# How Long DOes It Take for Birds to Fly After They Hatch?



## Vishatrove (Feb 10, 2014)

Kenzie, my 5-year-old female Yellow-Collared Lovebird recently produced an egg, that I greatly hope hatches. The father is Lysander, my 15-year-old male Fischer's Lovebird. If the egg does hatch, when will the baby be ready to leave the nest? Also, how long will the egg take to hatch? I may be getting ahead of myself here, as I'm not sure the two species can even reproduce together. I've read that less than 1/3 Lovebird hybrids survive. My dogs are use to being around birds, so they would be no threat to the young one(s). How long would it take for a Yellow-Collared Lovebird x Fischer's Lovebird hybrid to mature? At what age would the baby's eyes open? What age will it be able to fly? All my birds are fully flighted (I don't clip wings). Will the parents teach the baby to fly? Again, I'm not worried if the baby takes a few spills onto the ground, as my dogs never bother any of my birds, even when the Lovebirds wander around on the ground, fly onto the dogs, etc. The birds will even sometimes nip at the dogs and the most one of the dogs will do is let out a bark. I'm just hoping the baby will hatch, as it would be lovely to have a baby from my two beautiful birds.


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## poohdog (May 16, 2010)

Wait for the egg to hatch...then worry about all your other questions.

Re iodine supplement...find a supplier of seaweed extract,powder or liquid.


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## Vishatrove (Feb 10, 2014)

Well, she has laid another egg today and seems to be incubating them. Im hoping that the first egg is all right since it went about 12 hours without being incubated. I purchased Annie Chuns Roasted Seaweed Snacks in the Hot Wasabi flavor. Would those be okay to give her (different bird than the one that is incubating eggs).


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## Phoenix24 (Apr 6, 2013)

Depending on the species hatch to fledge time varies widely. You could look up the breeding biology of your lovebird, but I suspect the fledge time will be approximately 4 weeks - but don't quote me. I know my zebra finches were exceptionally slow for a species of their size - and also for the species itself. 

Birds that feed their young insects tend to develop much faster than birds that feed their birds from grain sources, but even so it can vary again. For example, the blackbird fledges the nest at approx 11 days, whereas a blue tit does not fledge until nearer 22 days (but is fully flight capable at that point, whereas a blackbird fledgling is not).

You will need to at least do some reading on your birds breeding biology to ensure the parent birds are being supplied with the right foods to provide the correct nutrition for the chicks.


ETA: a birds eyes normally open once the feather sheaths are visible, and the feathers start to emerge from the pins. Again this varies depending on species, so you will have to look it up. A bird that fledges in approx 4 weeks typically has feather emerging from pin from about 2 weeks of age, but i'm basing that on passerine species I have encountered, and the parrot family is likely to be different.


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## ALcatrazbirdman (Feb 27, 2014)

Lovebirds can be slow to fledge,i keep Peach faced, and have known them to stay put for 6 weeks. I try not to interfere, but once came to conclusion that the young had died in the nestbox as had not seen them in almost 6 weeks from hatch date,only to be hit in the eye by a panicked youngster when i went to investigate [ came out of the box like a cork from a bottle of fizzy!] quickly followed by sibling, Both then crash landed,having taken their first unscheduled flight .As Phoenix24 said breeds vary quite a bit .


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