We have just added Comet - a 4 month old aviary-bred Cockatiel to our flock. We would like to get an opposite sex partner for Comet so that we can breed them when they are old enough .... BUT.... we need to find out Comet's gender. I know our Alexandrine was DNA sexed for me by the breeder, but I can't find the paperwork. Do you have to pluck a feather from the poor bird, or can you use one that recently fell out naturally? Also, what company do I send it to, does anyone know?

 

Edited January 10, 200916 yr by 2budgies

Not sure about Dna sexing and how its done... My brother breeds them this looks like a female to me because of the markings on its tail. The pieds and normals are much easier to sex visualy than other mutations.. So thats what I think!!!

 

D

YOu can. But thats a hen. All pearls are hens.

If you were to do it take it to a vet. Otherwise google Bird DNA sex and you will get heaps of people that do it. YOu just need to pluck a feather and send it off to them.

not sure but probably a better place to ask is livs cockatiel forum...

 

(you can pay me later liv ) I hope it is Livs forum now... hmmm

Edited January 10, 200916 yr by JimmyBanks

not sure but probably a better place to ask is livs cockatiel forum...

 

(you can pay me later liv ) I hope it is Livs forum now... hmmm

 

 

http://forums.budgiebreeders.asn.au/index....showtopic=23036

Thanks Guys,

 

Comet definately bites like a girl! I might take Jimmy's advice and post on Liv's Cockatiel Forum as I've read that Males can be Pearl too until their first moult at 6 months, and some have even been bred to retain Pearling. I really want to be sure, as I can't keep buying birds - just one more!

YOu can. But thats a hen. All pearls are hens.

This may be why you think that...it would refer to adult pearls...any showing markings as an adult would be a female possibly but younger ones could be either sex

 

QUOTE The male pearl will loose his markings and return to a normal gray coloration over a period of years. The female will not loose her markings. UNQUOTE

Thanks for the clear up

Don't have to dna Budgies......

I would think that it needs to be a freshly plucked feather, since they use the cells at the follicle, not the feather itself to do DNA sexing.

A single drop of blood can also be used and is more accurate. An avian vet will be able to take the blood (literally, it is a small drop) and send it off to a lab. It costs $25 altogether to do at my avian vet's.

Thanks, I'll ask at the vet on Monday

Don't have to dna Budgies......

Arn't Budgies the best Daz Why bother with other birds... I see no point

LIV has a Cockateil forum in her signature

 

That is a Hen -

Bars on the tail or spot under the wing indicate a hen :cake: also paler face ...But i have seen Pearls that are male

LIV has a Cockateil forum in her signature

 

That is a Hen -

Bars on the tail or spot under the wing indicate a hen also paler face ...But i have seen Pearls that are male

 

 

Thanks Neat, I'm hoping you are right so that the pretty pearling stays! I'm still considering DNA testing, I'm not that patient to "wait & see", and I want to know for sure. I only plan to get a mate for Comet and then stop buying birds. When we breed them, I know we will want to keep one of the handraised chicks, and that already makes 8 birds not including all the chicks. That's plenty to have to ask the neighbour to feed when we go away!

One thing to remember is that all cockatiels have the barring it isn't until they molt out that the hens will loose the barring so if your tiel is young and it has the barring it doesn't mean hen at first. Pearls cock will loose their spots and females to retain their spots.

 

There is also a good site cockatiel.org that goes over the mutations.

I am just going wait patently for Charlie to stay a boy :hap: Well he is a boy to me until he proves he is a girl , then poor Greg he will have to get a boy and then we will have little baby Charlie's flying around

 

Charlie is such a sweaty he is already chatting back to use and the occasional whistle

Arn't Budgies the best Daz Why bother with other birds... I see no point

 

..... i'm biased :hap:

I think all birds should have some clue of their sex like budgies how hard is that to make a cockatiel cere blue or brown , gee god must of been lazy when he made the rest of the birds, He first made budgies complete and ahh well the of the specicies can look the same and let the people decide. agghh

Sorry just being silly :hap:

Budgies just have it all really, is it any wonder they are the most popular pet of all time? The other animals must really get upset about it...

Charlie's so cute Splat ! Comet only makes two short monotone sounds over and over "Kree, Kree" , so doesn't sound like your Charlie - how would you describe "his" sounds?

 

By the way, I'm thinking everyone's right (about Comet being female, not about Budgies being the best)! I was thinking back - there were three normal grey cockatiels in one cage and three pearls in another - I think from the one breeder and clutch. So that would mean the pearls would have to be female. They could only be male if both parents were pearl or the dad was split to pearl - but then there couldn't be any normal greys produced.... I hope this makes sense, I read that Pearl is the equivalent of Opaline in Budgies as far as how the sex-linked gene works. (My computer has been working hard to answer all my questions!)

 

Budgies are really great, but so are all the other birds :hap:

Charlie chatters away it nearly sounds like he is talking but that's impossible, only had him a week but he is very young.

Nut when you talk to him blabbers back and when you whistle he kind of whistles to, so if he is a boy I reckon he will be up and talking like us anytime soon now I HOPE anyway.

Damn, I just looked at the pinned Budgie Expectations Table for Opaline - I got it all wrong! :hap: If the female shows the sex linked gene and the male is split for it, then babies will be 50/50 visual for it (visually normal males being split for the gene). Why does it have to be so hard?

Damn, I just looked at the pinned Budgie Expectations Table for Opaline - I got it all wrong! :rofl: If the female shows the sex linked gene and the male is split for it, then babies will be 50/50 visual for it (visually normal males being split for the gene). Why does it have to be so hard? :rofl:

 

:rofl:

Damn, I just looked at the pinned Budgie Expectations Table for Opaline - I got it all wrong! :doh: If the female shows the sex linked gene and the male is split for it, then babies will be 50/50 visual for it (visually normal males being split for the gene). Why does it have to be so hard? :rofl:

 

:rofl:

 

 

Not funny Splat! Sounds like you've got a boy, and I've got a headache! :rofl: