first lorikeet

Question
Hi Carol,  I am getting a lorikeet for the first time.  He is five months old and comes from a great breeder.  After searching the web for many hours, I am confused about feeding him .  Some places say fresh fruits and vegies and nectar, never pellets.  Other places say, fresh fruit and vegies and pellets, that pellets have come a long way.  What do you think?  The breeder I am getting him from feeds him the pellets and he seems happy and healthy. They say that the pellets help with the loose droppings that this bird has. Also, what is the best way to introduce him to my lovebird and what behavior can I expect from my lovebird when I bring this new pet home.  I never knew how wonderful the lorikeet is.  I have been playing with him at the breeders and he is just wonderful and sweet so any help would be appreciated.  I just want happy birds.

Answer
I agree with the "never pellets" people. BUT I also don't believe in commercial nectar mixes as these are too high in protein. The loose droppings are NORMAL and I'm a huge supporter of keeping everything natural. Now I'm not saying that you have to go organic or spend large amounts of money on things, but those pellets and nectar mixes you get from the pet store are NOT healthy for your bird. Roudybush makes a good nectar diet and is the only one I trust at all, but should not be the sole diet. What I do is make a large amount of "nectar" and put it in small baggies and freeze them. This way, I don't have to "cook" every single day, I just have to thaw out some food. There are great nectar mix recipes out there, my favorite is a can of 100% fruit juice cocktail (frozen), a banana, a veggie of some sort, possibly some mushy roudybush pellets or mix in some roudybush nectar, and add another healthy fruit. I switch the fruits regularly just for variety in the diet. Just put all these into a blender and mix it until it's smooth. Have your bird try it and if he/she likes it, freeze it in small bags. If he doesn't like it, add some more juice or fruit. It takes a little bit to get the recipe just right for your bird, but once you do, it's very simple to feed.
Along the lines of your lovebird, just be ready for anything. Most lovebirds will NOT like the new bird. Lovebirds are extremely aggressive, so don't let them ever play together unsupervised. They're known for pulling out feathers and pecking at feet until toes literally fall off. Just introduce them slowly, and just be careful. My lovebird accepts all the other birds, but when left unattended, she'll fly up to another bird, pull out a feather, then fly off.
Good luck!