help with my new green cheek conure

[Riguitin]

Hi Guys a week a go i rescued three green cheek conure from a guy who was desperate to get rid of them i got the three for 100.00. and now have a few questions.
i was told it was male female and unsex baby well one year old.
the only way i can tell the female apart is by the feathers she is missing in the head also her feet are black and the other two have lighter color feet.
one of the other two birds has a nail missing on each feet that how i tell them apart my question is is there a way to tell the older bird apart there is one that is more attached to the female always seeking her warmth and he is very friendly i can get him to step up the other bird is not friendly at all just like the female.
the reason i ask this is because i want to keep the breeding pair together and start to play more with the other one.

 

[wrench13]

Missing toes and missing head feathers means someone is picking on that one, and perhaps it might continue. You should think hard on separating all of them - you will have a better chance of bonding with all of them, and are you really ready to breed a clutch of eggs? Breeding is a LOT more work with a chance of killing the chicks if its not done correctly. Good on you for the rescue, now its up to you to make sure their life truely is better.

 

[Sunnyclover]

I 1000% agree with wrench13. Separate them all, don't let them breed. Only experienced bird owners should ever consider breeding because it's a very serious commitment and babies can easily die and the mom can get egg bound and a loooong list of other complications. In fact I'd warn even an experienced bird owner to think twice about breeding because there are so many abandoned birds out there that need homes in bird rescues and sanctuaries.

 

[Riguitin]

the only reason i want to keep the parents together is to not add any stress i dont care about breeding i just want to know who is who also to open band them i love this guys i now have a total of 9 birds lol

 

[Flboy]

Agreed, please regroup and rethink! If momma is needing calcium, she will eat her baby’s toes!

 

[Riguitin]

will do i want to give them best care i can i love my birds so any way to tell them apart

 

[Sunnyclover]

When you get to know them better you'll be able to tell them appart. It won't take long don't worry. You'll see slightly different markings ect. What other birds do you have?

 

[Riguitin]

i have 4 canaries 2 males and two females and 2 gouldian finches and i had a really really old cuban amazon but she died about 5 years ago she was the love of my life not even kidding

 

[LeslieA]

I congratulate you on the rescue. Actually, it seems this is a breeding pair with baby you've adopted. Separation may be your best choice.

Black feet are usually the sign of a male in Normal or Visual GCCs. Most other standards, hybrids or mutations have pink-beige feet in both genders. Some standard GCCs may have grey feet initially in both genders (i.e. Yellow-sides), so foot color isn't generally reliable.

Males usually flip out both wings at a time while females tend to flip out one wing at a time. Females tend to prefer back strokes while a male may refuse them. Obviously, this may vary with bird training and personality.

Missing feathers are usually the sign of an outsider or unaccepted bird being abused rather than a reliable gender accessment. Another minor possibility is that they're pulled for the calcium. This is not proof of gender.

DNA feather testing is the ONLY reliable way to know gender. There are multiple online labs for that (i.e. IQTesting) at extremely low costs. However the only two I recommend are Avian Biotech and IQTesting. These are two, certainly not the only, commonly used by AVs and breeders.

GCCs mature sexually at 9-12 months old. GCCs are less susceptible to eggbinding, but it happens, particularly in first clutches.

Again, I encourage DNA feather testing and only breeding with the help of either an experienced conure breeder or an AV.

 

[MonicaMc]

If you can share pictures, that might help. You may need to ask the previous owner as well if they could clarify who is who.

 

[Laurasea]

You might also take the idea that the person getting rid of them was not telling the truth!!! They might all be older or all the same sex
.... definitely a vet visit, and you can order DNA testing online.