Expert: Chrys Meatyard - 7/20/2006

Question
I have a small flock of keets (5) in an ample sized cage with two breeding boxes. I think I have One white male over six months (or atleast what I think is a male: translucent pinkish bluish cere) and one recently purchased young green that looks like a regular green but instead of the barrings being black, they're more of a cinnamon color. I was told it were a male by the petstore. and three females (or atleast I believe them to be) all over six months one albino and one lutino (both red eyed) and a normal green who seems to be quite vocal but is showing a very brown/beige cere. they tend to get in little fights here and there so I was thinking about getting another male. an adult one since the normal green seems to be in breeding condition with the crusty brown cere. the white male and the lutino female are spending a lot of time together grooming and feeding each other so it looks like they're pairing up. should I get another male for the remaining albino female or will she be alright not having a mate for a while until the little cinnamon winged green one gets older? I also need further directions on how to encourage them to breed. is it okay for them to breed in the flock or shoeld I have them separated?  

Answer
Hi, Greg.  Thanks for posting.

Before you do anything else, you need to determine without a doubt the sexes of the birds you have.  In general, males have blue ceres and females have brown/beige/tan/white.  Sexing gets more difficult when you get into the color mutations like the ones you describe above.  Sexing whites, albinos, and lutinos can be quite difficult, even to a trained eye.  For example, the white male you describe with a pinkish/bluish cere, this could be a male or female.  Sometimes, the only way you can determine the sex is if the bird lays an egg and/or by closely watching the bird's behavior and taking all things into consideration and taking a big guess!  The 100% accurate method is to have them DNA sexed ($20 for each test).  A crusty brown cere is definitely a female.  Sounds like the white and the lutino might be a bonded pair, but they can sometimes fool you (even same sexes will preen each other, but the feeding is usually a good sign of a bonded pair)!  Whether you get another male is up to you.  However, I do not recommend colony breeding keets.  I've bred/raised keets for over 17 years and I've never been successful colony breeding.  The birds lay eggs and everything, but some females like to raid the nests of other females breaking eggs/killing babies, and sometimes even killing each other.  Female keets can be very ruthless!  I'd keep bonded pairs in separate cages if I were you.

When you want them to breed, usually all you have to do is put up a nestbox.  Keets are very prolific.  It helps to increase the amount of light they have available to 14-16 hours per day (simulates the longer daylight hours during breeding season).  However, a pair of birds has to be pair-bonded before they will even think about breeding.  

Come back if you have questions.

Chrys