Hi there, I decided to go and get another budgie to keep Tommy company after poor Beaky sadly passed away a couple of days ago. The only place I could find budgies in my local area only had two left but they seemed to get on really well together and the guy in the pet shop said they had bonded well together so I ended up getting them both (didn't want to leave one on its own!).

 

I am keeping them in a separate cage from Tommy as a quararantine measure but hopefully they'll all get on okay. Will Tommy feel left out?

 

One of the new birds (I haven't named them yet) is a Lutino and according to the pet shop, she's female and the other one is pale blue and white and male but he only has faint markings on his face and wings while Tommy and Beaky both had really dark markings. Apparantly they're both 12 weeks old. Can somebody have a look at the photos below and confirm what gender they are? I've never seen a Lutino before and not sure if the usual cere colour rules apply.

 

They both seem chirpy and active enough and are eating now they've settled in. They both have a ring on their left foot, can this be left on or should it be taken off? They don't seem to pay any attention to it. What is the purpose of the ring, do the numbers on it mean anything?

 

Thanks,

 

Gary

 

Well in my opinion I don't think the pet shop knows how to sex but maybe I am wrong (Laughing out loud).

 

If the yellow one is all yellow with red eyes HE is a lutino. The cere is a very deep pink which indicates a male not a female. Also the cere will stay pink into maturity.

 

The skyblue one look a HEN and a greywing but I am unsure since the picture is so dark.

 

I have to say they both look like matured budgies around not babies and they look like very heavy budgies (like show budgies variety).

 

If you can take a better picture of them without the flash if possible in the daylight or sunlight that would be good because the pics are dark and I could be totally off but this is what I see.

 

Keep them in quarantine in a room out of hearing distance and your other budgie should be okay. If you can't do that you will find they will call to each other and it may drive you nuts BUT DON'T break quarantine which is for 30 days at least.

Nice budgies, but I agree with Elly. They look like mature budgies. The legrings are their breeder rings and should say a code on there which will also say the year they were hatched, so read it off first and it will confirm their ages. Photos not good for either sexing accurately of giving you the type. Lutinos are hard to sex, but I agree so far with what Elly has said about the sexes. I would prefer better, clearer daylight photos with no flash

Edited February 2, 200817 yr by KAZ

Oh and yes leave the leg rings on. I remember that was a question there is no need to take them off unless it is bothering the leg or they are too loose and you feel a toe could get stuck in there. If you decide to have them removed and you are uncertain how to do it you can have someone who is a breeder or a vet experience in doing this type of procedure do it.

As a follow up on the legring questions....they dont need to come off. Seems the only trouble you ever have with them is with hens...and their leg swells and they have to be removed...but that isnt a common thing. If they have to be removed you need special legring cutters and they must be cut in two places for them to fall away carefully without cutting the leg.

Thanks for your replies. Sorry about the poor picture quality, those photos were screenshots from my video camera, I will try and dig out the proper camera (wherever I last put it!) and take some better ones. The blue and white bird definitely has a bluish/purplish tint to his cere but the yellow one's cere is bright pink.

 

Yes, they are very large birds (at least compared to Tommy & Beaky). The leg rings say 'W6111' and '07' which is obviously the year. I'll leave them well alone unless they cause problems.

I stick with the lutino being a male a better shot of the sky blue one's cere would be wonderful

l agree with Elly with the gender of the lutino.

bye the way, both of your budgies are beautiful

Right, I've got a reasonaby decent picture of the Lutino now, sorry it's taken so long but I've been at work during most of the daylight hours during the week!

 

My other new budgie, the blue and white one is definitely male as his cere is very blue now.

 

http://img125.imageshack.us/img125/8947/imgp5391mv2.jpg

Edited February 9, 200817 yr by Elly
pic changed to link due to over the board regulation of 450x450, thank you for understanding

Your Lutino is a male for sure. His cere reminds me of Pretty's who was a recessive pied and their cere's stay pink in the males too.

what colour are the leg rings? that will help work out age as well.

 

The blue one is a spangle and female like Elly said. A hen can have a pale blue cere when not in breeding condition.

what colour are the leg rings? that will help work out age as well.

 

The blue one is a spangle and female like Elly said. A hen can have a pale blue cere when not in breeding condition.

 

Thanks for all your replies. The leg rings are both black with white text.

black from my understanding is this years colour.

black from my understanding is this years colour.

Only in Australia. Black in the UK was last years 2007 and this years is blue....2008

thanks Kaz I was thinking they where different but with a quick look online couldn't find the list.