My new pair.

[Kay2lynnS]

I have welcomed two feathered friends into my home and wish to know their genders. Will you wise owls help me out?
Hard to see in the photo, but the white one has a whitish tint around the cere...

Here they are:

[Budgies Retreat]

I'm only a beginner myself, but I'd hazard a guess that the blue bird is a cock and the other is a hen. Do you know how old they are?
There will be someone more experienced than I to better tell you, after all I may be totally wrong!

And I hope you don't mind me saying, but it may be wise to be rid of that sand perch. They are not good for their feet. Just wooden dowel perches or natural safe branches are best. There are plenty of lists showing the safe varieties of branches to use, I think there is a thread on here somewhere.

[Kay2lynnS]

I sadly don't know their age. But I assume the white one is younger. But that's a unacknowledged guess. They were separated by 'blue' parakeet and 'fancy'. The young lady at the pet store had just brought out the 'fancy' them out for me to see.

and thank-you for the sand perch cover advice. I'm looking into branch or rope type perch currently, the cage came with plastic ones but I don't think that's good for them either.

I'm here to learn and properly care for my new pets- any and all advice is welcome! Thank-you!

[Budgies Retreat]

You're welcome Kay2lynnS.
When I was young we had budgies and canaries, and they had sand sheets on the cage floors, so naturally I went and bought them when we first got Charlie. then I built an indoor aviary and got 4 more birds, George and Mildred, and Tom and Betty. Then I joined this forum and learnt that even sand sheets aren't good for them, especially as my food trays are on the floors. The aviary where we got Charlie from sold us the sand sheets, and didn't even advise against them. They are probably out to make as much money as the next guy, but simple advice concerning the birds welfare should rise above a couple of quid for a pack of sand sheets. I now use newspaper like most on here. I also have a transit cage which has plastic perches, but they will be replaced for wooden dowel perches. I will probably do that later this evening when the wife is watching some other kind of tat on TV!
Re the natural branches, hunt down that list I describe, but apparently apple and willow are best, oak is a definite no-no. Sycamore and birch are also good, but not sure if that includes the predominant silver birch, I'm yet to find that out, as we have an abundance of silver birches around here. Try and pick tress away from the roads as well to minimise pollution etc.
I sometimes sit for hours reading all the informative posts on here. It can be very addictive learning something new. Enjoy!!!

[Kay2lynnS]

I've been circling the forums leaning how to best get them to trust me. haha been singing along to Disney songs all morning and one of them chirps in ever few songs haha i love it. also placing my hand flat in their cage and such a few minuets each hour or so. Seems to be working, they are not so skittish now. Slow process, eh?

I hope to get a second opinion on their gender, just to be sure.

I plan to rid the plastic perch as soon as I receive the wooden one and the sandpaper is already gone.

[ffiscool]

Welcome. You will get great advice on here.

Pets at home if you have one, also sell wood perches and branches of differing lengths/widths

I still have sandpaper, but only because Bailey never goes down there, never has. But if he did I would be changing

There's also the natural bird company who make wooden toys, using leather strips say for swings and stainless steel fixings.

[mizloco]

Welcome to the forum and glad you found us. Loads of fun people on here with great advice. I'm not good at sexing so will leave that to the experts but hi.

[suesbird]

I was recommended the paper that the chip shops use, the white type, I bought it from ebay and a large sheet cuts in half for my cage. No toxins or anything else, just plain paper.

Welcome, I have learnt so much here. I agree it is very addictive, you have to keep looking just to see you don't miss anything

[Kay2lynnS]

Thanks for the warm welcomes all of you! I'm already learning so much.

Can anyone confirm the genders of my pair?

[BudgiesBuddy]

Hi and welcome to forum

Firstly, both your budgies are Sky Blue.

Both look between two to three months old.

[BudgiesBuddy]

Hen.

[BudgiesBuddy]

Looks hen in this picture, but can be a male and a few more pictures would confirm that. Looks like cere changing period.

[Kay2lynnS]

Thank-you for looking, BudgiesBuddy!

Here are a few more to confirm...in person it looks darkish purple...

[BudgiesBuddy]

You're welcome

It's a boy. The cere will gradually become blue.

[ravivadla]

the one with darkish purple definitely boy... the whitish/blue looks like a boy too but the whitish around the cere is typical for a hen

hmm........... I will go with both as boys!!!