WattaBird! Unlocking the Palette: Breeding African Lovebirds for Mesmerizing Mutations! Breeding African Lovebirds to create new mutations can be an exciting and rewarding endeavor for aviculturists. Here are some potential breeding combinations to produce new African Lovebird mutations: Lutino x Lutino: Breeding two lutino African Lovebirds can result in offspring with a higher chance of being lutino, which is a beautiful all-yellow mutation. Lutino x Pied: Crossing a lutino with a pied Lovebird can produce visually striking pied lutinos with patches of yellow and other colors. Turquoise x Blue: Pairing a turquoise Lovebird with a blue one can produce visually appealing turquoise blues, which have a combination of turquoise and blue feathers. Violet x Blue: Breeding a violet Lovebird with a blue Lovebird can result in visually striking violet blues, combining the violet and blue colorations. Opaline x Normal: Crossing an opaline Lovebird with a normal one can produce opaline offspring...
Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps
WattaBird! Health and Nutrition for African LoveBirds
Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps
WattaBird! Health and Nutrition for African LoveBirds
Caring for our dear African LoveBirds should be taken with utmost importance.
We should continuously learn and update ourselves with knowledge on LoveBirds Health and Nutritional needs. It will be a shame if we only feed our LoveBirds to keep them alive.
Our goal should be to help our LoveBirds grow healthy and flourish.
Therefore, we have to give our LoveBirds a well-balanced diet.
“If You have any questions, suggestions, or topics to discuss, please leave a comment below.”
A well-balanced diet should include:
1. Mixed Seeds and Grains
Mixed Seeds and Grains are the most common feeds available in my nearest Pet shop.
I prefer mixed seeds and grains from well-known brands since the mixture goes through special formulation to meet a well-balanced diet specific to African LoveBirds nutritional requirements.
Mixed Seeds and Grains contain different combinations of white millet, yellow millet, black millet, red sorghum, canary seeds, oats, oat groat, clipped oats, sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, flax-seeds, quinoa, whole wheat, and other seeds.
There are also different mixtures or formulations for different stages of our LoveBirds to support their nutritional needs.
2. Supplements: Vitamins
I prefer powdered vitamins from a well-known brand that is specifically formulated for African LoveBirds.Based on my research, powdered supplements are often regarded as more stable.
I also place cuttlefish bone in each of the cages, to provide for my African LoveBird’s calcium needs.
This section is an excerpt from an article posted in Great Companions. This specific part provides an excellent explanation of the crucial vitamins for our LoveBirds.
Crucial Vitamins for Your Birds
Vitamins that your bird needs include vitamin A, E, D3, and B-complex. Vitamin A is considered an important skin vitamin that helps with the health of the eyes, feathers, reproductive system, and immune system. Vitamin A can be provided as beta carotene, which converts to vitamin A as needed. The rest is excreted. Vitamin A deficiency is the most common deficiency seen in pet birds. Symptoms of vitamin A deficiency include white spots that catch infection, swollen eyes, dullness of feather color, wheezing, and weight loss.
Vitamin E is an antioxidant, and its prime function is to scavenge free radicals. Vitamin E regulates and protects vitamin A; it also prevents the B vitamins and vitamin C from oxidation. Although vitamin C usually breaks down before being consumed, it is important for strong cell walls and blood vessels.
Vitamin D3 is essential for healthy bones, feathers, and egg laying. This vitamin helps birds absorb calcium and use it in their bodies. Birds create vitamin D with the help of the sun or full-spectrum lighting. However, keep in mind that windows filter out the sun's UV rays, so birds will not receive sufficient vitamin D3 through a window.
Another group of vitamins that is important for birds are the B-complex vitamins, which include vitamins B6, B12, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, folic acid, and biotin. Although each acid has its own important function, B-complex vitamins as a whole help break down food and nutrients for your bird's body to use. B-complex vitamins should be given to your bird on a daily basis because they are continually excreted from the body.
As for minerals, calcium is the most important for birds. Calcium is needed for strong bone formation, blood clotting, feather growth, and healthy eggs. Birds can receive calcium through supplements, cuttlebone, and mineral blocks.
Lastly, birds will benefit from balanced fatty acids, Omega-3 and Omega-6. Omega fatty acids assist the immune system and the body's ability to respond to disease. In the right proportions, Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids can help keep your bird healthy.
I have seen Pellets that are also available from the nearby Pet Shop or online shopping portals. These pellets are also formulated specifically for LoveBirds. There are different formulations for different stages of our LoveBirds.
I have not tried the pellets as this is not my personal preference.
4. Tips from Badilla Aviary
I have learned these tips from the Badilla Aviary public website.
Part of their daily routine is to serve a mixture of chopped green pechay, carrots, and hard-boiled eggs, early in the morning. At the same time, water with diluted bird vitamins is served.
Then after an hour, the mixed seeds are served. The ration will cover for the entire day.
At mid-day, the water with diluted vitamins is removed and replaced with fresh water. The water ratio will be good until the following morning.
Dried cuttlefish bone is available all the time.
“For pairs that have produced some baby chicks, we immediately provide them with hand-feeding powder/mixture for birds which the parents can start giving to their babies. The reason we are doing this is because after two (2) weeks from hatching, we harvest the baby chicks and eventually provide them food three (3) times a day by hand-feeding. Hand-feeding powder/mixture, pechay, carrots, hard-boiled eggs, and lukewarm water are the ingredients of our hand-feeding formula.”
Badilla Aviary
The main objective of wattabird.com is to promote African Loverbirds Breeding as a hobby, share breeding experiences, tips, techniques, best practices, and most importantly, to promote camaraderie among LoveBird Breeders.
WattaBird! Breeding Chart: Opaline African LoveBirds This Breeding Chart aims to help provide a visual idea on the breeding combinations for Opaline LoveBirds . This will also provide a bloodline composition of the offspring that will be useful in matching breeding pairs for a targeted result. Opaline genetics is Sex-Linked . Sex-Linked inheritance in African LoveBirds are traits that are carried in the genetic chromosomes that also determines the sex of the offspring. Female offspring are visual and cannot be split (Normal). Male offspring on the other hand can be both visual and split-Opaline . Photos used below are for representation purposes only with focus on the head to show full hood for Opaline and Peach-Face for Normal or Split-Opaline. Breeding Pair 1: OPALINE (c) x OPALINE (h) Parent : Cock is OPALINE (DAD) Hen is OPALINE (MOM) Offspring : Sons are OPALINE Daughters are OPALINE Cock is OPALINE (Dad) Hen is OP...
WattaBird Breeding Chart: INO Mutation in African LoveBirds Agapornis Roseicollis This Breeding Chart aims to help provide an idea regarding the breeding combinations for the Ino mutation in African LoveBirds. This Ino Breeding Chart applies to both Albino and Lutino African LoveBird s, and therefore, I will be using the term “Ino” within this article. Albino is the term used to refer to White Ino LoveBirds . Lutino is the term used to refer to Yellow Ino LoveBirds . This Ino Breeding Chart will also provide a bloodline composition of the offspring, which will be useful for matching breeding pairs for a targeted result. The Ino gene is a Sex-Linked trait. This genetic trait is hereditary and can be passed on to the offspring. The Ino inheritance will depend on the INO genes the parents carry. Since the Ino trait is sex-linked , daughters will NEVER be Split-Ino . Daughters can only be either Visual Ino or Normal . Sons on the other hand can be, Visual Ino or Split-I...
WattaBird! OPALINE Mutation in African LoveBirds The Opaline African LoveBird is a mutation which is characterized by the facial mask extending fully to cover from head up to the shoulders (full hood) of an African LoverBird. The rump color will be the same as the body and the tips of the tail will be the same color as the hood. The Opaline gene is Sex-Linked . This means that Sex-Linked inheritance in African LoveBirds are traits that are carried in the genetic chromosomes that also determines the sex of the offspring. Since the Opaline trait is sex-linked, daughters will N EVER be Split-Opaline . Daughters can only be either Visual Opaline or Normal. Sons on the other hand can be, Visual Opaline or Split-Opaline . “If You have any questions, suggestions, or topics to discuss, please leave a comment below.” To learn more about the Opaline Breeding chart, please visit the WattaBird Breeding Chart: Opaline in African LoveBirds WattaBird Gallery: Opaline M...
WattaBird GALLERY! Baby Fischer African LoveBirds Mauve Fischer This is a result of two Dark factors. By pairing two dark factors (back-to-back Violet Fischer), this pairing has resulted to a Gray color (Mauve). ALBS2: African Lovebird (Eye-Ring) This is an offspring of my African Lovebird Breeder. Cock: Violet Fischer x Hen: Violet Fischer **************** Albino Fischer ALBS2: African LoveBird (Eye-Ring) This is an exact duplicate of the Father except for the Red-Eye. This offspring has completely White feathers and Red eyes. This is an offspring of my African Lovebird Breeder. Cock: Bulls White x Hen: Bulls Yellow Note: If the eyes are black, this becomes a Bulls White Fisher. **************** Lutino Fischer ALBS2: African LoveBird (Eye-Ring) This is an exact duplicate of the mother except for the Red-Eye. Note the Reddish Orange covering the entire head and the upper breast to the upper abdomen. This is the coloration of a pure Lutino. ...
WattaBird! Unlocking the Palette: Breeding African Lovebirds for Mesmerizing Mutations! Breeding African Lovebirds to create new mutations can be an exciting and rewarding endeavor for aviculturists. Here are some potential breeding combinations to produce new African Lovebird mutations: Lutino x Lutino: Breeding two lutino African Lovebirds can result in offspring with a higher chance of being lutino, which is a beautiful all-yellow mutation. Lutino x Pied: Crossing a lutino with a pied Lovebird can produce visually striking pied lutinos with patches of yellow and other colors. Turquoise x Blue: Pairing a turquoise Lovebird with a blue one can produce visually appealing turquoise blues, which have a combination of turquoise and blue feathers. Violet x Blue: Breeding a violet Lovebird with a blue Lovebird can result in visually striking violet blues, combining the violet and blue colorations. Opaline x Normal: Crossing an opaline Lovebird with a normal one can produce opaline offspring...
WattaBird! Breeding Bulls African LoveBirds The objective of this breeding project is simply to breed the Bulls LoveBirds . The Bulls LoveBirds belong the the Fischer LoveBird group. For this breeding project: The Cock is a Bulls Yellow LoveBird . This bird is yellow with an orange hood and black eyes. The Hen is a Bulls White LoveBird . This bird has white feathers and black eyes. OffSprings: Yellow Bulls (This will be the result of this breeding pair) White Bulls (IF the cock has Split-Blue, then White Bulls will come out of this breeding pair) Please see pictures (Lutino and Albino) at: http://wattabird.blogspot.com/2010/06/wattabird-gallery-002.html Breeding Bulls LoveBird Gallery This is my Bulls Breeder. At the top is the Cock which is a Bulls Yellow LoveBird. At the bottom is the Hen which is a Bulls White LoveBird. This is the Hen. It is a Bulls White LoveBird. This is the Cock. It is a Bulls Yellow LoveBird. "The main objective ...
WattaBird! Opaline Euwing mutation in Fischer African LoveBirds I first came across the Opaline Euwing mutation in the Fischer LoveBirds from an article posted by Dominique Veeckmans in 2016 . He was the president of BVA (Belgium Lovebird Association). He shared that he was able to breed Opaline Euwing Fischer LoveBirds using a breeding pair of Opaline Green Fischer mated to a Euwing Green Fischer . Let us try to understand the source of his breeding material. The Opaline Fischer LoveBird is a mutation which is characterized by the facial mask extending fully to cover from the head up to the shoulders (full hood) of a Fischer LoveBird. The Euwing Fischer Lovebird is mutation that is characterized by its pretty looking gradation pattern on its wings and patterned tails. When these two mutations are paired together ( Opaline x Euwing ), the result becomes very interesting, because both factors affect the pigmentation (color) and gradation pattern on the feathers. Here is an excerp...
WattaBird! Breeding Pastel Fischer African LoveBirds The objective if this breeding project is to produce Pastel Fischer LoveBirds . There are several different combinations to produce Pastel Fischers, but for this breeding project, I used two Pastel Violet Fischers . Breeding Pastel Fischer LoveBird Gallery Here's a family portrait. The Mother Hen is the one in the left-most side. The Father Cock is the second bird from the right. Both parents are Pastel Violet Fischers . Here's a photo of my Pastel Violet Fischer Breeder. The one on the left is the Hen. This Breeder has produced three offsprings. Here's one of the offsprings. A Pastel Fischer LoveBird. Here's the second offspring. A Pastel Fischer LoveBird Here's the third offspring. It is a Pastel Albino Fischer. The feathers are generally white with some tinge of dark violet (mauve). Here's another family portrait. Taking a group shot for birds is such a tedious ta...
WattaBird! Avoid Breeding this Pair in African LoveBirds I have noticed an African LoveBirds mutation that is characterized by gradation in its feathers on the wings that looks similar to a Euwing mutation and yet looks different from the photos of Euwings I usually see on posts. The plumage looks like strands and different. I became interested to learn and understand this mutation, so I did my research. “If You have any questions , suggestions, or topics to discuss, please leave a comment below.” My research led me to this article from LoveBird Breeding Tips and Mutation Guide . This article explained the reason behind the unexpected result of breeding back to back Euwing African LoveBirds. The back story is based on a breeding pair intended to produce Green Euwing Opaline LoveBird s. The breeding pair used was a Green Euwing Split-Opaline Cock paired to a Green Euwing Hen. This breeding pair is projected to produce Green Euwing Split-Opaline Sons, Green E...
WattaBird! Breeding WhiteHood Opaline African LoveBirds (Pair 2) The objective of this breeding project is also to produce WhiteHood Opaline Lovebirds . This is my second breeding pair projected to produce WhiteHood Opaline . For this breeding project, the Cock is a White-Face Blue Split to Opaline while the Hen is a White-Face Ino Split to Fallow . Both parents have White-Face lineage, and the Cock is split to Opaline. These are the common denominators used so we can produce a WhiteHood Opaline LoveBird . The Cock being split Opaline, while the Hen being Non-Opaline will result in the following projections. Breeder Pair: Cock: Split Opaline LoveBird x Hen: Non-Opaline LoveBird Projected OffSprings: Opaline Genetics 50% Sons are Split to Opaline 50% Sons are Not Split to Opaline 50% Daugthers are Visual Opaline 50% Daugthers are not Opaline Projected OffSprings: Ino Genetics All Sons are Split to Ino Al...
Comments
Post a Comment