Lovebird Dad's had enough

[61TJ]

I have a pair of peach faced lovebirds in a cockatoo cage, they have bred one clutch after another for more than 6 months now. The dad has a lot of feathers missing and today I saw him almost fall asleep in the food he was trying to eat. There are four babies in the box with the mother, they have only just had their eyes open, so if I were to separate dad from the family to give him a rest, would it interfere with the survival of the babies? They are inside and it is the middle of winter, so I am hoping he is not sick. Any thoughts would help please, Toni

[Florence]

Toni I wouldn't yet separate them but keep a keen eye on him and the moment you see mom get her babies the food separate them.

[61TJ]

She comes out sometimes, but I think that perhaps before she hatches the next eggs (she normally lays more, 1-2 days after they have fledged) I may need to take the eggs out and not let them hatch (I feel like such a murderer) and separate them, poor little man can't go on like this. Florence, I don't feel I can properly decide when they can officially do without their dad. I would hate to get it wrong. Toni

[Florence]

Toni, I understand you'd feel like a murderer because I would feel the same, but if dad is exhausted that is not a good thing either, right? Try if you can do it

[61TJ]

I'm wondering now about the feather loss, my husband tends to smoke around them a bit and I think perhaps the feather loss could be some sort of allergy to the smoke, I'm tipping it's not good for birds, Toni

[Florence]

Oh no, smoke definitely isn't good for birds at all. If your husband smokes he should do so in a well ventilated room away from the birds. Birds are very sensitive to smoke.... But if this cause featherloss I don't know...