Is she a he?

[QuakerMom]

Piper has finally come back to being her normal self again after not making a peep for 3 months (broken wing) and today she's chirping and going through all of her words she knows. It's SSoooo nice to have her back!!!

But she's doing something new today that I've never seen her do.. she's bobbing her head up and down along with the radio and she keeps "dancing".. picking up a foot and setting it back down, moving her whole body. She makes little squeaky chirps when she's bobbing her head.

Umm.. isn't that a male bird display?? It was always assumed by her previous 2-3 owners that she was female, though she has never laid eggs even when she was caged with other Quakers.

What does everyone think? Is she a he?

 

[thekarens]

I'd spend the $20 and send in a sample so you can find out for sure. There's no way to know with Quakers other than DNA.

 

[QuakerMom]

I've read about DNA sexing but I guess I'm a weenie. Part of me would love to know if Piper is male or female but the other part is having trouble wanting to inflict pain on her for no other reason than curiosity. If I was planning on breeding or if there was a health reason to draw blood then I'd be all for it. But to rip out feathers or clip off the end of her nail just to find out her sex so I can know and then do nothing with the information seems silly to me.

Or are there other reasons for sexing when I'm not intending to breed that I'm not aware of?
What is your preferred method for collecting a DNA sample?

 

[thekarens]

Actually sexing is very useful information should any health issues come up. The bird shop did my bird via nail. You could also have your vet do it. It costs a little more, but you don't have to be the bad guy. When the shop did Sammie she didn't even squeak.

 

[QuakerMom]

Thank you, thekarens. That makes sense. Maybe I just feel guilty because of all the doctoring I've had to do with her since her broken wing.. I had to put a cone of shame on her to keep her from chewing the wrap off and after the break was healed I had to spray her daily with vetericyn because she chewed all her skin off under her damaged wing.. ohh how she Hated that. I felt like a monster even though I knew it needed to be done to help her.

If I get her DNA'd I'll probably have the vet do it

 

[thekarens]

I can understand that. That's a lot for her to go through. Poor thing.

 

[Blueridge]

The guy that I bought my quaker from felt his stomach and told me that he was a 'he'. Something about him not having a concave stomach or something like that. I don't know. I don't really think he knows what he was talking about though, I need to get a DNA test done, as do you if you want to be positive.

 

[MikeyTN]

The males have broader head and beak while females have slender head and beak.

 

[mrgoogls]

that is true Mikey, but it isnt always accurate. There are always things like maybe a big female with a bigger head, or a smaller male with a thinner head. DNA is 100% accurate.

 

[MikeyTN]

From the quakers I've seen it is pretty accurate. It doesn't matter how much bigger they are, those variables aren't gonna change. I raised mine from a chick I hand fed myself and his sister was with him and what a difference they have. That's when I first noticed their difference and that was back in 2000.

 

[thekarens]

The problem comes when you only have one bird and have nothing to compare it to and if say you have a small male or a large hen it could be confusing.

 

[Kalidasa]

I thought my conure was female, I was so sure lol! But it's true what thekarens said if you only have one if that species there's not much to compare it to. Male conures supposedly have larger flatter heads and that wasn't true in my case. He was doing classic female posturing as well, which threw me off. But he's a boy, and truthfully, after the initial shock wore off, I was very relieved. Fear of him laying eggs was paramount in my mind, it was always a worry. I wouldn't let him play in hidey-holes for fear he would nest and lay. That concern is obviously off the table now, he can play anywhere he wants now. It does help to know, females can become egg-bound and die, among other complications. I want no surprises. It was totally worth it IMO.

 

[MikeyTN]

Having another bird as an comparison would help yes. Otherwise you wouldn't know how to look for it. But that wasn't my point, it doesn't matter about the size, the different variables are still there that's very visible. There's been many people telling me Willie is a girl for years but I tell them no Willie is a boy and he is a boy 100% When I put Willie and Lola side by side, you sure can tell the difference big time so having a comparison helps quite a bit that's for sure. But I didn't need the comparison since I already knew what I was looking for long before Willie ever came to me due to breeder friends showing me how.

 

[QuakerMom]

MikeyTN, do you have pics of a male & female side by side for comparison? Just curious

 

[QuakerMom]

In the last 7-10 days Piper has been displaying more and more behaviors I've never seen her do before..

She's talking and chirping nonstop all day (which is a very nice change from before!) She's been dancing on her cage, and today has started making new chirps and calls. She regurgitates into her mouth then swallows it, and just now I watched her repeatedly & loudly tap her beak on the cage. I'm becoming more and more convinced she's a he. I might break down and do the DNA test even though I'd feel bad for hurting her. I'm such a weenie!

Doesn't this behavior typically coincide with breeding season? I thought that doesn't usually start until January? Or does everyone else's Quakers do this year round regardless of sex?