Maybe i should make an introduction

[SweetSimmy]

Hellosss
Ive been on this forum for a few weeks but never really introduced myself. Except for one post that was kinda weird and short
I go by Simmy. ima girl. Im 18, i like drawing manga, video games. And learning everything i can about cockatiels :). im back at high school to grab a math credit and going to the agriculture college and becoming an egg farmer. i have two cockatiels who my boyfriend gave to me as he breeds them. He's got 10. hes the names of them (their listed in the same order as their mates
Males:
O'Neill-Lutino
Griffin-Gray
Puffin-Gray
Puffin Jr.- Possible same as my Max
Hoppy- Gray
Females:
Freckles- Pearl
Pheonix- Cinnamon-Lutino
Midget/Petie- Gray
Freckles Jr.- Lutino Pearl
Elly- Gray
My Freya is a lutino. And Max is a light gray color. from what i've heard from some people hes a cinnamon pied. They are about 5 months old.
Im attempting to teach max to sing the Super Mario theme. i know it will take time, and im cool with that :p. interestig story how i found out he was a boy. My Bf andrew accientally steped on his tail when he was a baby. and a feather or 2 came out. and when i got him around 3 months. andrew remembered what had happened and examined his feathers and realized he was a boy. Im hoping my freya is a girl so her and max can make babies. but im confident because she isnt a noisy one like max :). this year at school ill be making a playgym for them in the industrial lab.

So heres my questions:

1. From the pic im gonna post, is Max really a Cinnamon pied?
2. What kind of coloring material could i use on their playgym that won't affect them if they were to chew on it.
3. Besides Tail/wing feathers, singing, feeling reproductive parts, catching them mating, and banging their beaks. Is there any other ways of telling their sex?

4. When im trying to teach max how to talk or sing, will freya being there affect that? will she pick up on singing as well?

Ahh so much i typed. If anyone can help with the questions. that would be great :).

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x36/battlekittenaqua/aww.jpg

[sweetrsue]

There are usually differences in thier markings. A male will have the bright yellow mask with none of the body color in it. The hens will retain a dusting of the body color over their yellow mask. It's sometimes hard to tell with a Cinnamon because thier body color is so much lighter than a gray. Max look like a Cinnamon to me I don't see pied at all. Usually the tailfeathers of a three month old won't tell you anything. They should in fact look like a hens feathers. But Max looks pretty male. Is he doing the male behavours? How old is he now? If your boyfriend breeds them he should be able to tell you all the different ways to determine what sex they are!

[poppabill]

Hello, Max looks like a Cinnamon, the coloring for toys can use a lot of stuff. I use Vita color and mix with Alcohol, it is great stuff in my oppinion, i been using it for a few years on everything i make (wooden toys) and once dry (i let it sit on toys 2 days) they last good. When you mix the color with alcohol it stays good for ever. All the instructions are on there site and if you buy from them just buy the starter kit, iut last a while. You can also use regular food coloring. I am more then sure that others will post about it as well...be happy.

http://www.vitacritter.com/index.htm

[Solace.]

I'm not sure about the questions... BUT I will say welcome to the forums. :)

[SweetSimmy]

Thx for the help everyone ^^
And im happy to say im absoulutely sure Freya is a girl now because i caught her and max mating twice today LOL :o