Choosing Healthy Lovebirds
The topics covered
on this page are:
1.
Choosing a Healthy
Bird
2.
Examining a Lovebird
3.
Personal Preferences
4.
Disabled and Sick Lovebirds
Choosing a
Healthy Bird
For most people, a young
lovebird between the ages of 7 to 14 weeks old is an excellent
choice. The younger a lovebird is, the easier it is for it to adjust
and to be tamed and trained.
Look for an alert lovebird that sits upright,
has bright eyes, and has clean, tight feathers. The bird may have
clipped wings, but these feathers will grow back. Do not buy a bird
that is not alert or has health problems. A healthy lovebird will
not let others peck it.
Young lovebirds do not have their full, mature
coloring yet, so they may look blander. Check out pictures of young
and mature lovebirds to see how a young lovebird will look like when
she is older. Some young lovebirds have a black spot on their beaks,
but this will disappear as they mature.
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Examining a
Lovebird
Take the lovebird out of the cage and carefully
examine it. It may bite you, so you may want to wear gloves. Notice
if the beak closes completely and is smooth. Look for bald spots
everywhere, including the top of the head. The feathers should be
intact and healthy. See if the wings have broken shafts or hang at
odd angles. Is the bird too fat or so skinny that its breast bone
protrudes? Observe the legs to see if they are healthy and smooth.
The toes should be straight and have all nails intact. The tail must
be clean.
Palpate the bird's breast bone with your fingers
and feel along the sides of bone. The flesh should be firm. Examine
the cloaca, which is the area around the vent where the wastes are
expelled. If the area is dirty or sticky, the bird may have an
intestinal problem.
The lovebird's nostrils should be open and free
of discharge. Listen to the lovebird's breathing; if there is a
squawk or irregularity, the bird may have a respiratory problem.
Keep in mind that the bird may be nervous when you hold it, so the
breathing may be faster than normal.
Blow the feathers on the lovebird's stomach and
chest. The skin underneath should be a pinkish brown color. If the
skin is splotched or bright red, the bird might have a skin problem.
If the skin has a yellow undertone, the bird may be obese.
Observe the lovebird's reaction to you. Is it
nervous and wants to get away? Does it attack your fingers? Is it
playful and relatively tame?
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Personal
Preferences
Even if there are several healthy birds of the
same color and mutation, every lovebird has external features that
differ in some way. In this case, choose a bird according to your
personal preferences. Personally, I think that a round, egg-like
bird is cuter than a bird with a long body. I like the way she has a
rarer coloration, a rounded head and huge eyes.
If you are looking for a show bird, you would
want a lovebird that fits the show standards. The following is the
criteria for a "perfect" lovebird, according to the African Society
of Lovebirds: The beak should be neat and well tucked in; the head
full and round; the eyes centered, clear and bright; the neck should
be full and wide; the shoulders should have no appearance of the
neckline; the breast should be deep, broad, and well rounded,
tapering gradually to the tail; the back line should not be slack or
hollow but almost straight; the wings should be held neatly in line
with the body; the flight feathers must not droop or cross; the tail
should be held neatly in line with body; the legs and feet should be
straight and strong, firmly gripping the perch.
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Disabled and
Sick Lovebirds
Disabled lovebirds are not necessarily inferior
pets. A lovebird that is missing a toe or an eye can still be a
wonderful pet. However, if you want breeder birds, do not get
disabled lovebirds, because they will be picked on, and a male that
is missing a toenail cannot successfully mate. If you are looking
for a pet bird, make sure that the disability was not caused by an
illness. Although many illnesses can be cured, it is not advisable
to start with a sick pet that may become weaker and even die.
If the lovebird has a metal
band around its leg, get the seller or your vet to remove the band
as soon as possible. The leg band may be hard to remove.
You do not have to make the decision to buy a
lovebird immediately. You can request that the bird is held for you
for a few days, so you can look at more birds or consult your
family.
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