Is she healthy?

Hi everyone! I've decided to purchase a cockatiel for myself recently and I've contacted my local breeder. Being a fan of the Lutino cockatiel, I requested for a Lutino. The breeder replied with a picture of the available Lutino and told me that she was 4 month old. I looked at the picture and thought that all 4 month old cockatiels looked like that until I came across this forum with other's cockatiel looking to have more "feather" than her at younger age.

My question is.. is she healthy? And does she appear normal as a 4 month old in the photo? I've just begin my interest in a cockatiel so I have limited knowledge so I really need help with this! Also can you tell the gender of this cockatiel? The breeder said that she might be female but anything at this stage is hard to tell..

Please help! I'm going over to see her tomorrow and making an decision to whether or not bring her home. And is $100 a fair price?

Here is the photo

I agree with everything that Antoinette mentioned. Is that the most current picture that the breeder sent you? Did you see the Lutino and if you did, did you have a chance to interact with him/her? Usually a good breeder will have the paperwork showing the hatch date, health records and gender. I know my cockatiel at four months old didn't have any bald spots on him.

I have had a Lutino and they are beautiful. She had a great personality and she acted more like a human than a bird. I wanted to get another Lutino after my female died but after meeting my little guy Tango, it wasn't the mutation that stole my heart, it was his personality. Remember the old adage.. Never judge a book by it's cover.

It took me almost 2 years to find another tiel after my Lutino died. I have looked many places but I didn't want to settle. I have interacted with many cockatiels before I found the "right" one.

Prices are dependent on the store, breeder and mutation. I have seen price ranges from $75 to $200 USD.

One other thing to consider is that if you do decide to purchase this Lutino, make sure you have an avian vet. Vet checks are very important in making sure your new baby stays healthy.

Well, I can't tell if the bird is unhealthy or has a baldness pattern (inbred lutinos often do) but, at four months of age, it should be fully feathered and this bird is not, I can tell you that much!

She looks plucked to me, is that a possibility?

She definitively looks like she is being plucked by other birds. She should be totally feathered.

Unless she was a rescue, I would not purchase this bird. $100 is not fair price either on a baby who looks like this. Of course, it's hard to tell if she is healthy or not. If she is being plucked, her feathers should grow back. She could also be sick though.

However, I would not buy from a breeder who offers a bird in this condition to an inexperienced person! And ask for $100!!

Yes it looks like plucking, however it may be possible that it could be psittacine (Beak and Feather Disease). If so than it may be a little more serious and more attention may be required. If it is indeed psittacine, than it looks like it may be too late in life of the disease to treat the bird. But then again, it looks like it may just be plucking, by 4 months it should be fully feathered.

At 4 months it should be fully feathered , not looking like that, as for price i dont know what you pay for them over there here in Australia a lutino would cost you #$40 a mutation and white face $80 and a grey $20-$30

IF I had a breeder trying to sell me a baby such as the photo he sent you at $100, I would personally tell him he's out of his mind. Personally I would not deal with that particular breeder period after seeing just one baby, I wouldn't want to see more from that breeder. It is hard to say what happened to the baby, but is it even a baby like he say it is?

Here's a healthy Lutino female of mine!!!



Here's a picture of Nico, a Lutino Whiteface (AKA Albino), she is just two months old in this picture. Notice, she's not naked!

Luke252 said:

Yes it looks like plucking, however it may be possible that it could be psittacine (Beak and Feather Disease). If so than it may be a little more serious and more attention may be required. If it is indeed psittacine, than it looks like it may be too late in life of the disease to treat the bird. But then again, it looks like it may just be plucking, by 4 months it should be fully feathered.

Click to expand...

If it is not feather plucking and is a Beak and Feather Disease I would definitely refrain from getting the bird.

Beak and Feather Disease is a very serious thing, sure you do not want to start out with a seriously sick bird.

Chances are, this chick is being plucked by the parents. I would want to know the parents mutations because if the mother isn't a lutino, that's a 100% guarantee the chick is a female.

I agree, not for $100!




Wonder if the OP ever made a decision?

Yes, I agree with Monica that the most likely scenario is that the parents (and I would venture a further opinion that it's mostly the father) are plucking her which is, of course, easily taken care of and nothing to worry about for the long term. Problem is, it doesn't speak well of the breeder and his husbandry.

i have two cockatiels but i dont know what breed they are.

You mean mutation, cockatiel2?

For the most part, "breeds" don't exist in parrots. Their species is cockatiel, though! (some people mix breed and species up)