Tips How to Breed Lovebird Lovebirds are (1)... of parrot that are green in the wild but have many color mutations in varieties that are bred as pets. They have a long, hooked beak and a short, blunt tail.. 1. Health Requirements To breed successfully, each breeding lovebird (2)..., normal and between 1 and 5 years old. 2. Nesting Requirements Lovebirds need a nest box in which to lay their eggs. The proper size for a lovebird is about 12 by 12 by 12 inches, with (3)... about 3 inches in diameter. Proper nesting material, such as shredded paper, should fill the nest box. 3. Nutritional Requirements Like all hookbills, lovebirds (4)... a varied diet consisting of seeds, pellets and fresh fruits and vegetables. Breeding-age hens should be placed on (5)... to counteract the nutrients that they lose during egg-laying. 4. Egg-Laying Female lovebirds lay their eggs from five to 12 after mating. Many lay (6) ... every other day until they have all been laid. Each clutch usually contains between three and seven eggs. 5. Incubation Time On average, lovebirds incubate their eggs for about 23 days. This can vary by (7)... in either direction. When attempting to calculate future hatch dates, always count forward from the day that you notice the hen begin to sit on the eggs. Sometimes the hen won't sit until all the eggs of (8) ... have been laid, and they all need equal incubation time. 6. Hatchling Care and Weaning Most breeders allow (9) ... to feed the babies from hatching to the age of 2 or 3 weeks. After that, the breeders take the babies out of (10) ... and place them in a brooder for hand-feeding. Most lovebirds need to be hand-fed until they are between 6 and 8 weeks old when you can begin to wean them onto millet, soft pellets and fresh fruits and vegetables.​