About Lories

Below are excerpts from John Vanderhoof's book "Lories & Lorikeets in Aviculture."

Accomodation

"Each pair set up for breeding is housed in a suspended all-wire cage measuring 2' wide x 6' long x3' high. The wire mesh should be ½" x 1", 16-gauge or heavier. Each cage is separated by a space of 4" in order to eliminate the chewing of toes as a bird hangs on the site of the unit. There is no solid partition between cages because Loriidae are very gregarious. The observation of one pair couring and breeding will often stimulate others to do the same." (Pg. 78)

Feeding

"Over the years, there has been a tremendous variety of nectar mixes fed to imported birds. In my opinion, this attests to their adaptability and flexibility. Yet few bird enthusiasts bother keeping or breeding Loriidae because of their specialized feeding requirements. However, with the recent advent of the dry powder diet, the feeding and keeping of Loriidae has been made considerable easier and less time-consuming. The important factor to remember is that a dry form of feeding is quite natural to Lories and Lorikeets because of the dry pollen they collect they collect in their natural surroundings. Also, the fact that it is in powder form, rather than being a pellet or crumble, is more natural. They will recognize it readily because pollen, in its natural state, exists in this same consistency." (Pg. 80)

Breeding

"When beginners start with the Loriidae family, the first aspect of success is to obtain a true pair (male and female) since most species are monomorphic. Lories and Lorikeets, more than any other group of birds I know, will fool one into believing they are male and female. On numerous occasions, I have seen two males or two females preening, feeding, working the nest box, and even copulating. All of these outward signs mean nothing. They must be surgically sexed or determined by some other method than actions alone. In some true pairs, there are differences in size and/or color, but Loriidae vary in these characteristics due to sub-species and geographical separations. Therefore, visual signs alone do not provide an accurate indication of sex." (Pg. 84)

Hand Feeding

"For those who are willing to undertake the task of hand-feeding, production will increase much more than would otherwise be possible. Loriidae are among the easiest of all birds to hand-rear. Many who have compared them to other types of parrots will attest to this fact. If one does not wish to hand-feed, the success rate will be in the smaller numbers. In my experience, the majority of pairs, with very few exceptions, make good parents in both incubating and feeding with the particular environment and feeding program used at Loriidae Production network." (Pg. 88)

Health Care

"The following are signs of a sick or distressed bird: ruffled or fluffed feathers; sitting with the head tucked back in its wind; labored breathing, as evidenced by its tail bobbing up and down with each breath; partly closed eyes; nasal discharge; sitting very still on the floor in a corner of the enclosure. Often times a bird will recuperate from stress-related ailments simply by putting it in a hospital cage or in an enclosure where the temperature can be increased. If the sickness is the result of a bacteria or virus, then the bird needs to be taken to an avian veterinarian, who can them properly diagnose the problem through the use of culture mediums and bacterial sensitivity tests." (Pg. 92)

Conservation

"When someone makes the decision to enter the field of aviculture, he or she should attempt to keep up with current information, because advances in nutrition and health sciences are rapidly expanding." (Pg. 96)

To learn more about the book "Lories & Lorikeets in Aviculture" please CLICK HERE.