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Article #5: The Available Methods For Parrot Gender Determination

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Usually, a bird's gender is unknown to bird's sexual organs can be seen and,
other species of beings; it is a well along with the gender, the veterinarian
kept secret for the bird itself and its can determine the sexual maturity, any
kind. When nature created the birds, it abnormalities and the possibility of
never took into consideration the human reproduction.
specie and the knowledge that this last Even though this method is very accurate
one needs. and quick, it may put the bird under a
In some birds, the gender can be lot of stress. Unlike the DNA sexing
identified by the individual's colors, method, this one provides immediate
wither completely, or, in some cases, results for the owner, in case this one
only when they reach maturity. The is interested in breeding the bird. The
eclectus male for instance is green, procedure is quite safe, but, on some
while the female is red. At maturity, the occasions, it may generate some post -
nasal area (cere) of a parakeet male is operative or anesthesia complications.
blue and the female's one is brow. The primary concern was the injected
However, there are still many species of anesthesia because it induced a long
birds that don't have different colors period of sleep and vomiting. Researchers
depending on the gender. have discovered new anesthetics for the
The importance of knowing a pet's gender birds, gases that eliminate the side
is represented by their owners' desire to effects caused by the injected ones.
give them proper names or to know what Those new anesthetics are considered by
pronouns to use when they are addressing the experts to have negligible risks and
or referring to the animals. It also the bird will wake up in a matter of
matters for the breeding of the animals minutes after the gas mask is removed.
because some people know not to expect In the past, veterinarians used to tattoo
babies from a pair of birds of the same birds after their genders were determined
sex. through surgery. Males were tattooed
Many methods were discovered so far to under the right wing and females under
determine the birds' gender, some of them the left one. More recently, microchips
scientific and some of them, most of or leg bands were used for marking them.
them, non - scientific, discovered by The Blood Feather Analysis (BFA) method:
common people in their own houses. We This method requires a blood chromosome
will show and overview of the scientific test. This test is performed on cultured
methods of discovering the birds' sex: tissue from the bird's blood feathers. If
DNA Sexing, Surgical Sexing, Blood the bird has no blood feathers, some will
Feather Testing and Fecal Analysis. be pulled out and in their place new ones
Every method of testing has both negative will grow in two or three weeks. Those
and positive sides and the best one is feathers are put in a special container
the one that fits the owner's needs and with cold packs and sent via priority
the situation. mail to the laboratory where their tissue
The DNA Sexing method: is grown and researched under a
In this procedure, a drop of the bird's microscope. The results will appear in
blood is required for a DNA testing. The around two weeks.
DNA will show an image that will provide As in the case of DNA sexing of the
reliable information about the bird's birds, this method is accurate and safe;
gender. This method is very accurate but and it works on any bird regardless the
it takes up to four weeks to be age but the results are not prompt. As
processed. negative sides of this testing method are
The blood is collected from a vein or a the higher costs for priority mail and
toenail by the owner and placed in a the impossibility of checking the sexual
prepared collection of vial. This way it organs of the birds in the cases of
can be sent to a lab even by using breeders.
regular mail. This method is very easy to The Fecal Method of gender determination:
be performed and it is not stressful. This method is not as accurate as the
A bird's DNA is unique and cannot be others and it depends on more than one
modified. So, as in human DNA, a bird's factor. It consists in collecting fresh
one is the same since the moment of birth fecal samples from the bird in special
until death. Those tests performed on conditions and mailing them to the lab.
birds DNA can also be stored by the labs The specialists will determine the gender
that own a data bank and can be later by the hormones (estrogen and
used for identification or matching. testosterone) level from the fecal
This method is thus, very easy to be sample. This method can only be applied
done, it is not expensive and if the on mature birds and it depends on the
period of waiting for the results is not health of the birds and on the conditions
a problem, it may be the best choice. of the sample's collection.
This DNA test will show a bird's gender The fecal method is not expensive, is
and not its capability of reproducing. safe and should bring the results in one
The surgical sexing method: week.
The second method of discovering a bird's Every person will choose the sexing
gender is the surgical sexing. This can method for his or her bird as it best
be done only by a veterinarian, through fits his or her needs. Probably, the
endoscopic surgery. The bird is put under breeders will choose the surgical method
anesthesia and through a small cut in the because of it's advantages, while those
bird's skin, the veterinarian inserts a who own a pet bird will choose DNA or BFA
small metal tube with a light attached methods.
on, called the endoscope. This way, the






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