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Grey DNA test


rationalreasonz

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Is there any way besides paying 300 dollars to find out the sex of my grey? I hear that females are lighter and their eyes are closer and they are smaller, but what can I compare her too? Everyone at my job thinks she is a female but I want to know for sure. I asked around in my area and everyone said its about 300 dollars for the test. Is there a cheaper way? Or can someone who has a male that has been tested send me a picture to compare if in fact those above statements are true. I have also heard something brief about an at home mail away test of some kind but I hear you have to draw blood and that makes me nervous. Thank you in advance for your help!

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I'm sure there is! I know for a fact it didn't cost that much for the breeders or the birds themselves would be much higher than what they already cost. Let me look into it for you and I'll try to be back with some answers for you!

 

Oh and let me add, I do know there is a at home test you can do with clipping a toe nail and getting a little drop of blood from that and than sending that in. But I'll be back!<br><br>Post edited by: Ronda477, at: 2008/02/28 02:21

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A DNA test does not cost $300 and there are mail in tests you can get that only cost around $25 or so, I believe one of them is found at www.avianconnection.com

It usually requires a drop of blood from one of the talons clipped a mite too short or it can be done from a few feathers plucked from the breast.

 

You can also have it done at your vet's office but I imagine it will cost more, but certainly not $300.

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A DNA test does not cost $300 and there are mail in tests you can get that only cost around $25 or so, I believe one of them is found at www.avianconnection.com

It usually requires a drop of blood from one of the talons clipped a mite too short or it can be done from a few feathers plucked from the breast.

 

You can also have it done at your vet's office but I imagine it will cost more, but certainly not $300.

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Thank you for your help. I didn't think it would be $300 but that's what I have been told. The mail in test sounds good but I am scared to make her bleed or pluck feathers and have her be mighty upset with me. I am just afraid I will mess up and hurt her really bad, and no one wants to do that to their baby! Maybe I can find someone who knows how to do it and have them help me with the at home test. But thank you everyone for being so helpful I love this little community!

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Well Judy beat me to it lol She is always on top of things here! Very glad she found that for you! I knew there weren't that expensive! Like I said the prices for Gray's would be out the roof. They're already pricey lol. But for as long as we get to be with them, who cares about price!

 

Yes see if your local pet shop that has birds would know, or if your breeder is near. And of course the vet. I'm sure any one of them could help.

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I use DNA Vet Center and it costs me $19 to DNA test a bird. If I send in 5 or more samples at a time, it is only $17. A lot of breeders use Avian Biotech and their cost is about the same. It just takes a small drop of blood from a toenail like judy said. My vet charges $30 to do the same test. Both places also do the feather testing and it is only a couple of dollars more. :)

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I will e-mail Janice again for you lol. I do know that it takes about a week for the results. She did our test on our baby at the beginning of the week and had it back by the end of that week.

 

Janice is my breeder I am going through right now for our Cockatoo who also breeds Grey's. I'll e-mail her and ask her to come back and answer how far you should go on the nail.

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Well the woman that is known as The Feather Hut is my breeder. She is located in Ohio. She will actually have a baby TAG available in the beginning of April. She does ship too. For a TAG she charges $850 and a CAG she charges $1,000 I believe. Her website is www.thefeatherhut.com But right now she only has a male TAG available.

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Here is an image of the internal working of the nail. Don't start going to short, clip more than just the tip, but don't hack at it. Once you get blood wipe the first little bit off and the squeeze the toe to get a droplet. smire the blood onto the card and then use ether the setic powder they sell for cuts or corstarch or flower works too...I use cornstarch at home. Apply pressure to the nail tip with the powder till the bleeding has stopped. The nail will be sore for a few hours or so, and don't let him sit on ruff surfaces or chew at the nail, this could cause it to start bleeding again.

 

I just did the DNA test on my Elmo the other day and he was fine, he didn't look like he was bothered by it after about 20 minutes.

 

 

nail1.jpg

nail1.jpg

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I have done so many tests that I can now cut off just enough to squeeze out enough to do the test and then the toenail stops bleeding by itself. ;) It's harder to do on the greys because their toenails are black and you can't actually see the "quick". When trimming nails, I use a dremmel. Just one little touch and it takes the points off without cutting them too short. (Sorry, Ronda, I wasn't able to make it back on last night - had a daughter to pick up at cheerleading and then had to watch American Idol!, then babies to feed.....) I want your job Berna! Email me privately, rational, if you would like more info on the baby timneh.

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i recently had my grey dna tested if you got to avaian biotech website you can order some parework and bags it isnt much im in uk and i paid i think it was £14 but its worldwide,you have to get 3/4 freshly plucked feathers wich my grey didnt like but she soon got over it after been given a treat,it turned out she was female which was wat i expected

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This a great link on DNA testing with the information everyone has provided. Thanks to you all for posting the good links and advice.

 

Also, welcome featherhut, we have heard a lot about you through Ronda and even have a photo or two or you with Sweetheart before she got to her final home at Rondas. :-)

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Featherhut - I love my job! I work at a local pet store part time Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon (I work a Mon-Fri job too) and even though I have to clean up poop and change about a MILLION water bowls a day It's so much fun when I get a few minutes and can work one-on-one with a "difficult" bird and really get them to become sweethearts with me. It's a really cool store, we have a huge bird department and have everything from Caninde, Buffons, and Hyacinth macaws down to Canaries and exotic finches. The website is www.petkingdom.org. There are live cameras where you can watch the departments online and another section where you can see the animals that have gone home.

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