Anyone have a quaker parrot or know..?

Question

If you have a female would she lay eggs or do you need the male? I know they won't be fertile but could she still lay eggs? I want to know if my parrot is male or female but don't want to pay a vet to tell me.

Answer 1

I have a male Quaker.

But I did attend a seminar with the Gabriel Foundation,

and learned female birds will lay eggs even without a male to fertilize them.

If your in indy the birdfever store does dna test cheaper than vets.

Answer 2

Females can lay eggs without a male around, but some females without the proper stimulation to breed (male, nesting area etc) can go their whole life without laying an egg.

You can get test kits that allow you to take your own DNA sample (a drop of blood or a feather and post it away to the lab) a LOT cheaper than a vet. I'm in Australia so don't know how the cost compares but I pay $17 to have a DNA test done which includes results emailed within a few days and a sexing certificate posted back to me)

Your bird should have a regular (at least yearly) checkup with an Avian vet anyway so you could have a DNA test done then, or the vet can feel the pelvic bones to give you an idea. This *may* not be 100% accurate but unless you are wanting to use your bird for breeding it's certainly an educated guess and likely to be right.