[Millennia]

Petey joined our household about 6 months ago. I think he’s a boy based on what I’ve read. It’s also obvious that he is blue, but he seems really light compared to photos I’ve seen of blue p’letts. Can anyone confirm that Petey is a boy and if he’s considered ‘just’ blue?

 

[Millennia]

Also, is this a decent cage for a parrotlet (or 2)? (Toy poodle is for size reference only.) I’m considering getting him a buddy because he had one before coming here but it (she?) died. He’s not very tame, and I’m not sure of his age, maybe 3 years. I was told he used to be tame. I’ve debated clipping his wings temporarily to tame him but I’m not sure if I want to clip them. He does enjoy his free time around the house but I have to wait until he eventually lands on my head to put him back in his cage. I have to stick my head in the cage to do this. LOL

 

[ozzie3860]

I would say he is not a true blue but off the blue blood line. Looks like a dilute blue or white turquoise depending on how they got there.

Also looks like like a male.

Cage looks like good size. The big question is bar spacing. It needs to be 1/2 inch or smaller.

 

[Millennia]

Also, is this a decent cage for a parrotlet (or 2)? (Toy poodle is for size reference only.) I’m considering getting him a buddy because he had one before coming here but it (she?) died. He’s not very tame, and I’m not sure of his age, maybe 3 years. I was told he used to be tame. I’ve debated clipping his wings temporarily to tame him but I’m not sure if I want to clip them. He does enjoy his free time around the house but I have to wait until he eventually lands on my head to put him back in his cage. I have to stick my head in the cage to do this. LOL

I would say he is not a true blue but off the blue blood line. Looks like a dilute blue or white turquoise depending on how they got there.

Also looks like like a male.

Cage looks like good size. The big question is bar spacing. It needs to be 1/2 inch or smaller.

Bar spacing is 1/2 inch. Thank you for the info. I’m glad I found this forum.

 

[ginziputzi]

Hi there! Welcome to the forum! We are delighted to have you and Petey with us! What a beauty he is. I love his colouring! I honestly don’t know much about true blues and dilutes but others on the forum are quite knowledgeable so hopefully they will chime in.

I love the doggie in the cage for size comparison. When I first saw the photo, I was so confused - LOL! But that is a really nice sized cage for a Parrotlet. It could be good for 2, but the thing about parrotlets is that they are very territorial and there is no guarantee that they will love well together. Quite the contrary, actually. They can be quite vicious and can seriously injure or even kill their companion. Vigilance is key in introducing parrotlets particularity in a cage setting. You would have to be prepared to house them separately if one or the other shows any aggression. Even a divider may not work as they can Vite toes and cause injury. The decision on whether or not to bring another bird in also has breeding implications - you would need to be prepared for the possibility that they would mate if his companion was a female. This is not to say that getting another bird is a bad idea - it isn’t - just be sure you know what the risks are and are prepared to manage them. We are always here to help in whatever way we can!

Looking forward to hearing more about Petey!

 

[Millennia]

Hi there! Welcome to the forum! We are delighted to have you and Petey with us! What a beauty he is. I love his colouring! I honestly don’t know much about true blues and dilutes but others on the forum are quite knowledgeable so hopefully they will chime in.

I love the doggie in the cage for size comparison. When I first saw the photo, I was so confused - LOL! But that is a really nice sized cage for a Parrotlet. It could be good for 2, but the thing about parrotlets is that they are very territorial and there is no guarantee that they will love well together. Quite the contrary, actually. They can be quite vicious and can seriously injure or even kill their companion. Vigilance is key in introducing parrotlets particularity in a cage setting. You would have to be prepared to house them separately if one or the other shows any aggression. Even a divider may not work as they can Vite toes and cause injury. The decision on whether or not to bring another bird in also has breeding implications - you would need to be prepared for the possibility that they would mate if his companion was a female. This is not to say that getting another bird is a bad idea - it isn’t - just be sure you know what the risks are and are prepared to manage them. We are always here to help in whatever way we can!

Looking forward to hearing more about Petey!

Thank you so much for the input. I handraised some cockatiels in the past so breeding wouldn’t be a terrible thing for me if it happened. I also have zebra finches and they are prolific little buggers if you aren’t careful.
I discovered the hard way how territorial Petey can get with the finches. I moved into my new house in May and a friend brought me the birds as a sort of housewarming. I love birds and have had some in the past but I wound up just giving them the sun porch during the summer (free flight). Now that I have the finches in an adequate cage, I notice missing toes. She brought me adults and some juveniles and the juveniles were apparently not quick enough. Petey never chased them but he liked being near them, just not too close, apparently. Lesson learned.

 

[ginziputzi]

Ooh ouch. Those little toes are so easy to bite off with the powerful Parrotlet beak. It always surprised me that these adorable little birds can be so aggressive but it reminds me to respect that they are wild creatures despite being raised in a human environment. It’s actually a real gift that we can do-exist with them, being the enormous predators we are. It warms my heart whenever I think of it.

Good to know you have bird experience already. It will help a lot managing these little fluffballs. They are not the easiest birdies in the world but total love bugs once you understand and work with their feisty natures.

 

[Anya]

Hello and welcome to the forum! I also think you have a male because of the blue indication on the wings. I am no expert, but I think that a white turquoise would have a yellowish color on top of their head, and I do not see that on Petey. They are coming up with so many types of mutations that it is hard to keep up with them all. I would check with a breeder to make sure. Their plumage continues to change until they are a year old, so his colors may become more defined as he gets older.

 

[GrandmaLil]

One of my Pip’s hatch mates was that pale blue color. It’s beautiful. I also had zebra finches. First bought a pair when I was in my RV down IN Florida. By the time I got home two months later I had six. Yikes!

 

[Millennia]

One of my Pip’s hatch mates was that pale blue color. It’s beautiful. I also had zebra finches. First bought a pair when I was in my RV down IN Florida. By the time I got home two months later I had six. Yikes!

They do tend to multiply. LOL I toss eggs pretty regularly. I relocated to the Midwest a year ago and brought one Lavender Finch with me. I’d love to find another one, but they aren’t terribly common it seems. I didn’t expect him to get along with the zebras but he took right to them, and they accepted him. These zebras are much nicer than what I had in the past.