Sexing Young Crimsons

[Boma]

I'm keen on getting another pair of Crimsons, but want to make sure I get a pair and not two cock birds. I've not seen very young birds before, but in one book I've read it says that young hens just out of the nest have a slightly shorter and wider tail. Is this true? I prefer to get uncoloured birds rather than coloured ones to ensure the birds are young. Other than DNA testing, is there a way to sex uncoloured Crimsons?

[Tiaris]

There is a very slight difference in the shade of brown and the body proportions in the sexes of fledgling Crimsons, however they start to colour up immediately after independence and you can usually tell by the early bits of colour as they appear - any black on the belly area combined with red bits outside the face area indicates a young male. It would be far better to get partly coloured young birds whose sexes are obvious than getting them younger than this & running the risk of 2 cocks. Or obtain them from a trustworthy breeder who you trust to supply young coloured birds. I wouldn't take birds so young that they still have a black bill. By the time they have a red bill they will usually have sufficient bits of colour to clearly indicate their sex.

[Craig52]

I leave my young crimsons in with their parents for quite along time even after the adults have gone back to nest. At around this time young cocks will show some colour in the breast, even one red feather where as hens get a few in the cheek patches. They are rung and recorded and removed at this stage and placed in a holding aviary to socialize with other young crimsons.
I agree with Tiaris, removing young crimsons too early will increase their stress levels and you will most likely lose them. Half coloured is very young so no need to do dna. Craig

[Boma]

Thanks for the good advice Tiaris and Craig. Partly coloured Crimsons are the way to go.