Hello.

 

I have a male budgie that i purchased a couple of weeks ago, he's not a baby but im unsure as to how old he actually is?? ANYWAY He has always had a BLUE cere, and is currently going through a moult. Now his cere seems to be turning a little brown??? Still bright blue underneath though??? Is this to do with his moult.

He's been treated for scaleymite??? Seems a little odd!

Any idea as to what might be going on??

 

Thanks in advance.

Hello.

 

I have a male budgie that i purchased a couple of weeks ago, he's not a baby but im unsure as to how old he actually is?? ANYWAY He has always had a BLUE cere, and is currently going through a moult. Now his cere seems to be turning a little brown??? Still bright blue underneath though??? Is this to do with his moult.

He's been treated for scaleymite??? Seems a little odd!

Any idea as to what might be going on??

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Hormonal changes are usually the cause of this. Try popping some iodine in his water - 2 drops per 200mls should do the trick.

Hello.

 

I have a male budgie that i purchased a couple of weeks ago, he's not a baby but im unsure as to how old he actually is?? ANYWAY He has always had a BLUE cere, and is currently going through a moult. Now his cere seems to be turning a little brown??? Still bright blue underneath though??? Is this to do with his moult.

He's been treated for scaleymite??? Seems a little odd!

Any idea as to what might be going on??

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Hormonal changes are usually the cause of this. Try popping some iodine in his water - 2 drops per 200mls should do the trick.

 

 

Will do, thanks Renee

A cocks cere turns brown when he goes out of condition as with a hen her cere will turn white to a bluish colour.

Edited November 6, 200915 yr by splat

A cocks cere turns brown when he goes out of condition as with a hen her cere will turn white to a bluish colour.

 

I have a female that, that is happening to also..... was getting a little confused about what was going on there

That explains it! Thanks guys

Brown to the cere in a cock can also be a sign of testicular cancer so keep an eye on his health until it returns to normal colour

Brown to the cere in a cock can also be a sign of testicular cancer so keep an eye on his health until it returns to normal colour

Precisely! Hormonal imbalances can indicate testicular cancer but as you have just noticed it I woudn't go so far as to say that has developed already, try a few weeks of the iodine and if there is no improvement take him to a Vet.

 

Cocks have their own cycle of fertility which is shorter than that of hens - I cannot remember how long it is so perhaps another member can - so Splat's observation that he may be entering his non-fertile period could also be correct.

Do you have a picture of his cere so we can look at it to make sure it may not be anything else (we may or may not know more from a picture).

If you do give iodine, this would be to correct any thyroid problems, which I do not see affecting the colour of his cere as the colour of his cere is determined by sexual hormones.

If you feel you must give iodine, make sure it is made for birds and make it to the right dosage as given on the container, as iodine (like many minerals) can be dangerous when given over extensively.

 

I would say that this sounds like testicular cancer. And this can only be diagnosed by a vet. Not all testicular cancers result in cere colour change though, it depends what cells in the testes it affects.

Oh My God - YES! It has to be Aqueous Iodine!!! Please don't just pop Betadine in!!!! I am so sorry I didn't clarify that Elkereimi.

hmmm well i have a tcb cock bird who has always done this , however i do agree keep an eye on him

err on the side of caution with iodine, too much is poisonous.

I had a magnificent white df spangle cock. Recently in my aviary there was an extra df white spangle hen..........It was this cock, who would now pass for a female.

okay, well in the book The Challenge by Gerald Binks he states that cocks whose ceres change to brown are more often than not affected by testicular cancer and recommends the discerning beginner to steer clear of these birds, ie. DO NOT BUY!

 

Recently I acquired a cock bird with a brown cere and a breeder whose opinion I trust and respect recommended a course of iodine supplement. So I pass on this advice to you all. IF however, this treatment does NOT work after say a few months, then by all means take the bird to the vet for a conclusive analysis.

why is no one thinking this is a female bird coming into it adult colour?

 

it is a newly brought bird that started with a blue cere (not clear if this was pale blue or dark blue) and the bird is having a moult at the same time. if brought from a pet shope these birds are at least 3-4 months of age and the right time to start showing the adult colour on the cere.

 

can pictures?

Females often start out with a blue cere as a youngster or a female not in condition. The blue however will be mixed with white. Not to be mistaken for a fully blue cere. A lot of peo-le get mconfused thinking ANY BLUE at all is male when its just a female not in breeding condition. Once moulting takes place these white blue ceres turn the brown they are destined to be as a female.

You said your "male" had a fully bright blue cere, hence I would not have questioned if you had a male or not. If you had said it was whitish blue I would have said it was a female all along

Hi Guys,

 

Yes he was definetly a dark blue.... No whit what so ever!

 

Anyway have been giving him "Macka" the iodine and now his cere is back to being bright blue again...

Im keeping an eye on him and he seems to be doing fine? He was going through a moult at that time and im unsure as to his age exactly so unsure as to what was going on there? But anyway he has now taken a fancy to my fluffed up sick looking little man who strangely enough has now perked up?? Maybe he just needed a friend!!

Thanks for your reply's!

 

I had a magnificent white df spangle cock. Recently in my aviary there was an extra df white spangle hen..........It was this cock, who would now pass for a female.

 

 

My trans gender DF spangle cock/hen

 

BEFORE

 

and

 

NOW

 

ahh i see the 'bright blue'bit now not the best at reading early in the morning before work.

I had a magnificent white df spangle cock. Recently in my aviary there was an extra df white spangle hen..........It was this cock, who would now pass for a female.

 

 

My trans gender DF spangle cock/hen

 

BEFORE

 

and

 

NOW

 

 

That is an amazing change Kaz. Did you ever use him for breeding? Was he successful?

I had a magnificent white df spangle cock. Recently in my aviary there was an extra df white spangle hen..........It was this cock, who would now pass for a female.

 

 

My trans gender DF spangle cock/hen

 

BEFORE

 

and

 

NOW

 

 

That is an amazing change Kaz. Did you ever use him for breeding? Was he successful?

 

NO. The hens I gave him were useless silly hens.

By that second photo.

I would say its a silly hen,

too,or is it just the photo.

By that second photo.

I would say its a silly hen,

too,or is it just the photo.

Cockbird gone "bad" Macka

He has been a cock for the whole year or more I have had him till this.

 

Interestingly, since going into the new flights the cere has turned again

 

 

 

either way I doubt I will ever get chicks from "him"

one of the best transgender birds I have ever seen

Could male's cere turning brown be a product of shock?

 

We had a beautiful boy last year whose cere turned brown just like you described. It happened overnight. There was aparently a cat terrifying them late that night but Dad went outside and sent it packing. He said it had been clinging to the wire and I wondered if Smudge (the brown-cered boy) could have been so shocked that it caused his cere to change colour?

 

I mistook him for one of our females with the same colouring at first but then realised that his cere had changed colour.

 

Anyway, this is just a posibility, if anyone has an opinion of whether or not it could be the result of shock it might help. The only reason I say it is because it happened overnight, ie: bright blue in the evening and completely brown at six the next morning).