# hwo do i work out which of my budgies are males/females?



## mycatsandi (Apr 9, 2013)

We've got about 8 budgies (4 pairs), but just one pair is breeding (she laid eggs about a week back). However, the breeders here are known to fool people a lot and as the others just arent breeding at all (we have had them for about 3-4 months now), we are starting to feel that something isn't right. 

What I feel is that we might have mixed up the pairs, so my question is, how do we distinguish the males and the females? We've kept them separate in a sectioned off aviary so i just want to make sure that we keep the right pair together. 

Any help in this regard would be great! 

Thanks


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## poohdog (May 16, 2010)

Put them together and see which perch close to each other and preen each other.


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## Lovehatetragedy (Jul 8, 2010)

Take a look at the colour of the bridge of their beaks (cere). Males will have a purple colour slowly fading to a light blue and females will have a light blue fading to a browny/white colour.


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## poohdog (May 16, 2010)

Lovehatetragedy said:


> Take a look at the colour of the bridge of their beaks (cere). Males will have a purple colour slowly fading to a light blue and females will have a light blue fading to a browny/white colour.


That tells you the sexes but doesn't answer if the pairs have their established partners.


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## Terry Delgado (Aug 19, 2013)

Ive always bred budgies on the colony system, where you have a ratio of three hens to one cockbird in an aviary. The cocks will breed with any hen and providing you have more breeding boxes than hens you should be ok. You put the boxes high and in different positions in the aviary and the hen chooses which one she likes. You must have at least six boxes if you have three hens to avoid squabbling about which box the hen wants to use.

As already said the cocks have blue ceres above their beaks and the hens brown,


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## poohdog (May 16, 2010)

Terry Delgado said:


> Ive always bred budgies on the colony system, where you have a ratio of three hens to one cockbird in an aviary. The cocks will breed with any hen and providing you have more breeding boxes than hens you should be ok. You put the boxes high and in different positions in the aviary and the hen chooses which one she likes. You must have at least six boxes if you have three hens to avoid squabbling about which box the hen wants to use.
> 
> As already said the cocks have blue ceres above their beaks and the hens brown,


If you have a ratio of three hens to one cock bird...ignore the cere colour to sex the birds...

The cock birds are the ones with a silly grin on their faces...


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## kodakkuki (Aug 8, 2011)

poohdog said:


> If you have a ratio of three hens to one cock bird...ignore the cere colour to sex the birds...
> 
> _The cock birds are the ones with a silly grin on their faces..._


don't you mean a cock-y look on his face!? :laugh:

(needed that chuckle!)


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## crumpet (Dec 3, 2014)

ho ho ho that made


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## crumpet (Dec 3, 2014)

me laugh out loud


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## Mikel the fish (Jul 28, 2016)

mycatsandi said:


> We've got about 8 budgies (4 pairs), but just one pair is breeding (she laid eggs about a week back). However, the breeders here are known to fool people a lot and as the others just arent breeding at all (we have had them for about 3-4 months now), we are starting to feel that something isn't right.
> 
> What I feel is that we might have mixed up the pairs, so my question is, how do we distinguish the males and the females? We've kept them separate in a sectioned off aviary so i just want to make sure that we keep the right pair together.
> 
> ...


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## Mikel the fish (Jul 28, 2016)

mycatsandi said:


> We've got about 8 budgies (4 pairs), but just one pair is breeding (she laid eggs about a week back). However, the breeders here are known to fool people a lot and as the others just arent breeding at all (we have had them for about 3-4 months now), we are starting to feel that something isn't right.
> 
> What I feel is that we might have mixed up the pairs, so my question is, how do we distinguish the males and the females? We've kept them separate in a sectioned off aviary so i just want to make sure that we keep the right pair together.
> 
> ...


It takes time for the beak to colour up brown for hen blue for cock . Normally about 10 to 15 weeks . Mike


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