Telling the age of my bird

[Rookie11]

I have recently purchased a Lesser Sulfer Crested Cockatoo, Roxy, from a flea market. The man I bought her from told me she had just turned a year old that month (in April). Two weeks ago she laid an egg and I asked a local family owned pet store if that was normal and if she was alright. I told them how old Roxy was and they told me that Cockatoos don't normally lay eggs until there at least 6 years old....So my question is, Is there any way to tell the true age of my bird?
Roxy is my first parrot. So im pretty new at this. Any thoughts or comments would be much appriciated.

[KimBear]

It's highly unlikely , if not impossible, that a one-year old LSC would be mature enough to lay an egg. Most cockatoos reach sexual maturity somewhere between 2 and 4 years of age. However, not all single hens are going to lay at all, much less lay just as soon as they're mature.

So you know your bird is at least 2, but is most likely older than that. She wouldn't necessarily have to be as old as 6, though.

There's a chance a vet experienced in surgical sexing may be able to give you a better estimate, but once a parrot is mature, it can be very hard to tell his or her age.

[Monica]

Another option, an avian vet can look at the eyes of a bird and give a rough estimate on age....

[KimBear]

Where did you hear of using the eyes as an indicator of age? What is it that the vet is looking for?

As far as I know, age is not something that can be determined by looking at the eyes. In some cases, gender can, but not always reliably. It's been my understanding that once a parrot is mature it's almost impossible to know its age. The conditions of the skin, beak and feet have been considered as possible indicators, the thought being that older birds would have rougher feet and skin, longer beaks, etc. but since these can be affected by diet, environment and general health, they're not reliable either.

[Monica]

Eyes change as a being grows older... It's a way to determine in humans if they have failing eyes, or if they have diabetes, among some other things... By examining the eyes with a scope (well, can't recall proper name of device, but shines light into eye and uses a microscope to look at them). Judging by the eyes a vet might be able to give a rough estimate on age...

[Rookie11]

Thanks for the advise. Im going to make an appointment to check it out and an over all exam of Roxy. If the guy wasnt honest about her age then its probably a good idea to have the rest of her checked out as well. Thanks again!