INTRODUCTION

A Lovebird is one of nine species of the genus Agapornis. They are a social and affectionate small parrot. Eight species are native to the African continent, while the Grey-headed Lovebird is native to Madagascar. Their name stems from the parrots' strong, monogamous pair bonding and the long periods which paired birds spend sitting together. Lovebirds live in small flocks and eat fruit, vegetables, grasses and seed. Black-winged Lovebirds also eat insects and figs, and the Black-collared Lovebirds have a special dietary requirement for native figs, making them problematic to keep in captivity.

Some species are kept as pets, and several color mutations were selectively bred in aviculture. Their average lifespan is 10 to 15 years.

Lovebirds are 13 to 17 centimeters in length and 40 to 60 grams in weight. They are among the smallest parrots, characterized by a stocky build, a short blunt tail, and a relatively large, sharp beak. Wildtype lovebirds are mostly green with a variety of colors on their upper body, depending on the species. The Fischer's Lovebird, Black-cheeked Lovebird, and the Masked Lovebird have a prominent white ring around their eyes. The Abyssinian Lovebird, the Madagascar Lovebird, and the Red-faced Lovebird are sexually dimorphic. Many colour mutant varieties have been produced by selective breeding of the species that are popular in aviculture.

Below is a diagram of a lovebirds body with the key to the various parts at the below the diagram.

1 Cere 12 Thigh 2 Upper Mandiple 13 Secondaries 3 Lower Mandiple 14 Under Tail Coverts 4 Lores 15 Central Tail Feathers 5 Breast 16 Primarys 6 Lesser Wing Coverts 17 Rump 7 Secondary Wing Coverts 18 Scapulars 8 Abdomen 19 Mantle 9 Toes 20 Ear Coverts 10 Claw 21 Occiput (Crown) 11 Shank 22 Periophthalmic (eye) Ring

BREEDING LOVEBIRDS

Preparing a Breeding Program
The popular image of lovebirds is of two birds snuggling together on a branch. Bonded lovebirds can be a joy to watch as they preen each other or wrangle over a toy or bit of food. Because of this, they have become very popular among beginning breeders. However, breeding lovebirds entails much more than putting two lovebirds together and hanging up a nest box. The most important thing to consider when deciding to breed lovebirds is how much time and energy you have. Breeding lovebirds need to be in top condition; they cannot be on seed-only diets or be forced to live in dirty cages. They must be supplied with a balanced, if they are raise healthy clutches of babies. You also need to be prepared for emergencies that can arise during the breeding process, from egg binding to parental aggression toward chicks.

Getting a True Pair of Lovebirds
The most commonly kept lovebird species (peachfaced, Fischer's, masked) are not sexually dimorphic. This means you cannot tell if a lovebird is a male or a female just by looking at it. Some subtle differences occur between males (cocks) and females (hens), but exceptions to these characteristics often arise. Therefore, the best method of determining a lovebird's sex is through DNA testing of blood. A number of labs will send you a free kit and instructions on how to take a sample. The most common method is to clip a toenail a little higher than you normally would and draw the blood into a glass capillary tube. Be sure to have styptic powder on hand to stop the flow of blood when you are done. Unless you are completely sure you can handle the situation should you have difficulties, you should ask you avian veterinarian to take the sample for you. Some lovebird shops will also take the sample for you and then send it to the lab. This usually doubles your cost, but it is the best option for anyone who is not confident about being able to obtain the blood sample safely.

Another method used to determine sex is surgical sexing. This is a more invasive procedure and must be done by a qualified avian veterinarian. This method is generally unnecessary for lovebirds now that DNA sexing techniques are more than 99 percent reliable when the test are performed by a qualified laboratory.
Some subtle visual and behavioral cues can indicate the sex. However, relying on these could delay results in your breeding program.

Exceptions to all these general characteristics do occur. I have seen males who are quite expert at tucking and carrying nesting material. However, they are usually better at stealing the nesting material from the hen's wings. Of course, if a lovebird lays an egg, you know it is a hen. However, that does not mean its mate is male. When two lovebirds are hens is often clear because 10 - 12 eggs will be in the nest box rather than the usual six or seven.

Picking Healthy Stock
The quality of your initial breeding stock will have a long-term impact on the quality of your breeding program. So be sure you choose healthy, robust lovebirds from the beginning. This might mean selecting more expensive lovebirds and buying fewer at first. This is a much better idea than buying large groups of average lovebirds at a low cost. Often price does reflect the quality of care that birds receive. A breeder who feeds a varied, quality diet and does not overcrowd his or her aviaries has higher expenses than one who has a few huge flights filled with birds who are fed just seeds and water.
Breeders who pair breed and keep good records of breeding lines and genetics (for example, splits) have much higher expenses than those who aviary breed and do not specifically arrange pairings of certain lovebirds. You can expect to pay more if you get your lovebird from such breeders, but you will often get better background information about your lovebirds.

A lovebird should be in good feather. Young lovebirds tend to have diluted colors, but you can still see if the feathers have a nice sheen to them. Turn the lovebird over onto its back and feel along either side of the lovebird's keel bone (the bone that basically divides the bird in half) to make sure it is not underweight. A nice amount of flesh should be on either side of the bone. Also, avoid lovebirds who have stained vents. Diarrhea could be a sign of bacterial infection or other illnesses. Bright eyes and clean nares (nose area) are also important signs. Avoid lovebirds who have poor feathering and appear to be plucking themselves (feather mutilation), and this can become an ongoing, intractable problem in an aviary. Plucking on the black of the head is usually done by other, more aggressive lovebirds in a flight or cage or by a mate during the breeding season and does not generally impact potential breeding success. However, plucking of leg feathers, chest feathers, and other areas a lovebird can reach on itself can possibly be the sign of a lovebird that has a condition sometimes referred to as lovebird pyoderma.

Putting Together a New Pair
One of the biggest mistakes new breeders make is to put a new lovebird in with an established lovebird. Putting a new male into a hen's established territory can be disastrous. Lovebirds are extremely territorial and will fight, even kill, a lovebird who treads in their space. Lovebirds should be introduced in a divided cage or in two cages side-by-side at first. When they start to sit on the end of the perch closest to each other, you can then try introducing them to each other in a single cage.

Not all lovebirds are compatible. While they do not have to experience love at first sight, if one of the lovebirds you are trying to pair shows aggression toward its intended mate, you have to be very cautious. Hens tend to be the more aggressive one when they do not like the mate you have chosen. They will sometimes prevent the male from eating and will bite feet, legs, and the back of the neck can be fatal. So watch carefully, and separate lovebirds immediately if this type of aggression is occurring.

Cages and Nest Boxes
There are two ways to breed lovebirds: in large groups in flights or by individual pairs in separate breeding cages. If you want to control the color mutations and genetic lines, the latter method is preferable. Keeping the peace among lovebirds is also much easier when they have separate cages. Despite their name, lovebirds can be rather aggressive toward other lovebirds. You can remove pairs from flight cages at breeding time and place them into smaller cages more suitable for breeding time and place them into smaller cages more suitable for breeding as explained in Cages and Cagewire. An ideal breeder cage should be at least 24 inches by 18 inches by 18 inches (60 cm by 45cm by 45 cm).The lovebirds should be able to beat their wings without hitting the cage sides or perches. They should be able to climb and play for exercise.

Many people think that supplying toys and the like will distract lovebirds from mating. I do not find this to be true. Lovebirds with an interesting and stimulating environment are happier and hence more likely to make good parents. Do not forget that lovebirds are very playful, clownish creatures, and they need an appropriate stage for their antics.
lovebird nest boxesThe nest box is your next consideration. while many people use a large parakeet or cockatiel box, I usually get the best results with English budgie nesting boxes. These open on one end via a sliding, two-part door. They have a little raised platform at the entrance and a lower area for the hen to nest. These are nice because the hen can have company while nesting without being crowded. The cock will sit on the perch over the raised platform or will sleep directly on the raised platform. This also decreases the chances of eggs being cracked if there is ever a panicked rush into the nest box. The lovebirds dive onto the raised platform first and then move down to the lower nesting area.
Make sure the sliding doors are not swollen due to moisture. This makes inspecting the eggs difficult. Your hens will feel less agitated if you do not have to wiggle and force the door every time you want to check on them. If the doors are very tight in the grooves, remove them, file or sand down the edges a bit, then put them back in and test for easy sliding.

If you hang the nest box on the outside of the cage and then use wire clippers to cut a hole in the cage bars for the nest box entrance, you will be able to check on the hen and babies more easily. Make sure you file down any sharp points on the cut wire.

Nesting Material
A basic substrate of pine shavings or commercially available paper nesting material should be put into the box to give it soft bottom. A couple of inches will give the hen a good base for her nest and prevent leg problems with with your chicks. Make sure any material you use is labeled safe for use with lovebirds. Cedar can be toxic to lovebirds. Also, do not use corncob bedding or walnut shells. First, they are very uncomfortable, and second, they are dangerous if ingested. Corncob can swell in a baby's crop and can also serve as a breeding ground for Aspergillus species. Walnut shells have been known to do damage to the digestive system because of their sharp edges. These items should not be used as cage liner either since parents may ingest them and feed them to their babies. Some species will balk at being given nesting material. Abyssinian lovebirds will push the material aside until they can find the flat wooden floor. You can arrange the material so that it creates a ring around this exposed area, which prevents eggs from rolling around in the nest box.

lovebird nest boxesHumidity is very important for the successful hatching of lovebird eggs. In areas whee the weather is extremely dry, many lovebird breeders supply wetted palm fronds as nesting material. Lovebirds will shred the long fronds and stuff them under their wings until they look like little pin cushions. They then take them into the nest box and proceed to build their nests. I have also used shredded white paper towels, eucalyptus, and dried grasses. Lovebirds will use their own lost feathers for the nest too. Supply new nesting material even after the eggs are laid, as this keeps the nest fresher and keeps up the appropriate humidity level (the wetted fronds do this). You can also get nesting material at pet supply stores, but you really do not need to spend money on these. Do not give leaves of any poisonous plants or plants that have been treated with insecticides. To control this, I use palm trees from my yard. If you do not live in southern clime, this could be difficult. However, you can investigate an appropriate, non poisonous substitute in your geographic area. In particularly dry areas, spritzing the lovebirds with water as hatching time nears can help you maintain proper humidity levels. Be careful not to wet the wooden nest box because this could encourage the growth of mold.

Nutrition for Breeding Birds and Their Young
Nutrition is what ultimately determines the health and quality of your babies once you have chosen healthy,genetically diverse stock for breeding pairs. Many companies make a pelleted diet specifically intended for breeding lovebirds. These pellets are higher in protein than are maintenance pellets. However, do not rely solely on these for nutrition. Supply seeds, vegetables, and grains as well. Occasionally, pieces of fruit are fine, but they are not a substitute for vegetables. The simplest way to give lovebirds excellent green nutrition is by feeding fresh wheatgrass. Most lovebirds will take to it quickly. It is easy to feed, does not spoil, and guarantees a wide spectrum of vitamins and minerals. Sprouted seeds are also an excellent source of high quality nutrition. However, they must be served fresh or after no more than three days in the refrigerator due to risk of bacterial growth. Washing sprouts in a solution of water and either bleach (not bleach with lye; make it a 50:1 dilution of water to bleach) or grapefruit seed extract them rinsing thoroughly can reduce the risk of bacterial contamination. Remember that fresh foods indicate spring to lovebirds, much in the same way that longer sunlight hours do. Cooked grains such as quinoa and oat groats are relished by breeding lovebirds.

Eggs in the Nest Box
Lovebird hens lay between five and seven eggs usually. First-time mothers may lay fewer eggs. They lay them approximately every other day. Do not be concerned if the hen does not sit tight on the eggs at first. Some lovebird hens will not settle in full-time to incubate the eggs until they have laid the third one. After that, you will not see her out of the nest box very often. The lovebird male will help feed her by regurgitating. She will come out on occasion for short visits to the water or food dish or to relieve herself. You may notice that her poops are much larger and softer during this period.
You can determine whether eggs are fertile approximately five days after the hen begins sitting tight. The best point at which to check is five days after incubation has begun, which is usually five days after the third egg is laid. A special device called a candler is used to do this. You should get one of these inexpensive tools because they have a special protective hood that prevents you from chipping the egg first shows little red veins. As the chick develops, the veins are no longer visible and the egg becomes darker where the body is developing. Infertile eggs, known as clear, have a pale yellow appearance with no dark formations.

Approximately 23 days after an egg is laid, the chick can take up 24 hours to work its way fully out of the shell. I have rarely found it necessary to help a lovebird chick hatch. Some species, such as Abyssinian lovebirds , can take even longer to extricate themselves from the egg. Overly nervous breeders often interfere with this process, afraid the chick is taking too long to hatch. This is often a mistake and can actually harm the chick more than it helps. If for some reason you feel it is necessary to help the chick, the egg must be removed slowly, a little bit every hour rather than all at once. The chick should always be left attached to the soft material inside the egg. This egg sac contains essential nutrition that the chick will absorb If you remove this material, the chick will die. In most cases, helping the chick from the egg is a mistake. If done improperly, it will result in the death of the chick. If you continually have problems with chicks unable to extricate themselves from the shell on their own, you may have an aviary management issue, such as too much calcium in the diet, causing excessive hardness of the shell.

Preventing Egg Binding
Egg binding and a more serious complication, egg peritonitis, can bedeadly to a hen. This occurs when an egg is too soft or too large for the hen to pass. The egg is essensially stuck inside her. An egg-bound hen will look sick, often sitting puffed up on the floor of the cage. If you turn over such a hen, you will see a very swollen vent. This is an emergency situation. Get the hen warm immediately. If you do not have a profesional brooder, keep a plastic reptile container and heating pad on hand at all times in case this situation arises. Getting an egg-bound bird to an avian veterinarian within 12 to 24 hours is important if you want the bird to survive. If the egg breaks inside her, she will be at risk for peritonitis. Sometimes a course of antibiotics will help in these cases, but often the bird will not survive or will be incapable of breeding in the future. The risk of egg binding increases when birds are not given a rest between clutches, hens are not given sufficient calcium (cuttlebone), or hens are bred too young (under one year of age).

Infertile Eggs
A number of conditions can cause infertile eggs. Often, a young breeding pair just does not quite get it right the first time around. Do not give up. Usually, they are more successful the second time around. Give them a couple of weeks of rest, and put the nest box back up to try again.
Bacterial infections can result infertility, especially if left untreated. Low-grade infections might not be immedietly apparent. A veterinary checkup that includes a fecal smear and cloacal swab will determine if your birds have an underlying bacterial problem that could be causing infertility.
Loose perches can lead to infertile eggs. If the perch is loose the male cannot get good contact with the female. They might do the dance, but it will be to no avail. Give each perch a little shake to see if it is stable enough.

Why Fertile Eggs Don't Hatch
Poor nutrition, a hen letting eggs get cold during brooding, bacterial infections, not enough humidity, and genetic defects are all possible causes for dead-in-shell chicks. Determining why some eggs just do not hatch is not always easy. In my experience, sometimes one or two eggs simply do not hatch, often the last one or two laid.

Obviously, if a large number of eggs are not hatching, you should be concerned. Break open the long overdue eggs to see the level of development the chick achieved. If the chick has only rudimentary development, the hen may have let the eggs get cold at the point during incubation. If you noticed the hen was outside the nest box for considerable periods of time during the brooding process, this may be the problem.

Genetic defects can result in dead chicks in the shell. This cause is difficult to confirm. If a pair continues to have this problem, separating and pairing them with new mates to see if this cages anything may be best. Sometimes a pair could be a poor genetic match, and pairing with new mates is your best bet. Before doing this, however, an avian veterinarian should rule out health problems. One of the most cited problems that can be considered genetic in origin occurs when you breed two red-eyed parents (ino mutations). Many breeders recommend that you not put two red-eyed lovebirds together. This can sometimes result in weak chicks that do not thrive, blindness, and other genetic problem. For example, breeding a lutino hen with a male that is split lutino is best. genetic problems can also be due to inadvertent breeding of too closely related lovebirds. This is why record keeping is very important.

If the chicks are fully formed, the problem could be with hatching itself. Low humidity or too-hard shells due to overuse of calcium in the diet can be causes. A cuttle bone is sufficient for calcium, so do not also add calcium supplements to water and food. If you live in a dry climate, you can use the wetted palm fronds or mist the cage once a day to supply moisture. Do not soak the nest box because this can cause mold to grow. If you mist the father, he will often go into the nest box and bring the moisture with him.

Preventing Splay-Legged Babies
You know it when you see it. The lovebird legs are spread straight out, and the chick is unable to get a grip and sit up with its legs properly underneath its body. Splay legs can be very traumatic for the novice breeder. The best way to deal with this is to prevent it. Even the best nest builders should be given a basic substrate for the nest box. Put about 2 or 3 inches (5 to 8cm) into the nest box, then give the hen other nest-building materials. She will builds her nest on top of the substrate. This prevents the chicks from ending up on the bottom of a nest box on a slippery wooden floor where they cannot get a proper grip. It also cushions them if they have an overzealous mother who sits very tightly on them. If you have already got chicks in the nest and realize they are hitting the wooden floor, remove the nest built by the mother (try to keep it basically intact), add 2 or 3 inches (5 to 8cm) of safe nesting material, place the mother's nest on top of the substrate, and  then put the chicks back into the box.

If you have a baby with splay legs, the best way to treat it is to double band the legs, the best way to treat it is to double band the legs and use dental floss to tie the legs together in the proper position under the body. Place the baby into a cup with soft cushioning (unscented tissues are good) to help it rest comfortably. This entails pulling the baby from the nest and hand-feeding it separately from other chicks, as the string between the legs can strangle other chicks in the nest. If you are having difficulty, take the baby to the veterinarian immediately. You do not want to let this go, as these birds are often severely crippled and will need special caging and extra help all their live. Another method uses a makeup sponge to keep the legs together. Catching this problem early on is important. It can usually be corrected if the bird is put the hobble by the time it is 21 days old. Leave the hobble on for at least one week, longer if the bird is over 14 days old, then check to see if it is corrected. For either method, you will most likely need to replace the hobble a couple of times because it will stretch or become loosened.

Keeping Records
Keeping good breeding records is important for a number of reasons. The most important is to prevent inbreeding down the road. Someone may buy some lovebirds from you one year, then buy more a few years later to add to their breeding collection. You want to be able to tell them which of these new lovebirds is related to the lovebirds they bought the previous year.

Keeping track of genetics is also important. Many colors can be splits (see the color genetics information under each species for more about this). You need to be able to tell buyers that a male lovebird might be split to American cinnamon or lutino since this will determine what color babies they get. Most serious breeders do not like to be surprised by a mutation, especially when they are working to achieve certain color lines.

The best way to keep good records is to band your lovebirds. Traceable bands can be ordered from the African Lovebird Society . You do need to become a member to be eligible to receive these bands. These will have your initials, the hatch year, and a unique number to identify the lovebirds. When you band a lovebird, you write down the number alongside its date of birth. Make a note of its date of birth. Make a note of its parent's colors and names/band numbers.
This sort of record keeping becomes more important as the years pass. In lines where you have fourth- and fifth-generation babies, knowing who is related to whom is very important to avoid inbreeding. Remembering this once you have a large collection of lovebirds can become impossible. Written records are the only guarantee you have that you are matching up appropriate lovebirds for future stock.

Hatching Eggs
This first days after the eggs begins hatching can be nerve-racking for beginners. Resist the temptation to check on the babies too often,but do make sure they are being properly fed by the parents. Your job is to make this stressful job as easy on the parents as possible.The male has to eat his food,regurgitate it for the hen,who in turn regurgitates the food for the babies.This involves enormous amounts of energy, and you might notice the male parent getting a little on the thin side. Later on, the male will help feed the babies himself rather than using the female as a go-between.

lovebird hatching eggsThe best way to ease the stress on the parents is to supply a wide variety of easy-to-digest food on a regular basis. I always give parents more meals than other lovebirds.They need their water replaced more often; you will notice it gets dirtier much faster.They will prefer softer, hence fresh, food that cannot be left in the cage for more than a few hours. For people working nine-to-five jobs, this can be difficult. Give fresh foods as soon as you get up in the morning, then just before you leave for work remove anything that can spoil. Leave in the cage millet, dried egg food [a powdery yellow food found at most avian supply stores] or quiko, pellets, vegetables that do not spoil easily such as wheat grass or raw broccoli florets, and a good seed mix. Give them fresh food again when you arrive home, and take it out after an hour or so.

Make sure the parents also have cuttle bone and plenty of water. Give them two bowls of water during this period. They will usually make a mess of one right away but will often leave one unsoiled for a few hours. With particularly messy parents you may have to change the water three times a day. Many like to make soup with their pallets since this creates a very easy-to-feed mush.

You will notice the babies are on their backs for the first few days. This is completely normal. Lovebirds always feed their babies on their backs. if for some reason you are forced to pull lovebird babies that this young, you will have to do the same. Feeding one-day-old babies is extremely difficult and time-consuming. It should not be attempted by a beginner. If you are forced to do this because the mother is ignoring the babies or attacking them, you should get help from an experienced hand-feeder. You will have to feed these babies every 15 minutes to half an hour if they are only a few days old. This can test the patience of most anyone. Waiting until chicks are at least a week old to pull them for hand-feeding is best.

Parent Aggression Toward Chicks
Lovebirds generally make excellent parents. However, on occasion you will have either a hen or cock who will show aggression toward babies. This can range from plucking their feathers to maiming or killing them. When you begin a breeding program, you should always be prepared to pull chicks should the parents show dangerous aggression toward their young. Even if you did not intend to hand-feed the babies, you need to have the brooder, hand-feeding formula, thermometer, and syringes on hand for emergencies. You need to learn the basics of hand-feeding well before such an emergency arises. You do not want to have to find someone to give you instruction when six babies with empty crops are staring up at you.

Hand-Feeding
If you intend your babies to be pets, hand-feeding them is best. Different breeders like to pull their babies at various ages. Generally, babies at 10 to 14 days of age will immediately take to the syringe and readily eat the warm formula. Some breeders will wait as long as three weeks to pull chicks for hand-feeding, but sometimes these lovebirds can be a little resistant to the syringe at first.

Place the chicks into a brooder. This can be made using a plastic reptile container filled with some nesting material. Placing plain paper towels on top of the soft nesting material can help for easier cleaning at each feeding. You can put a heating pad under the container. Keep it on low and medium, and check to make sure the babies are not panting from too much heat. Also, if you place the pad under only one-half of the container, the babies can move away from the heat source if they find it too warm. By 21 days, the lovebirds have a good amount of feathering and are old enough to create warmth by cuddling with each other. Do not leave dirty, soiled liners in the brooder since baby lovebirds are very susceptible to bacterial infections, and poops equal bacteria. Also, as they get older, curious chicks will eat their own poops. Use the extra large brooder so the babies can grow into it. One side is is for food bowls. You can put a stand-alone perch into the brooder when the babies is about four weeks old. They can be transferred to a cage at six weeks of age.

Be properly trained before attempting hand-feeding. I found a local bird store where they were willing to let me watch and learn. Once I had done this for a while, I took home my own bird to feed. I would bring the lovebird back in so the store employees could check his weight every other day until we were sure I was on the right track. Hand-feeding is not an exact science. You will find each bird is very different. Some are easy to feed, some are fussy and take longer to fill with formula. Some lovebirds wean quickly; some take a few weeks longer. If you want healthy lovebirds that are not neurotic about food, you will learn from them rather than follow a rigid system. You have to be careful that a lovebird is getting enough formula and that no formula is getting into the bird's lungs. This is called aspiration and can be fatal. It can cause immediate asphyxiation or a slower death due to pneumonia.

Lovebirds pulled from the nest at 14 days of age require around five feedings a day at first. This may vary depending how  how thick your formula is and how quickly the bird's crop empties. Hand-rearing formula can be found at most pet stores. The formula should be between 103 and 105F (39 and 41C). If you are getting refusals, check the temperature again because the formula may have cooled down too much. Get a quality digital thermometer to test the temperature. If the formula is too cold, lovebirds will balk at being fed. If it is too hot, you can burn the crop. All it takes is one time with too-hot formula to injure your bird critically by burning its crop.

Do not use a microwave oven to heat your formula. Doing so can cause hot spots in the formula that could burn the lovebird's crop. You must stir formula thoroughly testing the temperature.

When you begin feeding a new clutch, the formula should be rather thin. Generally, the companies that make formulas give good specifications as to ratios between water and powder. Just as a general formula, start with a thin mixture then progress to a mixture with a pea-soup texture over the nest two weeks.

O-ring syringes work best and are the easiest to plunge at the right rate. You do not want to plunge so quickly that you choke the bird. You also do not want to plunge so slowly that you frustrate the lovebird and it swallows too much air. If you stir the formula with the plunger part of the syringe before putting the syringe together, it will slide more smoothly. Do not force the formula; let the baby set the rhythm. They pump as they eat, and you should slowly use this pumping to determine how quickly you push down on the plunger of the syringe. If the lovebird stops, wait until it is ready for a bit more. Generally, these pauses last only a second or so. This is something you get better at more you hand-feed.
You do not need to force the food into the crop. This method, often called powder feeding, is not the best way to feed a baby. Let it taste the food in its mouth. This is the beginning of eating for a baby, and you are not doing it a service by forcing the formula into its crop.

Clean your syringes thoroughly between feedings. Normal household bleach diluted in water (1:32) is a good disinfectant. However, be sure to rinse the syringe and plunge clean water through it until it is completely clean. Antibacterial dis-washing soap can also be used. Use hot water to clean and rinse your syringes.

Begin to supply your lovebirds with a variety of foods starting around five to six weeks age. The best eaters are the ones exposed to various foods at an early age. Sunflower sprouts, cereal, and crumbled pellets are good for starters. A lovebird usually needs a few days to catch on. Change the types of food you give so the lovebird will get used to seeing new, strange items. This results in a lovebird who is willing to try new foods right through adulthood. Cooked vegetables such as carrots, corn, peas, and broccoli; bits of whole-wheat bread and cooked grains; and some seed should be given. You do not have to worry about teaching your lovebird to like seed as this comes naturally. It needs to be exposed to the vegetables and other foods early on so it will eat a well-balanced diet as juvenile and adult.

Weaning
In the wild, lovebirds fledge, or leave the nest, at around six weeks of age. However, parents continue to feed them for a couple of weeks after fledging. The babies will be able to eat on their own, but these supplemental feedings help them through the transition. This is true of most parrot species.

The concept of abundance weaning has recently gained popularity. While tracking the lives of lovebirds once a breeder sells them can be difficult, many personal anecdotes from breeders give credence to the idea that abundance weaning leads to more secure, less neurotic birds who will eat a wider variety of foods.

Abundance weaning simply means you let the lovebird decide when it is done being hand-fed. You never starve the bird to get it to eat. In fact, birds are more likely to pick at new foods if they have had their appetite stimulated by a shot of formula.

My lovebirds start to get a little annoyed by the syringe at five or six weeks of age. They still want the food but do not want to be totally filled with formula. They balk if you try to give them the usual size feeding. Do not force the issue. Let them have their taste, then supply them with as wide a variety of foods as possible.

Lovebirds do tend to thin down quite a bit during the weaning process. Pay careful attention to this as you do not want the lovebird to get too thin. Lovebirds are just not big pigs when they wean the way budgies are. Budgies will stuff themselves with millet until their crops are so big they can barely stand up. Lovebirds tend to eat a little all day long rather than pig out. The exception is during parenting, when lovebird pairs with babies will tend to have very full crops all the time to be prepared to regurgitate food for screaming babies.

Your lovebird is weaned when it no longer begs/cries for foods and appears to be eating normally. Nothing is wrong with offering a little formula just to be sure. However, if your lovebird has been going four days on just a tad of formula, you can be pretty sure it is weaned. Going a little longer with hand-feeding is always better than to wean too quickly. Hand-fed babies do tend to take longer to wean than parent-raised lovebirds. Weaning age can range from seven to nine weeks generally. Sometimes the runt of the litter will take even longer.

Do not send your babies to their new homes right away. Waiting three or four more days to be sure the lovebird is fully weaned is better. You will know pretty quickly if the lovebird's appearance or vitality has subtly changed.  A new owner might not notice the subtle signs that you would notice. These few extra days can also prevent regression, a phenomenon that can occur with lovebirds weaned a bit too quickly or just insecure birds looking or mama. This is when the lovebird wants to hand-feed again after being off formula for a few days. It can sometimes occur when a lovebird goes through the stress of being in a strange, new home.

Selling Unweaned Babies
This practice can be deadly. Be absolutely sure that you do not sell an unweaned baby to someone who either you have not trained yourself to hand-feed or who does not have proven experience raising a baby through weaning. Crop burning, malnutrition, and aspirated formula are just some of the problems that can arise when an inexperienced person tries to hand-feed a baby. If you are considering buying unweaned baby, do not take this responsibility lightly. It is a myth that you have to hand-feed a baby lovebird for it to bond to you.

Socializing
The closer the bird is to weaning, the more important it is that you handle the bird regularly to avoid the phenomenon of babies going wild. Even picking up babies for a minute or two of snuggling between feedings will help them feel more confident and comfortable with human hands.

Once the lovebird weans, it can easily go wild if it is not handled daily. This is why so many people who buy lovebirds in pet shops end up being disappointed with their lovebirds. They are told the babies were hand-fed and just need some handling to tame them again. However, if a lovebird has totally reverted to its wild nature, calming it down again can be all but impossible. This reversion can happen rather quickly, especially if the lovebird was not handled much during the hand-feeding process. Once a lovebird has reached about five to six month age, it does not have to be handled as much to retain its tameness. Lovebirds that are interacted with on a daily basis during the first five months of life will often remain tame even after being placed into a breeding situation, although hens will usually become aggressive once a nest box has been put up.

Rest for Parents
Pairs should be allowed to rest between clutches. Sometimes if a pair has only a few chicks, it can be allowed to double-clutch (immediately go back to nest) after you have pulled for hand-feeding. However, usually the birds will need a couple of months of rest. Pairs should be allowed to produce only three clutches a year. The nest box should be removed to make sure the birds do not go back to nest too soon.

Breeding and raising lovebirds is a wonderful hobby or profession. However, being fully prepared for any contingency that could arise during the breeding season is important. Picking quality lovebirds, feeding a nutritious diet, and preparing for emergencies will help assure that the experience will be a rewarding and joyous one.