Ask Lafeber

Sex gender of 3 week old budgies

Brenda How do I know young Budgies are male or female ?

Hi,

For some colors, you can tell as early as 6 months old, but for others, there is no way to determine sex without a DNA test. This is no matter what you are told by “experienced” breeders. With young birds, nothing is 100%. As they get older, most males will develop a blue cere and females will have a white or brown cere. However, with many color mutations, the cere may remain a pale lavender the bird’s entire life. This is typically true with the solid colors like yellow and white, or with pale and pastel mutations. All of that being said, if the birds are to be pets, it is best to only give one bird so that it can be trained. If you have two birds together in the same cage, even if they are the same sex, they will tend to bond with each other and can’t be tamed.

Good luck with these little guys!

Brenda