Budgie Breeders in Cambridgeshire

[lyds]

Hello.
Does anyone know if there are any bird breeders in Cambridgeshire? I've looked on the budgerigar society website but I can't seem to find any in my locality.
I have one budgie already, named Dexter, and I'm looking to get him a friend

[lyds]

www.flickr.com/photos/101630862@N07/16219829631/in/photostream/
Say hello to Dexter

[starlingqueen]

Your link worked. Dexter is a lovely bird although I think he may be a she. Have you got any clearer pictures of the cere? (bit above the beak where the nostrils are)

[lyds]

Great. Yeah I can see why you might think he is female. He does have a blue cere, but his cere changed and wasn't looking too healthy,, hence the noticable change in colour. I understand this is called hyperkeratosis

I've got another pic for you to see before his cere started becoming crusty:
www.flickr.com/photos/101630862@N07/16034624778/in/photostream/
www.flickr.com/photos/101630862@N07/16196265346/

[budgiefriend]

Hello, Dexter! Such a handsome fellow.

[starlingqueen]

Jan 7, 2015 13:19:03 GMT lyds said:

Great. Yeah I can see why you might think he is female. He does have a blue cere, but his cere changed and wasn't looking too healthy,, hence the noticable change in colour. I understand this is called hyperkeratosis

I've got another pic for you to see before his cere started becoming crusty:
www.flickr.com/photos/101630862@N07/16034624778/in/photostream/
www.flickr.com/photos/101630862@N07/16196265346/

I still think it's a hen. Hens can have blue ceres. The crusting happens when they are in breeding condition.

Here's one of my hens with a blue cere. I think it happens more with the blue mutations.

[starlingqueen]

A good clear close up in natural light without flash would help.

[lyds]

Oh. I think you might be right. Dexter may in fact be a hen!
I've been doing some research online and looked at more pictures of Dexter when he was younger, where he had a pale blue cere. He's never had a bright blue cere. I didn't realise the cere crusting was an indication of a hen being in breeding condition. Does this mean Dexters cere will always be that browny colour?

Being a hen and not a male budgie explains a lot about Dexter's behaviour.
Before Dexter, I had a lovely green and yellow male budgie, called Jack. And I assumed Jack and Dexter had very different personalities; it hadn't crossed my mind that the differences in behaviour may be because Dexter is actually female. Dexter sings less, but when she does chirp its more like a squark, she nibbles absolutely everything, is moody.

That's going to take me a bit to get my head round! Dexter is female and not male

Your blue hen is absolutely gorgeous. I was looking at one similar to yours in a pet shop yesterday!

[lyds]

I will get a picture of Dexter tomorrow when the light is better, and see what you think. Thanks Starlingqueen

[starlingqueen]

My hen in the picture is a rescue that was also thought to be male and was called Jay jay, I call her Opal. She's a cantankerous little moo and gives the boys a hard time. Typical hen behaviour, as you say is moody, chews things, I can't count the branches my 3 have chewed through in the aviary, and they aren't as vocal as the cocks.

Dexters cere will vary in crustiness depending on her breeding cycle. 2 of my hens are too old to breed and no longer develop the crusty cere, one being Opal, they have reverted back to a normal smooth cere.

[Shirls]

I had to smile lyds when I saw Dexters pic with the crusty cere. Definitely a hen!! They are moody little madams and do chew everything and are not quite as vocal as the cock birds. Nevertheless, Dexy/Dixy (will you change her name) is a very lovely budgie. Welcome to the forum both of you.

[lyds]

Haha, thank you Shirls. Well at least now I know she's female.Yes she definitely needs a new feminine name now!

I was worried she was lonely, and I am thinking of getting her a mate. Unless she's not lonely, and she's just female?? haha.

Unfortunately when she was young, she had been bought from a pet shop, and left lonely in the house while the owner was at work all day, and without any training or much hand taming. 4 months later I felt sorry for her and had to take her on and look after her. I wasn't expecting hand taming and training to be easy, but I am not getting very far with her. I've had her 16 months now. I wondered if having a friend would make her happier, and then as I train the new younger budgie, then Dexter would learn too.

What do you mean Starlingqueen when you said 'breeding cycle'; is this a yearly thing? Should the crusty cere clear at all during the year, or will it stay that way until she is a much older budgie? I'm glad to hear Opal is keeping the boys in check! hehe

[starlingqueen]

Hens have a 7 week cycle. They come into breeding condition every 7 weeks, this I believe is when they are receptive to mating. They have crustier ceres during this period. I'm not sure if all revert back to normal when they are past breeding age, I just noticed Opal has only ever had a normal cere whereas Citrine has been in condition a few times and laid some infertile eggs but hasn't been in condition since and her cere is now almost normal. My younger hen seems to go through cycles of crusty and less crusty.

[Hezz]

I have to here stick up for the hens of the budgie world! They can be more assertive than the boys but they do have a definite charm of their own. They certainly know how to get the boys to back off, leave them the best perch, food and anything else they may think they want. They may be not so easy going as the cocks but are just as full of character, in fact I think more so! You certainly need to earn the respect of a budgie hen.

As for the crustiness of a hen's cere, this really does depend on the individual hen. I have a hen who is never without her crusty cere while another goes from nut-brown back to beige quite regularly without too much crustiness at all.

[starlingqueen]

Jan 8, 2015 0:44:14 GMT Hezz said:

I have to here stick up for the hens of the budgie world! They can be more assertive than the boys but they do have a definite charm of their own. They certainly know how to get the boys to back off, leave them the best perch, food and anything else they may think they want. They may be not so easy going as the cocks but are just as full of character, in fact I think more so! You certainly need to earn the respect of a budgie hen.

As for the crustiness of a hen's cere, this really does depend on the individual hen. I have a hen who is never without her crusty cere while another goes from nut-brown back to beige quite regularly without too much crustiness at all.

Oh there's no doubt about it Hezz budgie hens burned their bras long before we were even wearing them. And there's no need for a man to offer them their seat, they've already knocked him off and taken it. They have character by the bucket load.