Brisbane Lovebirds

The Peachfaced Lovebird is by far the most popular Lovebird in Australia,and probably the world. New mutations are common and currently number in the hundreds.The Peachfaced is the largest of the Lovebird species available in Australia and is by far the most aggresive too.Despite this, they make excellent pets and are suitable for handraising. They are also by far the most prolific breeders. I use mine as foster parents for my White Eye ring birds,which are(for me)more in demand and command a better price.Peachfaced reach sexual maturity between 9-12 months of age. They are the easiest of the Lovebird species to breed,hence the popularity.They are poor nest buliders.In the wild,they would steel the nests from Madagascan Weavers,and take over.The hen will carry nesting material back to the nest in her rump feathers and beak.However, they are not as good at housekeeping when compared with the White Eye Ring species,and the nest will get dirty when raising chicks. For this reason, I build the nest myself out of wood shavings and and cut up palm leaf strips. Gum leaves and long grass can also be used, but for best results,the nesting material should be green as the moisture will prevent the eggs from drying out during incubation. When the nest becomes too dirty with droppings, I remove the young,clean out the nest box and replace it with fresh nesting material. During the hotter summer months, I am carefull not to put too much nesting material inside.This helps with airflow and to keep the chicks cooler during the day.