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Post by redbeard on Oct 29, 2011 15:07:48 GMT 10
Hi All, New to the board and seeking some advice. I bought a lovely 'pair'of Turks last year, but i've had them in a mixed aviary now for about 18 months and have seen no sign of any breeding activity. I'm starting to wonder now if I actually have two males. I've attached a photo of them here in the hope somebody can help. Should point out that both of them also have a touch of red on the shouders. Any help greatly appreciated. Attachments:
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Post by avinet on Oct 29, 2011 17:24:28 GMT 10
Both look like males. The female does not get a red patch on the wing and the bird in the image on the right has a red patch while the other bird looks to be much too bright a blue on the head and edge of wing to be a female. If it also has the red patch as you say then it also is a male. Some photos of wild male and female at leesbird.com/2011/04/25/ians-bird-of-the-week-turquoise-parrot/Turks can be a problem to sex as young birds - but once they reach 6 months the first indication of red on the wing has appeared in males and sexing is easy. Did you get them as young birds or as mature birds? Oh, and welcome to the Forum - we will be happy to help as much as we can with any problems you might have and look forward to hearing more about your birds. cheers. Mike |
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Post by choco on Oct 29, 2011 20:22:44 GMT 10
Definitely agree with Mike, you have 2 males.
On Mikes comment about young being hard to sex, I must be lucky, my birds colour up before they come out of the nest. And they are very prolific breeders, had 12 young last year, and got 7 out of the first clutch this year.
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Post by redbeard on Nov 6, 2011 13:27:22 GMT 10
Thanks Choco and Avinet.
Dissapointing news, but what I expected. I did get them as a young 'pair' from a local bird shop here in Perth.
However, just got back from paying a visit to Swan Valley Birds, and they supplied me with a nice looking lutino hen. She does have the tiniest fleck of red on the shoulders, but not the red chest. So I'm hoping I'm on to a good thing here.
Will let the board know if I have any success.
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Post by avinet on Nov 6, 2011 14:59:32 GMT 10
However, just got back from paying a visit to Swan Valley Birds, and they supplied me with a nice looking lutino hen. She does have the tiniest fleck of red on the shoulders, but not the red chest. So I'm hoping I'm on to a good thing here. Any red on the wing is a bad sign - a hen should have no red. A red chest isn't a problem unless you are aiming for pure wild strain birds, which you are obviously not. I assume it is a young bird, and if ANY more red appears on the wing in the next few weeks take it back and tell them you wanted a hen not a cock. Also the hens should have a prominent wing strip so check that out. One red feather that moults out and becomes a yellow feather can happen, but if more appear then you have been sold a cock. It is incorrect to call the yellow mutation in Turks a Lutino mutation. The lutino mutation is a sex-linked mutation while the yellow in Turks is a recessive gene, and it should correctly be called a "Dilute" although most will just call it a Yellow Turk rather than a Dilute Turk - which is OK to do. Just not Lutino Turk - such a mutation doesn't exist. I'm disappointed a shop would sell a Turk as a Lutino - they should have better bird knowledge than that, and if they have sold you a bird with a red wing feather as a hen I would be doubly disappointed. cheers, Mike |
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Post by anzac on Nov 8, 2011 11:12:03 GMT 10
It's amazing how little our bird shops know over here in WA Mike  Hence why I try and go direct to the breeders how seem to know their stuff a little more. |
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Post by Laraine on Nov 14, 2011 8:51:20 GMT 10
What is the secret to your success Choco, I have kept turks for years and have never had an egg. I even bought a breeding pair last year but to date no success. Do you keep them separated in pairs?
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Post by anzac on Nov 14, 2011 10:13:22 GMT 10
Sorry to rub it Laraine, but checked the nesting box on the weekend and Tilly has 3 babies ;D
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Post by avinet on Nov 14, 2011 15:29:17 GMT 10
What is the secret to your success Choco, I have kept turks for years and have never had an egg. I even bought a breeding pair last year but to date no success. Do you keep them separated in pairs? Always try to breed Turks in their own flight, or at least not with other parrots. They will breed quite happily sharing with finches and canaries but are reluctant to breed when kept in with other parrots. Same goes for most parrots. Having said that I am including a photo of an aviary I saw up in Hervey Bay with a lot of pairs of Yellow Turks all living together and apparently breeding quite happily. Quite exceptional and I'm not sure how he achieved it, but for most of us mere mortals it is best to keep them separate. Perhaps significantly although this was the end of the summer there were no babies in the aviary - perhaps it wasn't all that successful after all. Unfortunately it was on a club aviary tour and I didn't have the chance to talk to the owner about the birds. cheers, Mike  |
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Post by choco on Nov 19, 2011 10:22:33 GMT 10
Last year they were in an aviary with a pair of elegants, but they swapped partners so i had to pull out the elegants. About 4 weeks after they were seperated they paired up beautifully. This year they are in they same aviary with another pair of yellow turks. She is now sitting on another 5 fertile eggs. The other pair in the avairy arent doing anything much though. The aviary is about 1500 wide, 1800 high and 3600 long.
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Post by redbeard on Nov 21, 2011 21:38:31 GMT 10
Well, some good news!
This new yellow turk I go is definately a female, as I now have two eggs in the nesting box.
Now, if only I could have the same luck with my pair of elegants.
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Hence why I try and go direct to the breeders how seem to know their stuff a little more.