New baby lovebird, fearful of humans - how to proceed?

[thesilversakura]

My mother and I frequently visit our local garden centre, and they have several aviaries in the pet section. Four days ago she came to me saying she saw a baby lovebird in there, about 10 or 11 weeks old and had fallen in love. The day after I camewith her and she decided to buy him. I was unsure considering the aviary situation he was in (my parrotlet was from a small scale breeder and was Co parented so pretty tame from day one) and also that the guy in charge said he was semi tame, able to step up but that was it. Nevertheless, she was in love haha, we've always both loved birds.

We've had him in his cage for three days now, I've done my reading and heard it was best for him to adjust that way. I had to make an adjustment in his cage today and after some screaming (I thought parrotlets were loud!) He calmed down and was fairly content to my hand being in the cage. I thought we might be getting somewhere....until he escaped. The cage has slide doors for the feeders and now I know for sure I need quick links on them all, but he was out in a flash and flying like no tomorrow, obviously terrified (he's been trying to escape since day one, quite frantically). We have high ceilings and it took about 15 minutes to catch him, he wriggled out my hands twice.

I've put him back in and left him be for now, but I feel absolutely awful. I have no experience with taming birds and I'm worried I've given him a bad experience and jeopardised any trust building I could have started, at least for a while. I have a responsibility and I don't care how long it takes, but any help would be appreciated so much. God I feel like a muppet *sigh*

Thank you so much!

[liz]

He really really wanted to fly. It is a good way for him to wear off some tension and claim his new home. Parrot proof a room and let him fly. If you have to put him back let him fly until he is tired. Most birds on the floor will let you scoop them up with 2 hands.

Move his cage around so that he is face high. They are not afraid of faces.

[thesilversakura]

I'll do that, thank you. I've been so worried he'd be traumatised from me chasing him around, he's so timid poor thing.

Another question if I may - he absolutely loves cuddly spaces. We bought a plush puppy ring and hung it on a branch and he slept tucked through the hole even though it looked uncomfortable next to the bars haha. He has a little cozy tunnel (keeping an eye for any damage, don't worry. He doesn't seem chewy at all thankfully) and loves lying in there and dozing. I read lovebirds in the wild have this sort of behaviour too, is it okay to encourage it? I know there are potential problems in breeding season when he's older...

[Pajarita]

Don't worry about the breeding season. For one thing, he is too young and, for another, the days are getting shorter and shorter and birds don't produce sexual hormones in the winter (if you keep them at a solar schedule, that is).

No, it wasn't that he wanted to come out to fly, it was that he wanted to go back to his home and his family, poor thing! I never recommend having a single lovebird, the little ones suffer loneliness much more intensely than the large birds which bond with people. Maybe, if you are very lucky, he will bond with your plet and both of them will be OK. But, if they don't, I suggest you do some in-depth research (and that doesn't mean asking owners of birds in a birdsite, it means going to reputable, scientific sources) and see if you come to the same conclusion most of us have arrived at: that it's not healthy or kind for them to be alone and depend on humans for company and comfort.

What you should concentrate right now is in making sure he is weaning properly - and that means soft food, two kinds served fresh daily twice a day. Aside from that, keeping him company will help... talking, singing to him, offering treats, etc. Don't put your hand in or on the cage and don't stare at him or put your face too close. Sit facing sideways when you keep him company so you don't act like a predator (and look at him that way, too). Once you see that he is used to the daily routine and is anticipating his dinner, you can start letting him out one hour before sunset (making sure the room is thoroughly birdproofed, of course) as he will go back into his cage for his seed dinner. Of course, for this to work you cannot free-feed high protein...

[thesilversakura]

I understand, thank you so much. I myself was a bit skeptical but everywhere I read said lovebirds were okay on their own if you dedicated enough time to them. I feel sorry for this poor little guy, I really do. My natural reaction is to give cuddles and attention like I do my parrotlet, who eats it up, so it's hard when I see him so lonely. But patience is a virtue!

Something very important I've just realised. When you mentioned weaning, I remembered he'd been eating regular parakeet seed in the store and that's what he eats now and he seems fine on it. But....he's moulting, or it looks like it. I asked the guy 'moulting, really? At 11 weeks?' And he just nodded.

Now I've never heard of any bird moulting at that age, and now I'm really worried he's got a deficiency of some sort, even though he came from a breeder. I put vitamins in both the birds' water, he has Harrison's high potency pellets and I'm getting calcium supplements because he won't touch his cuttlefish bone. Could there be something wrong? He looks patchy and scruffy and his feathers are dusty and a bit dull, but I put that down to being in an aviary and he needs a bath. I see no defined pin feathers like I did on Peach, but he's definitely not feather plucking as I've watched him religiously. I'm really worried now

[Wolf]

If you are feeding him Harrisons high potency formula do not add any vitamins or minerals to either his food or water as you could kill him due to vitamin toxicity.
I would also put him one of those little bird baths in his cage for him to bathe in.

[Pajarita]

No, an 11 week old bird would NOT be molting. No way, no how. So, he is either not 11 weeks or there is something else going on so, please, watch him like a hawk for any other symptom.

I would never feed High Potency to a healthy bird. It use to have a warning on the label that this product was to be used only as a transition food or for sick birds but it no longer does - I don't know why because it's a bomb of vitamins and protein. Yes, seeds are OK for them but you can't feed seeds and pellets unless you are mixing them up, in which case he will end up eating only the seeds and leaving the pellets behind. And he still needs soft food just in case he is, indeed, still a baby and the molting is caused by a medical issue.

Yes, lots and lots and lots of people will tell you a lone little one will do fine but none of those people could possibly be a bird lover because, if they were, they would know that a human simply cannot provide the 24/7/365 attention a companion bird gives them. People have lives of their own...

[thesilversakura]

I'm quite glad, in that case, that neither of them touch the pellets. Just my luck, haha. And yes, I'll start making soft food for him, what should he be given? I've never had to do this for a baby bird, I feel so silly. I should've checked up/asked more....should we get him to an avian vet for a checkup? The 'moult' just doesn't look right, there were pin feathers all over Peach and she regularly preened and none of her feathers looked dusty or dull - there are one or two falling out that don't look in good condition at all. I'll get a bath as soon as possible, but I haven't noticed any other symptoms so far. Thank the Lord....

(Thank you all so much for your help, putting up with all the questions. At least I'll come out the other side with more experience under my belt...)

[Wolf]

If your bird has not been to the vet for a check up I would encourage you to do so. More later, my birds demanding me now.

[thesilversakura]

Indeed. I really need to stop listening to that guy in the pet store, even if he does claim to know about birds. He said 'don't take them to the vets if you don't have to, don't waste your money' when I talked about taking him for a check up. I am not going to risk it any more, no way. I'm coming to you all first from now on!

(By the way, I was browsing the forum and noticed another person with a young lovebird, and one of you pointed out that baby lovebirds have a black mark at the top of their beak that disappears at 3-4 months of age. He still has this mark, or rather marks, one line either side nearly right at the top (he is a turquoise mutation, I don't yet know if he's Peach Faced or Fischers, but I'm leaning towards the latter since there is no colour on his forehead). So this must mean he is too young to moult.....darnit. Would it be helpful if I tried to take some pictures?)