Sorry if this comes up twice. I forgot to log in the first time. One of those days. I need info on parakeets. I bought 2 last year at a poultry auction because I like to hear them sing. The seller thought they might be males but were too young to tell. Only one has a purple beak now so do I have a male and a female? If so do I need to build a nesting box like I do for my chickens?
You can tell the sex of a parakeet by the color of their cere (area around the nostrils). Males will have a blue (kind of purple-blue) and females brown. There's no need to build a nest box unless you want baby keets. They'll be perfectly happy with just each other for company. I've had parakeets since 1988 and I've had both males and females together in the same cage but I never gave them a nest box. If they are male and female and you give them a nest box, it'll trigger the breeding response. If they're both males, they may use the nest box to hide. My advice: don't give them a nest box unless you're serious about breeding them. Cindy
I have had parakeets for several years, they will sometimes breed even with out a nest box. I have a pair right now that are constantly breeding, and the hen just drops her eggs are the cage floor. Cindy is correct, in that the cere is only colored on the males. They will be fine, not breeding, and should be happy enough with just each others company.
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children"
Thank you both. The cere on one is the purple blue and the other has no color. I wont worry about a nest box then they seem just fine together. Thanks again Happy Easter
parakeets
Posted - Apr 02 2010 : 6:19:49 PM
