lovebird breeding

Question
QUESTION: I recently adopted a lovebird pair, 8 years old.  The female had been noted by the previous owner to occasionally lay eggs at the bottom of the cage, but he never provided a nest box, and she never incubated them.  We have provided a nest box and peat moss and nesting material, and the pair is occupied continuously with gathering nesting material, though it isn't obvious to us that there is an organized nest in the box.  Today she laid an egg on the bottom of the cage instead of in the nest box.  Was this an infertile egg, or is the nest not ready, or is there something else we need to do? Thanks!
ANSWER: Hi, Michele.  Thanks for posting!

I don't know if the egg is fertile or not.  Chances are it could be if the birds have mated.  Are you putting the nesting material in the nesting box for the birds?  If so, you need to remove it and place the nesting material in the cage bottom and allow the birds to make the nest in the box themselves the way they want it.  Provide newspaper and paper towels, too, that they can shred and carry to the box to make a nest.  I'm not so sure peat moss is good nesting material, but if they select it, let them.  This might be why they laid again on the cage bottom.  Also, since they didn't have a nesting box previously, they may be "trained" to lay on the cage bottom...a habit that will need to be broken.

At 8 years of age, these lovies are getting up there in years.  Be careful to not allow them to overbreed/lay too many eggs or their health might be affected.

Chrys

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I used peat moss because that was advised by some information I got on line... Would you use something else in the bottom of the nest box?  They seem okay with it.  Thanks!

Answer
Hi again, Michele.

If they have accepted the peat moss, this is fine.  As I stated in my previous post, I've always provided newspaper, paper towels, cardboard, etc., for my lovies.  Whatever they accept is OK.  My point was to ensure you put the nesting material in the cage bottom and not in the nesting box yourself...your lovies need to be the ones to put whatever in their nesting box.  Lovies are one of only a few species of parrots who build nests in their nesting boxes.  Most parrots do not do this.

Chrys