Tri-coloured Nuns

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garymc
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Joined: 17 Feb 2010, 21:26
Location: Western Australia

After getting excited, not out of control though, I ending up taking home 3prs or six might be a better description, tri-coloured nuns.

With a preference for keeping my birds as single pairs in mixed collections I now have to sex them. Has anyone out there got any clever/unique ideas on how I might go about it?
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Lukec
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Joined: 26 May 2009, 15:55
Location: Sutherland Shire Sydney NSW
Location: Sutherland Shire Sydney NSW

DNA...
Living In a Unit is Worse Than Being Attached to a Ball and Chain.
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E Orix
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Joined: 29 May 2009, 23:30
Location: Howlong on NSW/Vic Border 30km from Albury
Location: Howlong NSW

Gary
I have always run my Tri Nuns in a colony and also found they seem to be more productive in their second year and on.
They seem to set each other off,one male will start crowing(silently) and other males will seem to join in and nest building by a number will occur.
As for sexing,DNA I suppose but I just watch them in the bird room to confirm the males as they start to display.I also feel that the males beak is larger similar to a Java Sparrow.
The other point is that they do better when they have access to long grass etc.When there is grass or Bamboo in the aviary they seem to have nice clean legs and no long toenail problems like those with limited plant growth etc.
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Jayburd
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the male's song is a loud whee, whee whe whee whee whoooooooo, whaaa wha wha wha wha! (sorry, best discription I could come up with)
also, strangely, the hen's i've had seem to crouch n the perch while cocks seem to sit vertically. maybe it's just mine.
Julian

Birdwatcher and finch-keeper.

Feel free to check out my photos here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/lewinsrail/
And my birding antics here: http://worthtwointhebushbirding.blogspot.com.au/
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Matt
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Location: Hawkesbury, NSW
Location: Hawkesbury, NSW

Tri-nuns are one of my favourites. I have my nuns as single pairs and can sex them reasonably consistently. Put your six all together in a small cage with a different coloured leg ring on each. Look for the one with the biggest head/beak and you could be pretty certain that it's a cock, then pick the one with the smallest head and it will probably be a hen. There is a bit of an overlap on some individuals, but I would say around 80% would be able to be sexed on head/beak size alone. Of course the crowing of the cock bird is a give away but just because one doesn't crow doesn't make it a hen. I have noticed on mine that the white on the hens is slightly dirtier where as the cocks is more of a pure white (similar to double bars) but I haven't got a large enough collection to prove this with any consistency.
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finchbreeder
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Location: Midwest of West. Aust. Coast
Location: Midwest of West.Aust.Coast

Only ever had a Trio which was supposed to consist of a mature pair and a young hen. Got a few eggs but no chicks, so can;t help. Good luck with them they are beautiful birds which I hope to have again one day, but think I would go for a small flock like you have and let them choose their own mates. The coloured rings so you can see who goes with who is a good idea.
LML
LML
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Tiaris
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Can sex coloured Tri Nuns reliably by the colour on top of the tail/rump very similar to mature yellowrumps. Hens has more straw-coloured paler feathers along the ridge of the tail whereas cock has darker more red/brown along the top of the tail. Just sexed a couple of pairs this way again a few weeks ago & both pairs are now at nest, so it works.
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Jayburd
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:thumbup: awesome tiaris!!
Julian

Birdwatcher and finch-keeper.

Feel free to check out my photos here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/lewinsrail/
And my birding antics here: http://worthtwointhebushbirding.blogspot.com.au/
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VR1Ton
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Joined: 18 Apr 2010, 18:07
Location: Far Nth Coast NSW
Location: Far Nth Coast NSW

Thanks for joggin the memory Tiaris, I'd forgotten about that with the Yellowrumps, it has been a while since I've had them. I can check out my 'pair', they look like a pair in size colour ect, but have done SFA so far, so I'll have a look if the rain ever stops.
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