Budgerigars: description and lifestyle, how to determine the sex of a bird and advice from experienced poultry farmers

Almost every family had at least one parrot, because it is very interesting and exciting to have such a pet. Today, the bird market offers us a fairly diverse assortment for growing at home, from Jaco parrots to the most common budgerigars. Learn more about the breed of budgerigars.

Birds of this breed are tame, easily trained, talkative individuals with intelligence, ideal for cultivation in the vicinity of the city, they are easy to care for, they are friendly and loyal to the owner. Probably, many asked questions such as how to determine the sex of a budgerigar ?, how to grow and care for birds at home, how they differ from each other, etc.

Methods for determining the sex of wavy

When buying a parrot for the first time, the first thing we are interested in is its gender. There are many different methods for determining the sex of a pet. For example:

1. To find out a boy or a girl, you can do a budgerigar DNA analysis – this is the most accurate method, but quite expensive, several times higher than the cost of the bird itself. Taking a pen for analysis, you can find out the sex of a bird by determining the set of sex chromosomes, but this method is used extremely rarely.
2. People who breed and sell wavy birds may argue that often the sex of a parrot can be determined by the shape of the head. Observing the offspring of chicks, one can notice that quite often in girls the head is slightly flattened from behind, and the forehead seems pointed, while in boys the large top of the head visually seems flat.
3. There is also a theory that the way a budgerigar bites can determine its gender. After all, the bites of the female are embittered, often to the point of blood, male budgerigars, on the contrary, bite as if to demonstrate their character.
4. It will also help to find out who is who, sexual intercourse, during mating, the female is from below, males imitate sexual intercourse, but this is not accurate either, because there are cases when girls of an early age, during games, have the habits of boys. You can also determine the sex of the chicks by the genetic method. Its essence lies in the initial study of the characteristics of the parents and the genetic transmission of X-chromosomal differences. Determining the sex of a budgerigar with a similar method will only work if the parents have the genetic set of their species.
5. The most proven way to determine sex is to examine the area above the beak (cere) of a parrot. Exactly the color of the cere will help establish gender birds even at an early age. Until the age of 20 days, the color of the cere of boys and girls practically does not differ, only after 30 days can one make assumptions about the sex. At the age of 40 days and up to 2-3 months, the boys have a light pinkish-purple hue of the cere, with growing up the hue changes, it begins to turn blue. In adults, the cere becomes dark blue, and the paws also turn blue. In female budgerigars at this age, the area above the beak may be patchy with white areas, the color may fluctuate between light whitish blue or whitish beige. A mandatory distinguishing feature of the girl is the white edging around the nostrils of the cere. As they grow older, the color of the cere changes and in a completely adult bird it appears as a bright brown color. Also, during the molting period, during hormonal disorders or due to severe stress, the cere may turn blue, but this will pass after a few months. If the color does not return, it can be a sign of serious illness. The girls’ feet are pink.

Features of behavior by gender

The sex of budgerigars can be determined by their behavior.

1. Males are more active, talkative, like to make noise, push, sing, attract the attention of others in any way. In a new environment boys tend to explore everything around, try to imitate the sounds they hear, they can be taught to speak if you constantly talk to them, they also love mischievous games. They are cocky, like to show off in front of a mirror, they can fight with him. In a pair, males take care, during the period of raising offspring they feed their soul mate. The peculiarity of boys is that they imitate sexual intercourse, throwing their paw on objects that they like.
2. Females are calmer, prefer to observe the environment from the side, without attracting too much attention. Initially, they are engaged in the arrangement of living conditions, getting rid of everything superfluous and interfering. Usually girls do not speak and imitate sounds less talentedly, their singing is shorter and more restrained. But there are cases when very persistent owners managed to teach even a female budgerigar to pronounce a few words. When buying a wavy, it should be borne in mind that they are flocking birds and they are more comfortable in the company of individuals like themselves. To avoid war between birds, it is better to buy them from the same breeder and, therefore, almost at the same age. It is considered optimal if the difference in the age of the parrots is 2-4 years in favor of the male. Especially important in the formation of a pair is the period of adaptation, that is, the time to get used to each other. The first couple of days will take getting to know each other, they will learn to live together, there may be small disagreements, but soon everything will be settled. Otherwise, the chosen one or the chosen one will have to be returned to the store.

The age of the parrot as one of the important factors

Remember that choosing a wavy is not an easy task, you need to consider that each bird is individual, has a complex character and special habits. By the color of the wax, you can determine not only the gender, but also the age of the parrot, which is also important when buying. After all, the younger the chick, the faster and stronger it will get used to the owners.

Having decided to acquire such a friend, you need to remember that knowing the sex of a pet is necessary not only in order not to make a mistake with the nickname, but also to provide him with the necessary comfort and proper care. To teach a parrot to speak he must live aloneso as not to hear the voices of other birds. The most important thing is that if a parrot begins to lay eggs, it is definitely a female.