Lovebird FAQ

• What kind of cage is good for my Lovebird?
  Lovebirds are very active birds and need a cage large enough to accommodate this need. Square cages that are roughly 20" x 20" x 20" (50.8 cm x 50.8 cm x 50.8 cm)or larger are good for lovebirds. Since lovebirds tend to fly horizontally rather than vertically, rectangular long cages are a better choice than rectangular tall. Bar spacing needs to be 1/2" or 5/8" (1.27 cm or 1.60 cm). Round cages are unsuitable for Lovebirds due to the placement of their eyes. Round cages appear as solid walls and have no safe corners where the lovebirds can hide. This is actually true to for all birds.


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• Does my Lovebird need grit or gravel?

Lovebirds are hookbills and shell their food. The purpose of grit and gravel is to remove the outer shells of whole seeds, so only birds that consume intact seeds, such as doves, need grit in their diet. Once the outer covering is gone, the Lovebird's digestive system is capable of breaking down the seed.

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• What kind of perches are good for my Lovebird?
  When choosing a perch for your Lovebird, minimum size would be one where the foot does not wrap completely around the perch. This should be the determining factor when selecting perches for your Lovebird.
  
  Natural perches are best, as they provide comfort plus a good source for chewing. Lovebirds enjoy removing bark and demolishing perches, so you will find that these have to be replaced on a regular basis. When selecting branches from trees, try to find those that have not been sprayed with insecticides or pesticides. Perches can be cleaned with 10% bleach solution and rinsed very well. Safe wood for natural perches includes apple, ash, beech, birch, cactus wood, cottonwood, crabapple, dogwood, elm, fir, mulberry, manzanita, pine, poplar and willow.
  
  Cement perches can be used to help keep nails trimmed. Since these can be very hard on the feet of a Lovebird, put them only in places where your Lovebird goes everyday but does not spend a lot of time there. Placing them in front of food and water dishes is one possibility, but you will find that your Lovebird will also use these as an area to wipe its beak so they will have to be cleaned frequently. In order to be effective, select a size that only allows the foot to go 3/4 of the way around the perch.
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• How do I know when to call my veterinarian?
  One of the most important things you can do when you purchase a bird is find an avian vet or one who specializes in birds. Birds are experts at hiding the symptoms of illness/disease because to appear sickly in their natural habitat is allow themselves to be vulnerable to attack by predators. By the time you see real signs of illness, you usually have a medical emergency that will require immediate medical attention. It's far better to have an avian vet and not need one than to need one and not have one. Since many medical emergencies seem to happen after normal veterinarian office hours, I make sure I have a phone number for any emergency clinic that can care for a sick bird. Those numbers are posted next to my phone so I never have to look for those them. Remember, seconds count when you have a sick bird.
  
  Any behavior out of the ordinary for your bird can be a valid reason for seeking medical attention. Fluffed feathering, overly quiet, or change in eating habits can all be early signs of a problem. A Gram Stain is an easy, inexpensive test that can be used to determine the presence of bacteria or fungus. These are much easier to treat in the early stages than they are once the gram negative (bad bacteria) count or the yeast count become very high. When you suspect that your bird is sick, instead of asking a friend what might be wrong or trying over the counter medications that are available at your local pet shop, call your avian vet. Many illnesses have similar symptoms and tests are needed to determine the real problem. No medications should ever be given unless you know what you are treating. The wrong medication will not work and can alter results of any testing that might need to be done.
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