Lovebird Breeding Guide: Pairs, Nest Box and Eggs
A practical lovebird breeding guide: choosing a true pair, nest box size and nesting material, diet, eggs and incubation, chick care, and when to stop breeding.
Quick answer
Breeding lovebirds takes a true male and female that are mature, healthy and bonded, a nest box of the right size with suitable nesting material, a rich and varied diet with extra calcium, and a quiet room where nothing changes much. Hens usually lay four to six eggs, which hatch after roughly three and a half weeks. Chicks leave the nest at around five to six weeks. Stop at two or three clutches a year so the hen doesn't wear herself down.
Before you start
Breeding is a real commitment. Each clutch can mean several chicks that need good homes, and some will need hand-feeding or a vet. Before you begin, have:
- Space and cages for weaned young
- A plan for selling or rehoming chicks responsibly
- An avian vet you can call for egg-binding or chick problems
- Time to check the nest daily for at least two months
Indoors, lovebirds will breed at any time of year, so over-breeding happens easily. Plan rest periods in advance.
Choosing a pair
Species
The species bred most often are the peach-faced (rosy-faced) lovebird, Fischer's lovebird and the masked lovebird. Fischer's and masked lovebirds can hybridise, and most breeders keep each species pure.
Getting a true pair
In peach-faced, Fischer's and masked lovebirds, males and females look the same. Two hens will happily pair up, build a nest and lay a double clutch of infertile eggs. Plenty of beginners get caught out this way. Watching behaviour or feeling the pelvic bones won't tell you reliably. A DNA test from a feather or blood sample is the way to be sure of sex. See How to Sex Cockatiels, Budgies and Lovebirds.
Age and health
- Wait until birds are mature, generally at least around 10–12 months old. Many breeders prefer to wait longer. Very young hens are more prone to egg-binding and tend to be poor parents.
- Breed only birds in good condition: normal weight, good feathers, clean vent, no signs of illness.
- Don't pair close relatives.
- A vet check before breeding is worth doing, especially for birds you've just bought.
Bonding
Let a new pair settle together before you put in a nest box. You'll know they've bonded when they sit close, preen each other and share food.
Setting up for breeding
Cage
A breeding pair needs a roomy cage or flight, at least around 80 cm (about 30 in) long for one pair, so they can make short flights. Lovebirds can turn territorial and aggressive towards other birds once nesting, which is why many breeders keep one pair per cage.
Nest box
| Feature | Typical choice |
|---|---|
| Inner floor | Around 15–20 cm (6–8 in) square |
| Height | Around 20–25 cm (8–10 in) |
| Entrance hole | Around 5 cm (2 in) across |
| Material | Untreated wood or plywood |
| Extras | A perch below the entrance, a hinged lid or side door for inspection |
Hang the box high on the outside of the cage. That way you can check it without reaching into the birds' space.
Nesting material
Lovebirds build proper nests. Peach-faced hens are known for tucking strips of material into their rump feathers to carry them home. Give them:
- Fresh, pesticide-free willow, palm or other bird-safe branches to strip
- Plain, unprinted paper strips
- A layer of untreated wood shavings in the base of the box
Don't use cotton, string, cloth, hay that may be mouldy, or any fibre that can wrap round toes.
Humidity
Eggs hatch better with some humidity. In dry climates many breeders put in a bath every day so the hen goes back to the nest damp, and they use fresh, moist nesting branches. Don't soak the nest box itself, as that invites mould.
Diet for breeding pairs
Making eggs uses up a lot of calcium and protein. Before and during breeding, offer:
- A quality base of pellets or seed mix
- Fresh vegetables and greens every day
- Soaked or sprouted seeds, prepared fresh and removed within a few hours
- An egg food (commercial or plain boiled egg, cooled, chopped with shell)
- A calcium source such as cuttlebone or a mineral block
Check with your vet before adding vitamin or calcium supplements. Too much can do harm.
Eggs and incubation
- The first egg usually arrives within a week or two of the nest being finished, then roughly one every other day.
- A clutch is typically around four to six eggs.
- The hen does most or all of the sitting while the male feeds her and guards the nest.
- Eggs hatch after about 22–25 days, in the order they were laid.
Candling: after about 7–10 days, take the egg into a dark room and shine a small torch through it. A fertile egg shows red veins and a dark spot. A clear one is infertile. Handle eggs gently, and only if the parents put up with it.
Egg-binding warning: a hen sitting fluffed up on the cage floor, straining, wagging her tail or with a swollen belly may have an egg stuck. Treat this as an emergency and get her to an avian vet.
Chicks
- Chicks hatch blind and covered in down. Usually both parents feed them.
- Check every day that each chick has a full crop and is growing. In big clutches the youngest can get pushed aside.
- Disturb them as little as you can, but do quick checks and take out broken eggs or dead chicks.
- Eyes open within the first two weeks or so, and feathers come in over the following weeks.
- Chicks typically leave the nest at around five to six weeks and are weaned at around seven to eight weeks.
Leave weaned chicks with their parents only until they're fully independent. After that, separate them, because parents starting a new clutch may attack them. Don't sell chicks until they're eating fully on their own.
When to stop
Take the nest box away after two or three clutches in a year so the hen gets a rest. Stop sooner if:
- The hen is losing weight or feathers
- Eggs are repeatedly infertile, soft-shelled or chicks are dying
- The parents are plucking or attacking chicks
Removing the box and adjusting light and diet usually brings the cycle to an end.
In Pakistan
Lovebirds are among the most popular breeding birds in Pakistan, and many colour mutations of peach-faced and Fischer's lovebirds are bred in homes and on rooftops. Summer heat across much of the country stresses breeding birds and dries out eggs. Many breeders rest their pairs through the hottest months and breed in spring and autumn instead. Prices swing a lot depending on the mutation, and rare colours attract fraud, so ask for DNA certificates and see the bird before you pay.
When you are ready to find a proven pair or rehome your chicks, you can list or browse lovebirds on Paalo.
Frequently asked questions
How long do lovebird eggs take to hatch?
Lovebird eggs typically hatch after about 22–25 days of incubation, counted from when the hen starts sitting properly. Eggs hatch in the order they were laid, usually a day or two apart.
How many eggs do lovebirds lay?
A typical clutch is around four to six eggs, laid about one every other day. Some hens lay fewer or more. Two hens kept together may lay a large clutch of infertile eggs.
Why are my lovebird eggs not hatching?
Common reasons are that both birds are hens, the male is too young or inexperienced, the pair is disturbed, humidity is too low, or the eggs were chilled. Candling after about a week shows whether eggs are fertile.
