HousingChoice of housing ranges from a parakeet cage to an outdoor aviary. Your purpose for acquiring the Love Bird or birds will determine your choice. A Large parakeet cage should be roomy enough for one bird, since your pet will be free part of each day. For breeding purposes, the double cage (36"x15"x24" high) will do for a pair. The habit of chewing should be considered if you build your own cage. Wood parts should be wire covered, or else plan on replacing the as the bird destroys them.
The Love Bird can be an escape artist. My first Peachfaced was. He would slip head and shoulders between two bars, expel his breath, and wriggle forward a little. Then he drew a deep breath and popped through the bars like a cork. He popped out at will, destroying everything he got his beak into.
Because of his chewing habit, the love bird must be seperated from all other types of birds. He is capable of maiming or killing any bird smaller than himself. Never house them with finches, canaries, parakeets, or even cockatiels, if you value your other birds.
In addition to a cage, you need hoppers for seed, perches, and a watering device. Size and type of hoppers are determined by the size of the cage. Provide various perch widths for the bird to exercise his feet. Hamster water tubes provide closed systems which controls evaporation, hang outside the cage for easy servicing, and do not allow the birds to contaminate the water. However, the bird must learn to drink from the tube, so also provide bowls of water at first. The tube must be checked frequently, as a sticky valve will create a vacuum, withholding water from the bird. A good type of gravity flow open drinker resembles a Mason jar turned upside down and screwed into a water dispenser.
