Innie or Outie????

[Flapjack]

OK, so my Flapjack cannot decide if he should be a boy or a girl. He will be 4 mos old on the 12th, and has been showing signs of both. When I mentioned some of his behaviors at around 9 or 10 wks, some of you thought he may be hen. Lately he's been doing this little "mating" dance to my hand. Jack rubs on top of my hand, crawls under it, then spreads his wings and turns circles while prancing, and wants me to play with his wings or pet his back. My brother-in-law has a DNA'd male who does the wing dance to another bird (sex unknown). Is it only males that do this, or do females as well? I really hope Jack is a male, because I'm scared of the whole egg-binding and nesty thing. I am also curious... it seems from things I've read that jack is a bit young for mating behaviors. Could it be something else?

[Elle]

OK, so my Flapjack cannot decide if he should be a boy or a girl. He will be 4 mos old on the 12th, and has been showing signs of both. When I mentioned some of his behaviors at around 9 or 10 wks, some of you thought he may be hen. Lately he's been doing this little "mating" dance to my hand. Jack rubs on top of my hand, crawls under it, then spreads his wings and turns circles while prancing, and wants me to play with his wings or pet his back. My brother-in-law has a DNA'd male who does the wing dance to another bird (sex unknown). Is it only males that do this, or do females as well? I really hope Jack is a male, because I'm scared of the whole egg-binding and nesty thing. I am also curious... it seems from things I've read that jack is a bit young for mating behaviors. Could it be something else?

Females are usually the ones who will spread their wings and let you touch their back or the base of their tales. Males rub themselves against the female (or favorite person or toy). However, with lovebirds, what makes it impossible to guess by behavior is that both male and female will adopt behavior from the oposite sex. For example, my lovie Phoebe likes to rub herself against her cuddle buddy and everyone else's cuddle buddy. She still laid 6 eggs for her first clutch.

Personally, at 4 months, I think it's way too early to show sexual behavior. My thoughts on that is youngsters will display these behavior simply to "practice". It's instinctual and it might have seen Mommy or Daddy do it :)

Best regards,

[Janie]

Nothing to add to Elle's reply but...."Ditto!" :)

[Emery]

Yep, I think it's 4 months is to young to tell. But my DNA'd male never did the "airplane" when he was young. He's never done it at all actually.

[Elle]

Yep, I think it's 4 months is to young to tell. But my DNA'd male never did the "airplane" when he was young. He's never done it at all actually.

My female Phoebe doesn't do the airplane either. Talk about a way to keep confusing us! :rotfl:

[Flapjack]

I thought that 4 mos was way too early as well. I've had him since 2 wks old, and handfed him myself. I know he's never seen his Mommy do it- my mating habits are much more private!!:rofl:

[Elle]

I thought that 4 mos was way too early as well. I've had him since 2 wks old, and handfed him myself. I know he's never seen his Mommy do it- my mating habits are much more private!!:rofl:

Just keep in mind that mating and the mating ritual is an instinc passed down for many generations. Even though your lovie may not have seen it, it's instinctive the same way preening, bathing, contact calling and shedding is. Even if it' didn't see it's parents behave that way, your lovie was "born" with the knowledge.