Hi there!  I had a little female (Misty) who went over the rainbow bridge nearly two years ago.  She was my only one, so I have no experience with breeding, but can say that it is mainly the females who shredds and tucks the "material" (whatever it may be) into the rump feathers. 

I had only had Misty for 2 months when she began to build a nest on the bottom of her cage.  From that point on, she became exceedingly aggressive.

Some of the members will know a lot more than I, and I am sure can give you a lot more info!

Puffin is almost certainly a girl.   Males will help tear up paper, but not nearly so neat about it--the females tear little strips, almost uniformly sized.  And into the rump feathers they go.  If you would like babies, give them a nest box.  Can either get one of the pre-made wooden ones, or probably even a cardboard box about 6" square with an opening on the side.  Untreated pine shavings in the bottom.  Feed them well, make sure they have plenty of calcium, and sit back and wait.  Read up on how to care for babies--brooders, handfeeding, etc. My pair start chewing feathers off the babies at about 2 weeks, so I've never been able to leave babies with them longer than that.  Don Ho has some I think, that will raise the babies beyond that age.  Lovebird babies are fun to handfeed,  easy (it's a relative thing, I guess).  And when they are handfed, they are real sweeties.

The pair I had, Punkin and Dee, raised 3 clutches by themselves, and all the babies were sweet as could be. I handled them some while the parents were feeding them, but never handfed. Gotta watch out for the hen, though, she can be a holy terror--I shed some blood to prove it. Had to block the entrance to the nest box while she was out of it so I could reach in and get the babies.

 

ZM,

 

Sure sounds like Puffin is a hen.  The males will try and help cut out paper strips, but mostly they just punch holes in the paper and I have never seen one tuck strips into his rump feathers.

 

Lovebirds normally start (safely) breeding around 1 year old.  I have had young hens start to lay eggs at 10 months, but I don't ever put them with a male much before a year old.  Three years is a good age for breeders. 

 

I guess the next question is - are you sure the other one is a male?  And then - do you want baby birds?  They are a responsibility and do take some time.  I've had pretty good luck with lovebirds hatching and raising babies.  There are some that want to pluck their babies or the runt that doesn't get fed, but for the most part LBs seem to be good parent birds - I've even fostered babies to other LB parent birds.

 

If you do want to try for babies then go buy a nestbox.  LB nestboxs are available at most good pet stores.  For large cages you can get boxes designed for inside the cage.  I use ones that can be attached to the outside of a cage then cut a hole in the wire side of a breeder cage.  Be careful of the hen - they can get VERY defensive of the nest box and their babies as Bill said.  If you don't want to handfeed and the parent birds are doing a good job then let them care for the babies, but you should still handle them as much as possible to get them used to human contact and make them friendly. 

 

Good luck and don't be afraid to ask more questions.

 

DonHo

i think that if your birdie is 3 it would have laid eggs by now to let you know for sure what it is. i had a male and female that were 2 years old and the feamle laid eggs about every three months or so but then would beat the eggs open and throw them all over her cage. i dont think they were ever fertile but the male would jump her bones 2 or 3 times a day. pardon the expression. i have had another lovebird that is almost a year old i got it before the pair, i name him mr nibbles but i have often doubted his sex. he rips paper constantly and tucks it between his feathers. he is quite territorial, but yet he has very dark colors and most of all has never laid eggs. i dont know what age they have to be to lay eggs but so far he hasent, so he will be a he until he lays eggs

Hi, I am fairly new at this bird stuff.  I have one lovie(pickle) don't know for sure how old, we believe around one year.  I thought pickle was a male but then about a week ago we got 2 babies (9 weeks old)  don't know for sure but one is a little meaner than the other so I thought the meaner one was a female and the other who is a little larger was a male.  Because they are so young I have not cut there feathers, wanted them to learn how to fly well before I do that.  Any way they made there way from there room into our sitting room where pickle is.  They (male?) and pickle act like best friends glued at the hips, prunning each other and lots of kissing.  If I am right about the babies sex then that would mean pickle is a female.  Also the other baby (female?) and pickle like to argue over the other baby.  The male baby has to sit inbetween those two.  I have been keeping doors shut to avoid them being together,because once they get together they are hard to seperate.  And I didn't want the new babies around my other birds.  The one baby that I think may be a female is already ripping up paper and putting it in her feathers, doesn't this seam to early to show this kind of action.  Also the female and pickle talk to each other clear across the house almost all day long, actually a little anoying when my daughter is trying to take a nap.  I swear it seams as if they are arguing over who gets the male.  Is this normal? Any help whould be greatly appreciated.  Sorry this is so long!!!!  Amie