# Need Some Advice (regarding gender/discouraging breeding & housing)



## MiaBear (Nov 6, 2017)

It has been a very long time since I have posted.

I have 4 budgies, all male, or so I thought.

To recap, I had 2 male budgies, one yellow and one green. I then added 2 more, and according to their ceres, they were both purple, which seems like boys to me. I even posted on here asking opinions, and discovered I wasnt alone in thinking boys.

Well, a lot of time has passed (months) since then, and all my budgies are doing great. Happy, chirping all the time, and vet says they are all healthy.

However, it turns out one of the budgies I thought was male, looks female now. At least cere wise anyway. I have posted a pic. What do you all think???

I see no breeding behavior, yet. But I am sure it is coming. No bickering or fights (other than the normal budgie bicker over food and such), and I have no caves or nest type boxes as I have read numerous times even males will fight over such things. 
I have also read that you should not have more males than females. So any advice would be appreciated on how I may handle this situation if in fact the consensus is that Blue is female.

Thank you all. I really don't wish to give up any budgies, as they all do get along so well, and I don't know if I can comfortably add more in the cage, if it might be suggested to add another female to even out the sexes.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Yes, from that picture it appears you have a female. What is her name?

So, at this time you have three males and one female, is that correct? 
Are we certain that the other three are all male?
Would you want to post pictures of their ceres to ensure we have accurate gender identification on them?

Obviously, having three males and one female may well become a problem. 
The males may decide to fight over the female when she comes into condition.
How long have they all been caged together now? You got the last two budgies in December, is that correct?
I remember you exchanged one we knew was female and we thought the one you got as a replacement was a male. 

Please be sure you do what is necessary to discourage any breeding behavior.

Rearranging their cage frequently, and limiting the light they get to 8 hours a day will help tremendously. 
Please be sure you never put a nest box or anything that could be used as a nesting site in their cage.

When they come into condition, limit the amount of protein in their diet at that time. *


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## MiaBear (Nov 6, 2017)

Well, her name is Blue. Had thought she was a male, but Blue could work either way 
And yes you are correct, they have all been together since December, and i did exchange one as it was determined by the help of some awesome people on here, i had a female; and exchanged her for this one.

I will gladly repost some pics of the others

The green one on the left is Paul, the middle one is Blue, who we are talking about, and the one on the right is Pepsi, who i believe is male also.










This yellow one is Mango, (was named Bee), who we believe is also male.










I will do everything you suggest to ensure things stay as calm and relaxed as possible.
Oh, and when do females usually become ready to breed????


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*Sarah,

Blue is female
Paul and Pepsi are male

Was the picture of Mango taken with a flash?
In that particular picture, Mango looks to have white rings around the nares but I can't tell if that is because the picture is washed out from flash...

IF the cere is a smooth translucent pinkish purple all over then Mango is a Boy.
Another picture is necessary to be sure.

Do you have a better picture of Mango?
Full frontal shot of the cere taken in natural light with no flash and no direct sunlight is best.

Females can come into condition as young as 6 months. However, just like with humans, it varies from bird to bird. Some females don't come into condition until a year or more.*


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## MiaBear (Nov 6, 2017)

I used the flash as its night out now, and tried to get it brighter so people could see. I'm sorry if it didn't help. The other pics i have are a bit blurry, but i believe i took them without the flash. I will post all the pics of Mango so you can look at them. I really appreciate your help.

Apologies, this is one more with a flash









One from earlier today when it was daylight out. Its blurry though. 









This is another one that is a little blurry









And one more









If none of these will work, i can always take more tomorrow again, apologies about the poor shots.


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*The pictures confirm that Mango is definitely a male.

While you have Blue in with the boys, you're are going to need to monitor them closely for signs of aggression and/or mating.

Make sure you have another appropriately sized cage on hand so you can separate her out into an individual cage if necessary.

I would recommend you get a cage that is a minimum of 30" L x 18" W x 18 H.
A cage that size is the minimum recommended size for two budgies. 
As you know, bigger is always better but you need to ensure the spacing between the bars is no more than 1/2".

Let's just take things a step at a time for now and see how the situation develops. You always have the option of housing Mango individually, or splitting the group so you have two males in one cage and a male with Mango in another cage.

Adding two additional females to your flock to even out your numbers may simply cause you more problems. There are many things to take into consideration before getting additional budgies.

http://www.talkbudgies.com/other-pets/50806-do-you-really-want-another-pet.html

If you decide to get another budgie in the future, please be sure to observe quarantine for the new budgie.

Quarantine means housing the new bird in a different cage in a different room than the current bird (as far away from the room the current bird is in as possible) for a period of 35-45 days.

Budgies mask symptoms when they are ill. Symptoms may not show up for over two weeks. 
Often you will not even realize your bird is not well. Many budgie illnesses are airborne which is why you need to quarantine your new bird in a completely different room.

It is also a good idea to always take a new budgie in to see an Avian Vet for a "well-birdie" check-up. This allows you to develop a good relationship with the vet and the vet can establish a baseline for your bird in case of any future illnesses or injuries.

Distinction between an Avian Vet and a Vet that "Will See Birds"

2. Introducing the new bird to the current bird

Introducing two birds

3. Flock Dynamics

Flock Dynamics

Your Harmonious Flock

4. Where do you plan to get the new bird?

Why buy from an reputable breeder rather than a big box pet store

5. Vet Expense and Housing

Do you have the time, finances, etc to devote to another bird?

Are you ready, willing and able to house the new budgie separately on a permanent basis if it does not get along with your current bird after quarantine?

Be Prepared for Veterinary Care Expense*


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## Kelsie (Mar 23, 2018)

Aww, your Blue is almost identical to my little Venus!

You have a beautiful collection of birds. It's great to hear they're all getting along, too!


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## MiaBear (Nov 6, 2017)

Thank you very much for the advice. I have 2 separate cages i can put Blue in if needed. 
Right now they all are in a Prevue Flight Cage, that is 31" x 20.5" x 53". The other two cages i have are the exact size dimensions you listed.

I really don't wish to add to my flock, as I feel it would make things a bit cramped in the flight cage. Isnt this cage too small to house 5 or 6 Budgies???
And the dynamic between the 4 at the moment is good, so I don't really want to rock the boat. But, if I do add, yes time and finances are fine as far as that goes. And i do have the means to house separately too. I also very much understand thd quarantine process. 
Do you know of anyone who has successfully kept 3 males and 1 female together??



Kelsie said:


> Aww, your Blue is almost identical to my little Venus!
> 
> You have a beautiful collection of birds. It's great to hear they're all getting along, too!


Thank you!! I love all my little budgies. They all get along quite well, which I am thankful for.
Can I see a pic of Venus???


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## FaeryBee (May 9, 2011)

*The cage you are referring to is a Prevue Hendryx F040 flight cage. I have a couple of the F040 cages as well as a couple of the larger F050 cages.

You could keep 5-6 budgies in a F040 but I would not advise it. In my opinioin, the cage is a good size for 4 budgies.
I personally prefer birds have the most room possible. I house 6 budgies in one F050 and 3 budgies in the other F050.

I do actually know one person who had three males and one female that were housed together and they did fine. 
The female basically "ruled the roost" and would put up with no "nonsense" from any of the males.
Thankfully, the three males never cared enough about mating to become competitive over her.

Hopefully, you'll be blessed with the same situation.

If not, it's good to have the back-up plan in place.

Best wishes!*


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## Kelsie (Mar 23, 2018)

MiaBear said:


> Thank you!! I love all my little budgies. They all get along quite well, which I am thankful for.
> Can I see a pic of Venus???


Certainly! I can hardly get her to sit still nowadays, but here's a pic from when she was a little younger. :001_tongue:


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## Goldenwing (Oct 4, 2017)

Awww. She is cute!


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## MiaBear (Nov 6, 2017)

She is so adorable!!


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