What to feed baby lovebirds
| apple | cherries (not the pit) | pear |
| apricots | Chinese vegetables (bok choy) | peas |
| asparagus | coconut | peppers (red/green & hot) |
| banana | corn | pineapple |
| beans (cooked) such as: | cucumber | plum |
| chick peas | dandelion leaves | pomegranate |
| kidney | dates | potato |
| lentils | endive | pumpkin |
| lima | fig | rapini |
| mung | grapes | raspberry |
| navy | grapefruit | rice (brown) |
| soy | kale | romaine lettuce |
| beet | kiwi | spinach |
| blueberry | melons | sprouted seeds |
| broccoli | mango | squash |
| brussel sprouts | nectarines | strawberry |
| cabbage | orange | sweet potato |
| cantaloupe | papaya | tomato |
| carrot | parsnip | zucchini |
| carrot tops | peaches |
Millet and sunflower seed is often chosen preferentially. Owners will often also offer a millet spray or branch. This, of course, is more of the same seed and leads to further malnutrition. Honey Sticks are often offered, but once again, they contain more seeds that are stuck together with sugar and honey. Molting foods, song foods and conditioning foods are also available. These products are simply different combinations of more seeds that really have no particular bearing on the condition they claim to treat. Healthy molts, vibrant song and strong condition is achieved with a balanced diet all of the time.
5 level measure tablespoons of seeds per bird, per day in a shallow dish depending on the size of the bird. If there is more than one lovebird in the cage, separate dishes should be used for each bird to ensure those birds at the bottom of the pecking order have a chance to eat. This may not be possible in a flock situation. Any seeds left over in the dish at the end of the day could suggest that too many seeds were offered originally.
There are many good brands of pelleted foods in the market place. Pellets come in different flavors, colors and shapes.
Consult your veterinarian regarding these situations.
It was believed that grit was necessary for the mechanical breakdown of food in the gizzard as an aid to digestion. However, we now know that birds do fine without grit. Some birds will in fact have problems if grit is over eaten.What To Feed Baby Lovebirds? (Foods & Feeding Tips)
Baby lovebirds are not capable of eating all the foods which adult birds 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?
- Preparing Baby Bird Formula
- 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 chicks, which stimulates them to suck the food. Lovebirds also give fresh water to their babies as needed.
What To Feed Baby Lovebirds?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.
How To Make Foods For 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 foods for baby lovebirds.
Preparing Baby Bird FormulaBaby 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 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.
Preparing Homemade FoodWe 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 LovebirdsHand-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.
How Often Do Baby Lovebirds Eat?As we have discussed, the eating patterns of baby lovebirds depend on their growth phase. Average feeding intervals are mentioned below.
Baby Lovebird Hand-feeding ScheduleIt 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.
| 1 – 5 Days | Every 2 – 3 hours |
| 6 – 8 Days | Every 3 – 4 hours |
| 9 – 14 Days | 5 times a day ( sunrise to sunset) |
| 15 – 25 Days | 4 times a day (sunrise to sunset) |
| 26 – 33 Days | 3 times a day |
| 34 – 44 Days (Fledging) | 2 times a day (Serve food 2 times a day fledgling baby lovebirds can now eat solid feed) |
| 45 Days to Weaving Phase | 1 time a day (Baby lovebird is in weaving phase and can eat on its own) |
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.
How Much To Feed A Baby Lovebird?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.
When Do Baby Lovebirds Start Eating Seeds?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.
When Do Baby Lovebirds Eat On Their Own?A baby lovebird starts to weave at the age of 2 months. Weaving baby lovebirds need the 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.
Do Baby Lovebirds Need Water?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 fresh and clean water to them. At the start, you have to hand feed water to them.
How Long Can A Baby Lovebird Go Without Eating?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.
Can Baby Lovebirds Eat Fruit?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 feeds 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 the fruits in a small portion in the mix with other food options. Fruits have amazing nutrition for baby lovebirds, including fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Can Baby Lovebirds Eat Bananas?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 the 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
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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. Please do comment if you have any doubts.
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Lovebird chicks
Lovebird chicks, housing conditions
Sometimes situations arise when very young lovebird chicks, unable to feed themselves, remain orphans. Such an outcome is possible in the event of the death of an adult lovebird or if he simply stops feeding the chicks and begins to lay eggs again. If time does not intervene, the chicks will simply die. The ideal course of action in this situation is to transfer the cubs to another nest of lovebirds that have chicks of about the same age. But if there are none, you need to do their artificial feeding.
Raising fledgling lovebirds is a rather complicated and time-consuming process, the result of which directly depends on the correctness of the actions performed. Since immediately after birth, the chick's body is not able to secrete a sufficient amount of enzymes, the food it absorbs is not absorbed, only filling and clogging the stomach, which leads to its death. When an adult parrot feeds its cub, it passes on the missing amount of enzymes to it, which contributes to the normal digestive process.
Only two weeks after birth, the lovebird can be safely fed gruel, without worrying that the intestines may not digest it.
Not yet feathered parrots require not only constant feeding, but also additional heating, which can be achieved by using a home-assembled thermostat. To do this, take a three- or five-liter container filled with water, which is heated using a boiler. A vessel with hot water, placed in a box, must be covered with hay or cloth, put the chicks on top. In order to avoid rapid heat loss, a box with holes made for ventilation, having a diameter of about 10 millimeters and located near the nest bed itself, is covered with a pillow.
Depending on the age of the lovebird chicks, the maintained temperature should be gradually reduced, after they have feathered, there is no need for additional heating. So, for a chick on the 10th day of life, a temperature of about 30 ° C is acceptable, and at the age of 15–20 days - 20–25 ° C.
It should be borne in mind that a sharp temperature drop can have a detrimental effect on the fledgling lovebird.
Do not think that after covering the chick's body with feathers, all problems will instantly disappear. After all, if a fledgling lovebird, when a feeling of hunger arises, immediately begins to squeak and voluntarily takes food, then a slightly grown up chick refuses to eat, so initially it has to be force-fed the lovebirds. It must also be remembered that the air temperature for the normal existence of a fledgling chick should be 18–20 ° C.
Artificial feeding of lovebird chicks can be conditionally divided into three stages:
1 ) immediately after birth, it is necessary to cook semi-liquid porridge with milk from semolina or millet, to which add a little fish oil and sugar;
2 ) after the lovebird chicks learn to sit on their fingers, the porridge cooked for them should be thick;
3 ) after waiting for the first flapping of the wings, the parrots are gradually accustomed to grain feed.
To do this, dry food grains are placed in the feeder along with the porridge, which can be soaked in water for the first time.
Parrots also need vitamins and minerals for normal growth and skeletal development, so vegetable or fruit juice and powdered mineral food shells should be added to the porridge.
By following this schedule, the chick will gradually learn to feed exclusively on a grain mixture. Until the parrot has learned to eat on its own, water is given to it only on hot sunny days, when it becomes independent, the constant presence of fresh water in the drinker is a prerequisite.
Unfortunately, artificially fed parrots become frail, so they need careful care.
Lovebird chicks: features of caring for babies
Read in this article
Lovebirds are called little parrots who choose their soul mate once and for life. These are quite unpretentious birds in keeping, but if adults or lovebird chicks receive the wrong care, this can cause their illness and even death.
If you are serious about breeding lovebirds, you should first of all take care of having a spacious cage so that the birds can fly. The ideal place for nesting is the top of the bird house. The best periods for incubation and breeding are May and September. The diet of future parents should be complete, that is, in addition to the main grain feed, it should include a large amount of various greens.
Complete mutual understanding and harmony should reign in a couple. If this is not observed, then the partners should be separated for a while. Having missed each other, they will begin to get along. But if this does not help improve relations, then one of the birds will have to be replaced. The optimal age of candidates for parents is from 1 to 4 years. Crossbreeding of close relatives is unacceptable!
Nesting parameters are as follows: height - about 22 cm, length and width - 17 cm each, diameter of the notch - 6 cm. Ideally, the bottom of the nest should have a recess, so that the eggs will not roll out, and the lid should be made folding for convenience cleaning.
Sawdust is poured into the nest, but you can give the female the opportunity to independently arrange a place for incubation by placing a bunch of the thinnest branches of deciduous trees in the cage. Place a perch under the nest.
Incubation of eggs is a very responsible period
Having laid 4 to 6 white eggs in the nest, the female parrot incubates them for about 3 weeks (plus or minus 2 days depending on air parameters). The bird not only warms the future offspring with its body, but also turns the eggs twice a day and moves them around the nest (from the middle to the edge and vice versa), which ensures their uniform heating. During this period, the female rarely leaves the nest, and even then only out of urgent need (to eat and stretch).
Owners of lovebirds should not disturb the birds, much less touch the eggs. Feeding pets, cleaning the cage and monitoring the nesting should be done very carefully and silently. Sudden changes in air temperature are unacceptable, the optimal mode should be 18-20 ° C. Even more scrupulous should be treated to comply with the norms of humidity. Moisture deficiency is fraught with the occurrence of pathologies of the embryos, and in extreme cases, their fading, especially in the first week of incubation. And excessively high humidity poses a threat to the viability of the embryo, mainly at the 3rd week of development. Excess moisture in the egg leads to the fact that the embryo swallows it more than required, due to which the liquid blocks the airways. As a result of this, lovebird chicks often die. Optimal for the full formation of the embryo is considered to be air humidity in the range of 50-60%.
The owners will also have to monitor good air circulation in the nest, since insufficient oxygen, excess carbon dioxide and the presence of toxic gases in its composition can also adversely affect the development of the chick.
7 days after the female sits on the nest, it will already be possible to check whether the eggs are fertilized or not.
If everything is in order, then the egg has a matte surface that has a grayish-white tint. If the result is negative, the shell is shiny and yellowish in color (evenly or in spots). Bringing an unfertilized egg to a light source, you can see the dark branched veins. With a large number of eggs, “blank” specimens can be removed, and with a small number, it is better to leave them all.
It occasionally happens that there is not a single fertilized egg in the nest. No need to rush to throw them away right away. It is better to give the female the opportunity to sit out the prescribed three weeks so that she does not lose her rhythm. If possible, "empty" eggs should be replaced with several full-fledged specimens from the nest of another pair of lovebirds. The "stepmother" will not resist her new role, she simply will not notice the change. Since this type of parrot belongs to flocking birds, ideally several females should be planted on the nests at the same time, while they should be in plain sight of each other - in cages located next door.
Feeding lovebird chicks
The hatched chicks are completely helpless. Their body is almost naked with a small amount of fluff, eyes and ear canals are closed. A few hours after birth, the female begins to feed them with goiter milk, and after a few days she transfers the cubs to incompletely digested food. The feathered father feeds his "half" from his beak, and a little later he takes on part of the responsibility for feeding offspring. Owners who do not know how to care for lovebird chicks at this stage should pay more attention to their feeding and nest hygiene. Finely chopped boiled chicken egg, millet porridge (it is important that the grains are whole, not overcooked), germinated oats, wheat and millet should be added to bird food.
If, for unknown reasons, the female does not take care of the babies, then they should be moved to the nest with another female. The "careless mother" is transferred to the abode of chicks that have reached 5 days of age.
They, making a sonorous and persistent squeak, will be able to awaken the maternal instinct in the bird. The feeding period for small parrots is about 50 days.
By the tenth day, the eyes of the chicks are already fully open, and by the age of one month, the thin fluff is replaced by a full-fledged “adult” plumage. On about the 38th day, young parrots leave the nest, but for about 15 more days they receive food from their parents, as they are still learning to find food and peck.
Those who plan to breed these birds should take into account that in captivity they may not be able to reproduce, or the parental instinct of the couple will not be sufficiently pronounced.
If the lovebird chicks hatch in large numbers, they will quickly fill the nest with waste products. Therefore, you should take care in advance about the availability of a spare nest, so that if necessary, replace it with a dirty one, which should immediately be subjected to cleaning, disinfection and high-quality drying.
