how can i be sure if the pair i have is a male and a female ?

[samer_1975]

hello pepole please help me how can i tell the deffirent from the male and the female ?

[Minna]

They're sexually monomorphic -there are methods some people swear by, such as feeling the pelvic bones, but they're not terribly accurate.

In other words: short of a dna test or surgical sexing or fertile eggs, you can't :/

[Luisito]

I highly recommend you have your birds sexed by DNA, it could be done with a few breast feathers or a drop of blood.
There are a few Labs in the US that do that.
I don't recommend surgically sexing at all, unless you want to know if your birds are old enough to breed.

[Minna]

I got one of mine surgically sexed and the other one dna'd, and I absolutely agree -dna sexing all the way. I won't be subjecting her to anaesthetic again unless it's a matter of life and death. :(

[sweetpeaches]

yes, dna for sure, unless one of the lovies lays an egg! then you'll know that one's a girl...for sure....smile.

[birdlady49]

I don't think too many use surgical sexing anymore just to find out what sex their bird is.

My daily horror story: A so-called avian vet opened the wrong side of the bird to perform surgical sexing......

[Nazir's]

Originally Posted by birdlady49

I don't think too many use surgical sexing anymore just to find out what sex their bird is.

Yes, this method is still being performed to determine sex. I witnessed it being done by a vet at a bird show about a month ago. However, I wouldn't do it. I DNA'ed my CAG. The blood sample collection was simple and the results were quick. I had mines done through the Avian Services Center: DNA sexing and disease testing for all species of birds. aka Avian Biotech.
Contrary to that, I witnessed the vet observe a bird that he called a breeder dud. He couldn't determine the sex of the bird because the reproductive organs were shribbled up. Therefore, if I was attempting to breed and was unsuccessful, I would recommend the opposing method.

[Minna]

My first vet viewed DNA sexing as a waste of time and resources. :/ There are definitely people still doing it, though hopefully not too many.

That's horrible DDD:

[CrazyBirdLady]

Surgical sexing is only as good as the vet doing it. also, surgically sexing a 45-50 gram lovebird is difficult, even for an experienced vet. Most birds that are surgically sexed are larger. I have a surgically sexed hen who has now fathered at least 30 chicks.

DNA sexing, whether feather testing or blood is fairly accurate; however you can get a positive male test and actually have a hen.

Many breeders can distinguish sex of eye ring lovebirds by eye shape; however with peachface lovebirds, unless you know the genetics of the parents and the bird(s) is a sex linked mutation or the bird lays an egg; you can't be sure.