Baby Parakeet Sexing

[reefnut]

I have been reading up on how to care for Parakeets (we’ve had a cockatoo before) now my youngest daughter wants a couple parakeets but I’m finding conflicting information on how to --- the babies… any ideas??

 

[hot883]

When I bred cockatiels the only way to truly be accurate was a blood sample. Birds have very little and it is painful for the small birds. I was just lucky and ended up with a pair. Sorry not to be more helpful. Barry

 

[reefnut]

That is helpful. We are headed down to pick a couple up so I'll see what they say also.
Thanks,

 

[dogstar]

Found this by googleing........
Dont know if its true.....
"" MALE baby parakeets have TRANSLUCENT PINK ceres (the fleshy skin over the beak, where the nostrils are), that look a bit
like a sore thumb. The cere may have a bluish or purplish tint.
FEMALE baby parakeets have OPAQUE WHITE covering most of the cere,
especially around the nostrils. It often has a light blue tint.""

 

[seattle]

Eeww...I'm glad I only have 1 Cockateil :thinking:

 

[reefkprz]

Originally Posted by Dogstar
Found this by googleing........
Dont know if its true.....
"" MALE baby parakeets have TRANSLUCENT PINK ceres (the fleshy skin over the beak, where the nostrils are), that look a bit
like a sore thumb. The cere may have a bluish or purplish tint.
FEMALE baby parakeets have OPAQUE WHITE covering most of the cere,
especially around the nostrils. It often has a light blue tint.""
the method described above is the most accurate way I have found to --- them, short of getting a blood test, its accurate about 90% of the time.

 

[babyb]

i have had several of the smaller birds and by far i loved the parakeets better, they were so sweet, the ones with a blue of the beak are boys and the pinkish stuff on the beak is a girl
i had a boy that was obsesed with water, i carried him everywhere with me except the bathroom, he always made a dive for the toilet

 

[reefnut]

Thanks everyone for the input. I read about the color of their ceres... but I also read that they change color as they mature?? Anyway HERE THEY ARE... I never realized how beautiful these birds were.
Sorry for the bars in the way… we were told to wait a couple days before we start handling them.

 

[reefnut]

Any ideas on male vs female?? I'm still a bit confused.

 

[michaeltx]

I would say both of these are males but the blue/green could actually be a female aswell the green is diffenately a male though and I bet the other is also. do both of them chatter and sing alot that is another indicator the makes are much much more vocal than the females.
Nice looking birds though. it also looks like they are both fairly young there eyes havent started to change yet as far as what they look like in the picture. Young ones have the balck solid black eyes most not all older bords will have white irises/
I breed cockateils and soceity and zebra finches currently. and love every one of them. before I moved I had a spare bed room that was closed off with a screen door and that was my indoor flight room where all the birds had free roam of it. I breed sucessfully cockateils, paraketts, java rice finches, and zebra finches all in this free flight room.
Mike

 

[dogstar]

From the same site as earlier...
"" In adult MALES, the cere is BLUE all over.
In adult FEMALES, the cere VARIES. ""
So, IMO, you have both or 2 FMs. If those are adults...

Heres a pic of what they say are babies..not an aquarium site......http://www.kiva.net/~daylight/keet.fix.jpg

 

[reefnut]

They are both young and both are very quite. I guess it really doesn’t matter... we are not planning to breed at all but it's killing me not knowing for sure... the breeder said the green was male and the blue was female but I was not convinced by his answers… time will tell I guess.

 

[reefnut]

btw, thanks for the help!!

 

[geridoc]

A little factoid about parakeets: In the wild females choose a mate from among males by which male imitates her song best. That is why male parakeets are such good singers and mimics.

 

[reefnut]

That's interesting info... I've been reading still to find out all about them.
One more question... will moving their cage around bother them?? We have been putting the cage up high at night and on the floor during the day hoping they would get used to us being around. Now I'm thinking it would be best to keep them in one spot??

 

[reefkprz]

moving their cage wont bother them much. just dont shake the cage. remember to re arrange their toys often it keeps the cage interesting and makes for more socially adapted birds.

 

[ophiura]

Originally Posted by MichaelTX
I would say both of these are males but the blue/green could actually be a female aswell the green is diffenately a male though and I bet the other is also.

I agree. IMO the green is definitely a male, and there is a good chance the other is as well.

 

[hot883]

Leave the cage in the same place. Not in a draft and Not in direct beating down sunlight. I always covered the cage at night with a sheet but not necessary.
I loved to let mine fly around the house and land back IN their cage. Great pets to have. Barry

 

[reefkprz]

We have a room set up as an aviary all 4 of our birds get out all day, come dark they usually are back in their cages, but if they are sleeping on the cage they are hand tamed so its easy to put them back in the cage. if you want your birds hand tamed, its best to start working with them while they are young, its really hard to hand tame older birds.

 

[reefnut]

After looking through a lot of pictures I'd agree both are probably males... which is fine but I'm not going to tell my daughter.
We made a spot to leave the cage... I also figured that would be best.
I plan to work with them everyday to hand tame them... then I'll let my daughter start handling them... or should I have her start working with them right away too??