# Sexing my budgie



## Graciousgrace12 (8 mo ago)

Hello! I’m new to owning budgies and just got this beautiful bird yesterday. I am having some trouble figuring out the sex. I know it’s fairly young due to the stripes on its head (no cap). Does anybody have any ideas? I was thinking male, but I’m not sure about the white around the nostrils.


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## StarlingWings (Mar 15, 2013)

Hello and welcome to the forums!

She is a beautiful little girl. Does she have a name yet?

To start, you should remove the dowel perches and replace them with natural wood in order for her to have healthy feet and prevent bumblefoot. More info can be found in this link:








Essentials to a Great Cage


This post was rewritten by FaeryBee 12/16/2019 Please note that if rope perches are used, you need to ensure your budgies are not chewing them. Remove any cotton rope perch immediately if you notice any chewing or if the rope becomes frayed from the birds' toenails. Toys containing cotton...




www.talkbudgies.com





Meanwhile, it’s great to have you on the forums. You’ve come to a great place to learn even more about the best of budgie care practices. Please be sure to read through the forums’ many other budgie articles and links to ensure you’re up to date on everything. If you have any questions after doing so, please do ask as we’d love to help!

Best wishes! 👋🏻


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## Graciousgrace12 (8 mo ago)

StarlingWings said:


> Hello and welcome to the forums!
> 
> She is a beautiful little girl. Does she have a name yet?
> 
> ...


Thank you!! Yes I think we’re going to call her Stevie. She is such a sweetheart! I am in the process of replacing the perches now. I appreciate your help!


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Hi, Welcome to Talk Budgies!

The purpose of this forum is to promote the BEST PRACTICES in the care of budgies for their optimal Health and Well-Being*
*Locating an Avian Veterinarian*
*
Your little girl is lovely!
She is also in the process of molting at this point in time.
Budgies generally have a first light molt at around 3 - 4 months old and another at 6 -7 months old.
When a budgie reaches at 1 year old their molts adjust to the Seasons., After the adjustment the budgie will have its big molts in the Spring and Fall. Budgies may also have lighter molts throughout the year; triggered by stress, change in diet or change in environment.

You can supplement your budgie’s diet with egg food during a molt.
This helps your budgies replenish the energy lost during the time they lose and grow in the new feathers.
Additionally, egg food promotes good and healthy feather growth.
It is possible to buy ready-made egg food at any specialized pet store but just as easy to make your own by hard boiling an egg and mashing it up.
If you wish you can mix it with a bit of cooked quinoa and flax seed.
You can also finely chop some veggies and add it to the egg food mix.

If your give your budgie cooked quinoa, be sure you rinse it well several times before cooking.

Budgies get itchy during their molt, so they'll preen and scratch more often. Additionally, they may be sleepier and quieter as molting takes a lot of energy, and their poop could be a little runnier. To make them more comfortable, you can offer them baths either in a shallow dish of water (or Lix-It bath) or by hanging wet greens (romaine lettuce or kale works best) in their cage so they can nibble on it and rub against them.

Molting FAQs*
*Miserable Molting*

*I agree with StarlingWings and highly recommend you remove the wooden dowel perches in the cage and replace them with natural wooden perches of varying diameters to help prevent pressure sores.
Pressure Sores
Bumblefoot*

*A Healthy Diet for your Budgie*
*Quality Seed Mix*
*CuttleBones, Mineral Blocks and Manu Clay Roses*
*Safe Foods for Budgies*
*The Truth about GRIT*

*Please take the time to read through the Site Guidelines, the FAQs, the Budgie Articles and all of the Stickies located at the top of each section of the forum.*

*Truly, the very BEST advice anyone can offer you is to take the time to read ALL of the stickies throughout the various Talk Budgie forums as well as the Budgie Articles we have posted.
(Stickies are threads “stuck” at the top of each forum sub-section)
These are great resources for Talk Budgie members and have a wealth of reliable information which will assist you to learn the best practices in caring for your budgies for their optimal health and well-being.*

*SITE GUIDELINES*
*Posting on the Forums*
*Let's Talk Budgies!*
*FAQ*
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*Tips For Discouraging Breeding*
*Before You Ever Consider Breeding Your Budgies*
*Guidance for Breeding Advice Threads*
*Cage sizes.*
*Essentials to a Great Cage*
*Dangers to Pet Birds*
*Resource Directory*


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## Graciousgrace12 (8 mo ago)

FaeryBee said:


> *Hi, Welcome to Talk Budgies!
> 
> The purpose of this forum is to promote the BEST PRACTICES in the care of budgies for their optimal Health and Well-Being*
> *Locating an Avian Veterinarian*
> ...


Thank you for all the advice! I suspected she may be molting at this time. I’m assuming this is her first one due to the striping above her eyes? Which would she her about 3-4 months. I am wanting to get her fairly comfortable with me and my touch before taking her to the vet. But I am calling one tomorrow to see if I can set an appointment for a check up. I am also in the process of changing out those perches! Thanks for all your help!


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Yes, I would estimate that she is 3-4 months old. I look forward to seeing more of your cutie in the future!*


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