Gender reveal?: It´s a... ?!

[Zara]

So as anyone who knows me knows, none of my birds have been DNA sexed.
I know Aldora is a hen, and Jaime is a cock and it is undisputable.

However, when Lapis and Nube were born they bonded as they grew up. By the time their plumage had grown in, they were a bonded pair. So I kept both and housed them together. They still had their nest box to sleep in, which they did. When they we´re weaned and fledged, I would check their pelvic bones... I know this is not 100% but it is a good indicatation.

They always both appeared to be male.

Something always nagged me - the sounds. Aldora makes very distinct sounds. A kissing sound, a wolf whistle sound, a frog sound and a couple of other sounds that are very distinct. Lapis started to amake those exact same sounds. If I closed my eyes I would not know who made them, it was copied so well. I put it down to immitation.

Last month Nube started doing the clicky dance and Lapis was shredding paper to perfection and successfully storing it. And last week Nube was mounting Lapis.

So for the last week this has been nagging the heck out of me. Was Lapis a male that was immitating his mum, fluking being good at storing nesting gear and in a same sex relationship? Not unheard of. Or was Lapis actually female?

I have just put the birds back in their cages for a nap. And after I put Nube and Lapis back in, I decided to pull them back out and check their pelvic bones as they are now 7 months old.

Nube came straight to me, I checked him - male, as I thought.

Lapis wouldn´t come back... Too interested in sitting in the box. When I got Lapis out eventually, it is undeniable...

Lapis is a hen.

Needless to say, the box is in the bin! Obviously these birds can´t breed even if I wanted to, it goes against my ethics.
I won´t be splitting the birds up either. They are happy together so they shall stay together.

 

[Lady Jane]

Thank you for being one of the ethical breeders of birds.

 

[Zara]

Thank you for being one of the ethical breeders of birds.

I don´t consider myself a breeder. I know a lot about breeding lovebirds because my ¨uncle¨ breeds them (for his own reasons, not professionally) and I let Aldora breed thinking it may help our relationship... I think it did a bit, but not a huge deal. I do feel she comes to me more now.
I have the full first clutch here, and I gave away 3 of the latest clutch. My friend has 2 - which is great. I love keeping in touch with them all and my friend and her husband are besotted with them. But when I had to find a home for the 3rd chick after my boyfriends friend backed out, it was really sad. I would advertise it online, and then ignore the replies and delete the adverts. I didn´t feel good giving the bird to anyone. Luckily my neighbour had a friend who also has a lovebird, and so I met with them, they were a lovely couple and they took the bird.
I don´t think I could let Aldora breed again. Unless I had enough friends wanting to home the birds - which I doubt. I wouldn´t want to sell them. And it´s hard to trust people when you are offering a free lovebird, you know?
It hurts my heart too much. So for now, no more chicks
I wouldn´t want to give the chicks to someone who won´t care for them, locked in a cage, or end up being bred constantly in a mill - that would break my heart.
As it stands now, I know where all my birds and their offspring are. I am happy with that

And with Lapis and Nube, it´s just wrong. I´m sure some people would allow it, but not me. Not fair on the chicks, and it is them who will pay the price for impropper breeding. It is also the reason I never put Jacob to stud.