# DNA Sexing?



## feathered_love (Jul 22, 2008)

I always have my birds DNA sexed cause I always like to know for sure. Even my parrots where sex is visable when they become adults. I'm too impatient to wait for adult coloring,lol. Anyway, the place I get my birds DNA sexed can also sex pigeons. It only costs $20 but I'm wondering if it's really worth it. I'm dying to know if Coco Pebbles is a boy or girl.


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## little bird (Aug 11, 2006)

Why not....if you know it's a female while she is in the growing phase....you can give extra calcium to build very strong bones so if she decides to be a layer, you will have less egg problems in the future. Do they use the blood from vein or toenail?


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## feathered_love (Jul 22, 2008)

little bird said:


> Why not....if you know it's a female while she is in the growing phase....you can give extra calcium to build very strong bones so if she decides to be a layer, you will have less egg problems in the future. Do they use the blood from vein or toenail?


The use either blood from the toe nail or you can pluck 4-5 chest feathers and send those in. Personally I can't stand the thought of plucking their feathers. I don't like cutting the one nail but at least its one quick snip. If she is a female how would I give her extra calcium?


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

I say you will know soon enough and if they take blood it's painful. Have you ever noticed, for example, how your parrots hold their foot up and get kind of puffy when a toe nail has been cut so short it bleeds? Sometimes that lasts for a day or more.
I'm thinking that by the Hoildays you will have a pretty good idea of your baby's gender and it can be a holiday gift, of sorts.


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## little bird (Aug 11, 2006)

You can use liquid calcium or shave a cuttle bone on her food/grit, or give har a good bird vitamin and don't forget to give her direct sunshine on her feathers every day...at least 20/30 minutes. A walk around the block with her in a wire cage should be sufficient until she can fly and then you will have to decide if you build her a loft or what for her sunshine & fresh air.


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## little bird (Aug 11, 2006)

Elaina....I have always cut my animals nails, parrots included...sometimes I get too close and it bleeds...a dab of quik-stop and the blood stops and none of my birds have ever favored afoot after a nail cutting. As long as you handle her gently and snip only as much as you need to reach the vein....BTW...your baby should have white nails so you can see where the vein begins.


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## feathered_love (Jul 22, 2008)

little bird said:


> Elaina....I have always cut my animals nails, parrots included...sometimes I get too close and it bleeds...a dab of quik-stop and the blood stops and none of my birds have ever favored afoot after a nail cutting. As long as you handle her gently and snip only as much as you need to reach the vein....BTW...your baby should have white nails so you can see where the vein begins.


I trim all my parrots nails too and have done the DNA sexing myself as well. I use corn starch to stop any bleeding, its safer to use with birds. In case they eat some of it messing with the toe you don't have to worry about it making them sick. I'm pretty successful at cutting the nail just enough so it bleeds enough for the DNA sexing and stops bleeding after only a few droplets. I've never noticed my birds favoring their foot after I trim for a DNA sexing. I give them a millet spray as a treat afterwards and they forget all about it,lol.

Yeah Coco Pebbles nails are white. I think I might do the DNA sexing. I want to give her a nail trim since her nails are really sharp (I really need to find a brick for her) so I may just trim a nail to do the DNA sexing while I'm at it.


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## feathered_love (Jul 22, 2008)

little bird said:


> You can use liquid calcium or shave a cuttle bone on her food/grit, or give har a good bird vitamin and don't forget to give her direct sunshine on her feathers every day...at least 20/30 minutes. A walk around the block with her in a wire cage should be sufficient until she can fly and then you will have to decide if you build her a loft or what for her sunshine & fresh air.



Thanks for the tips. I have a patio so I may put her out there everyday for a bit. I'll have to sit with her since we have too many cats wondering around. Thankfully we have a very comfortable patio bench, I can sit out there, read and get some sun too!


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## lwerden (May 31, 2008)

Elaina...I know you have much more experience than I with birds. However, please be so very, very careful if you trim CoCo Pebbles nails. I tried to trim Jack's nails at that age because they were so sharp and I was really getting scratched up pretty badly by him. I stopped after the first nail when it started to bleed. It scared the heck out of me. Fortunately I had a little dish of flour to stick his foot in but it did bleed for about 10 minutes. I tried to cut just the little end of the nail off, but I think at that age they are just much to delicate and to small to be trimmed.

Regards,
Louise


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## feathered_love (Jul 22, 2008)

lwerden said:


> Elaina...I know you have much more experience than I with birds. However, please be so very, very careful if you trim CoCo Pebbles nails. I tried to trim Jack's nails at that age because they were so sharp and I was really getting scratched up pretty badly by him. I stopped after the first nail when it started to bleed. It scared the heck out of me. Fortunately I had a little dish of flour to stick his foot in but it did bleed for about 10 minutes. I tried to cut just the little end of the nail off, but I think at that age they are just much to delicate and to small to be trimmed.
> 
> Regards,
> Louise


Yeah I know what you mean. I was looking at her toes today when I was cleaning her feet. The quick is pretty close to the end of the nail so I was thinking of just filing them the first time.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

I must have missed this thread. You may not need to do a DNA test. Get a picture of CP from overhead with the tail spread out. That might answer your question.
Beside, it's been 3 whole days since you posted a picture anyway............so we're all due one.


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Lovebirds said:


> I must have missed this thread. You may not need to do a DNA test. Get a picture of CP from overhead with the tail spread out. That might answer your question.
> .....


Renee, how does this work? Better than dowsing I hope 

fp


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

Charis said:


> I say you will know soon enough and if they take blood it's painful. Have you ever noticed, for example, how your parrots hold their foot up and get kind of puffy when a toe nail has been cut so short it bleeds? Sometimes that lasts for a day or more.
> 
> *I'm thinking that by the Hoildays you will have a pretty good idea of your baby's gender and it can be a holiday gift, of sorts*.


I like that idea. 

Cindy


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## feathered_love (Jul 22, 2008)

Lovebirds said:


> I must have missed this thread. You may not need to do a DNA test. Get a picture of CP from overhead with the tail spread out. That might answer your question.
> Beside, it's been 3 whole days since you posted a picture anyway............so we're all due one.


I couldn't get a pic of her from over head and her tail spread out so I took one of each, don't know if that's what you were asking for. The tail pic is kinda fuzzy, sorry.











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## little bird (Aug 11, 2006)

Okay, Elaina, since you are leaning to the 50/50 approach instead of the 100% DNA to determine the sex.....I would definitely make sure Coco P has plenty of calcium to build her bones as strong as possible while she is growing so if she does indeed turn out to be female....you won't have an egg-bound hen on her first laying episode. In my opinion, egg binding would be a bit more painful than a nano-second of pain from taking a blood sample. If she decides you are her mate....she could very well give you a Christmas present of her first eggs.


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## feathered_love (Jul 22, 2008)

little bird said:


> Okay, Elaina, since you are leaning to the 50/50 approach instead of the 100% DNA to determine the sex.....I would definitely make sure Coco P has plenty of calcium to build her bones as strong as possible while she is growing so if she does indeed turn out to be female....you won't have an egg-bound hen on her first laying episode. In my opinion, egg binding would be a bit more painful than a nano-second of pain from taking a blood sample.


I posted the pics since Renee asked. I'm waiting for the DNA sexing kit to arrive in the mail. Once it arrives I'll make up my mind as to what I want to do about it.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Ummm.....what happened to the clear pictures you've been posting??? LOL
I don't see the tale tale black flecks that you would see on a male. I'm going with "you've got a little girl".........
Someone else may know this..........I don't THINK the black flecks show up later but I could be wrong about that. I think the feathers that you see now are the color they're supposed to be.............and I see no black at all.


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## feathered_love (Jul 22, 2008)

Lovebirds said:


> Ummm.....what happened to the clear pictures you've been posting??? LOL
> I don't see the tale tale black flecks that you would see on a male. I'm going with "you've got a little girl".........
> Someone else may know this..........I don't THINK the black flecks show up later but I could be wrong about that. I think the feathers that you see now are the color they're supposed to be.............and I see no black at all.


yeah sorry about the fuzzy pics,lol. Question, black flecks?


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

feathered_love said:


> yeah sorry about the fuzzy pics,lol. Question, black flecks?


I'm on my way out for a while. If I can, I'll post some pics of my birds later and show you what I mean. It's like little black lines and/or spots on the tail feathers. Far as I know, this is only true on red birds, but I'm not 100% on that..........


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