BFPF's - Male or Female

[monotwine]

Do the BFPF show a blue/red feather around the cloaca like RTPF? Most males have a few little coloured feathers, females none. I would also guess at a male / female combo based on mask definition, but that is never fool proof and many a colourful hen has made breeders mistake them for males. I find with the RFPF that the hens take longer to colour out and are more ladylike in their manners.
DNA sampling is the best way to tell and the least stressful.
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Get a known male and put him in the cage. He will very quickly tell you if there is a hen in there

[L in Ontario]

Thanks Donna and Monique!

I haven't checked the vent feathers - I can do that this weekend.

I don't think I'd be spending $24 per bird to DNA their gender as that would quickly add up! Unless a customer wants a gender guarantee and will pay for the DNA testing. I think I'll go by the feather colouring on both of them.

[monotwine]

EEK thats pricey!!! I get an entire kit test for that!
Fully understand why you would rather not DNA test. Here it's not as pricey. You buy a kit, take samples, send them away and they email you the results.

[WhiteMagicWoman]

Those are GORGEOUS birds! BEAUTIFUL!

[L in Ontario]

Thank you Susan!

Here the DNA 'kits' are free (they send you multiple sample cards in the mail). You get a blood sample and smear it on the card (or get a blood feather) and send it in along with a payment of $24 per card and they will email the results here too within two weeks.

I believe the cost is about the same in the USA.

How much does it cost in Africa?

[monotwine]

I've not had a test done and when I last checked it was something like R100 for the kit/test/registration. never really looked at the cost per test. I thought it was 1-10 test total price. Hence always trying to get 10 birds together for testing at once. My blonde is showing!

Since finding out I could have it done I have not ever needed to test for DNA. I have contacted them to find out now out of curiosity. Perhaps it's more expensive than I anticipated with the cost per test included.
At your quoted price it would not be viable. The cost of the test is more than the bird here, so I am ASSUMING it is less. Has to be or breeders would not bother.

[monotwine]

Ok it's still not that bad total cost to get the bird's DNA would be half what you pay or there abouts. But in relation to the cost of the bird expensive. i.e. market related prices for the birds its probably cheaper per bird for you than if I did it.

IT may not be worth it for me to do while I still am able to sell birds unsexed (costs a third-half of the price of the bird for sale), but for serious breeders I would go through the trouble of sexing, but then only sell them privately at a retail price to cover the costs. I would probably only sell sexed Parrot finches and owls. They are the only ones not easily told apart.

[L in Ontario]

I think the Owl finches are much more difficult to tell apart - though my daughter seems have to have a good handle on that.

Oh and the Red-throat Parrot Finches too - they are impossible for me to tell and I did get them DNA'd when I got my first pair. I recently lost the male and had to replace him. I took the breeder's word that it's a male. I'll find out soon (after quarantine) when I put him with my female Seagreen.

[bluebutterfly213]

Me too....
Top pic = cock
Bottom pic = hen

Over the past three clutches last year I have been trying to seeing if the amount of yellow on the beak when still very young is any indicator.
This years clutches will help this theory along.

[BigBear0007]

Boy and girl!!

[L in Ontario]

Looks like it's unanimous (myself included)!