Female or male?

[rebecca252]

This is my oldest budgie, Percy, who is give or take three to four months old. I can usually tell gender of a budgie well, but as he is recessive pied, his cere has me a little stumped. I originally thought he was a boy, but now he is lighter rings around his nostrils on his cere, and a small brownish crust that is developing.

 

[Bookwyrm]

I personally would say female at this point. When he was younger, was the cere more purple, or blue? And are the rings around the nares white, or more a really light purple?

 

[rebecca252]

I personally would say female at this point. When he was younger, was the cere more purple, or blue? And are the rings around the nares white, or more a really light purple?

They are more a white. When he was younger the colour was a very light purple.

 

[Bookwyrm]

They are more a white. When he was younger the colour was a very light purple.

In that case, I'd actually say male. My budgie had very light purple rings around his nares when I first got him (about a month and a half old), and his cere is slowly become a blue, and the rings are definitely more white than they were. If you look at pictures of male budgies, most do have light rings around the nares.
I would keep an eye on it, though, just in case. A dark brown cere on a male can be a sign of cancer, I believe.
Do you have a picture of him when he was younger?

 

[Ripshod]

The cere of a male Recessive Pied does not change colour.
What has me concerned about this little one is the crusty cere (clearer in your profile photo). I can't help thinking something unhealthy is going on, possibly a parasite. Or could it be dried on formula? If it's food you should clean it off, it'll be full of germs - Q-tip and warn water if he'll let you.
Has he been vetted?

 

[Bookwyrm]

I didn't even look at his coloration! Shows how much I know...
I think a vet check at this point would be wise.

 

[rebecca252]

The cere of a male Recessive Pied does not change colour.
What has me concerned about this little one is the crusty cere (clearer in your profile photo). I can't help thinking something unhealthy is going on, possibly a parasite. Or could it be dried on formula? If it's food you should clean it off, it'll be full of germs - Q-tip and warn water if he'll let you.
Has he been vetted?

We are pretty sure it’s a scab from a little beak injury he came to us with. At first we thought it was mites, and treated him for such, but he has shown no other symptoms of parasites.

 

[rebecca252]

The cere of a male Recessive Pied does not change colour.
What has me concerned about this little one is the crusty cere (clearer in your profile photo). I can't help thinking something unhealthy is going on, possibly a parasite. Or could it be dried on formula? If it's food you should clean it off, it'll be full of germs - Q-tip and warn water if he'll let you.
Has he been vetted?

However, I think I may just book him in at the vets, just to be sure, even if they just tell us what we think it is.

 

[Lori D Pert]

The cere has me concerned as well. A vet check is a good idea. Beyond that and the fact that Percy is 3 to 4 months old I'm gonna say that Percy is a little girl.

 

[PoukieBear]

Percy is a male. He's also not a recessive pied, he's a double factor dominant pied. And very handsome!

 

[grafton]

Yes, boy and DF Dominant Pied.

 

[rebecca252]

The cere has me concerned as well. A vet check is a good idea. Beyond that and the fact that Percy is 3 to 4 months old I'm gonna say that Percy is a little girl.

Thanks for your comment! Since this we have had all the budgies vetted and treated for mites and they are all on the road to recovery

 

[rebecca252]

The cere of a male Recessive Pied does not change colour.
What has me concerned about this little one is the crusty cere (clearer in your profile photo). I can't help thinking something unhealthy is going on, possibly a parasite. Or could it be dried on formula? If it's food you should clean it off, it'll be full of germs - Q-tip and warn water if he'll let you.
Has he been vetted?

Thanks for your comment! Since this we have had all the budgies vetted and treated for mites and they are all on the road to recovery