This is always a true sign that your babies see you more than just the ones who feed you. It is a sign that they love you. This is one of the most awesome milestones for baby’s socialization. This is also the week we introduce seed, because as the babies wean they need that extra burst of energy that the fat in seed has in storage. The fat also fills them up more and helps them strive between feedings. Concerning feedings, some babies at this age take well over 8 ccs of baby food. When we reach 1 feeding per day, they can receive up to as much as 10 ccs.

6 weeks old:

1 feeding per day at 6:00pm or 8:00pm (babies can feed from 7-10 ccs at this point.) If we have a large clutch, 4 or more babies, the prodigies will normally wean during this week.

7 weeks old:

A baby should wean at anytime now. If they do not cry for their evening feeding, then do not give it to them. At 7 weeks, we introduce cooked foods, fruits, sprouts, and veggies. The babies will see the adults eating the food and will follow their lead.

They should be fully weaned by 8 weeks.