Battle of the Sexes

[CKP]

Hello again! Another question from a (not so) patiently waiting future Zon family!

Ok so I have been doing the research, I've gone to a few bird shows, even bought a parrot book. Ive read that the Zon boys go through a little rough puberty stage. From personal experience, do you suggest a girl or a boy? Any gender-specific generalizations to be made or does it really just boil down to the individual bird?

Thanks!
CK

 

[SailBoat]

Have had both and have no preference. OK, the girls can be a little sweeter, maybe.

Only advise I have: Go for the Amazon that chooses YOU!

Amazon LOVE, nothing else is even close!

 

[henpecked]

Meet as.many as you can and pick the one that picks you. I prefer hens but all the babies I've kept turned out to be hend. I do have several male rescues and they're ok too.

 

[JerseyWendy]

IME hens tend to me more laid back. My nearly 4 year old male Magna is currently going through some tantrums (again). Nothing I can't handle, but my hen YN certainly never had those moments, and she's been with me for nearly 17 years. :54:

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

When I got Amy 26 yrs ago,she picked ME! I was walking around a VERY large cage < I call 'em "house" lol> and there must have been 15 or more BF's in it,all squawking and chattering and carrying on.
This one particular 'zon <Amy> just kept following me around and around as I was looking at all the beautiful birds. Others didn't even pay attention to me.
So naturally,I said to the breeder, " I wanna see THAT one "
I sat down in a chair as he took her out of the mansion <she got right up on his hand> and brought her to me,and she immediately extended her foot to get on my hand She was just 16 weeks old,and sooooo beautiful! My friend Frank introduced me a month or so before to his BF Apollo and I just could not believe how pretty a "green parrot" could be.
Amy got down on my lap,looked up at me,and lowered her head,beak resting on my leg,and eyes closed. The breeder then told me "She wants you to scratch her head!" That's all it took lol..she came home with me in a boom box box lol..chattering all the way home.
Her personality is awesome! She is lovey,for a 'zon,she wants to be friends with everyone and everything. She has NEVER screamed,not once. When she gets excited she is LOUD,but its in words. HELLO!! HOW ARE YOU???WHAT'CHA DOING??? I love it!

Now here is the kicker lol. Just a few weeks ago I took her to her doc for a yearly check-up and birdicure. Drew blood to check it out. So as long as they drew blood, I asked the to do a DNA test on her. <always "assumed" she was a she> Oh boy,was I surprised when the test came back showing Amy is really AMOS in disguise LMBO!
A male with the sweetest disposition! Sure "she" has her 'zon moments,nippy at certain times BITEY at times too I won't lie and say she has never drawn blood from me in 26 yrs.

Long story short..it just depends on the individual bird. Like Wendy and the others have said...let the bird choose YOU,you will be rewarded ten-fold with a life time of love,joy,laughter,and sweetness.

Jim

 

[plumsmum2005]

IME hens tend to me more laid back. My nearly 4 year old male Magna is currently going through some tantrums (again). Nothing I can't handle, but my hen YN certainly never had those moments, and she's been with me for nearly 17 years. :54:

Any chance of some pics of Magna please?

 

[JerseyWendy]

Any chance of some pics of Magna please?

But of course...gladly!!!
http://www.parrotforums.com/amazons/60019-woke-up-imposter.html

And here's a compilation of pics on how he's changed since I got him:
http://www.parrotforums.com/amazons/29506-magna-dyh-changing-colors-photo-extensive.html

 

[CKP]

Amy is an Amos HAHAHA that's awesome!

Unfortunately I'm not able to go visit any babies. They're all so far from me! I have a breeder in Florida I've been talking to and will probably put down a deposit and go pickup the baby when he/she is weaned, but it all depends on availability there. They're 6 hours from me so I can't really visit prior to pickup!

There's another couple of breeders 'around' me, within 4-7 hour drive. And I plan to drive to pickup rather than have the baby shipped so that I can interact with the baby before they come home with me to a new environment.

I guess girl or boy isn't too much of a concern, I'd just read that each could have their own sets of 'challenges' hahaha. My wife of course is dead set on a boy, but I guess availability and the individual bird will drive our decision!

And Sam is quite handsome!!

 

[Birdman666]

Yeah. Males can be "hormonally challenged" at time during breeding season... Males establish and protect the nests, so you get a bit more territorial behaviors with them. ANY zon, male or female, can be jealous, especially during breeding season. Again, properly socialized, and trained, either one.

All my zons are females, but I've fostered plenty of males over the years. (Most of them came to me as unsocialized biters... both sexes. So, handling them is the critical issue.)

 

[mh434]

It's true that the males go through hormonal cycles, and some of them can be a real handful of aggression. I know mine is - he's about 12 now, and solidly in the once-every-3-days hormone cycles (he's been this way for the past 2 years - I have no idea how long it lasts).

 

[henpecked]

You say the Florida breeder is 6 hours from you, where are you at? I know of several other good zon breeders who might be a lot closer to you.

 

[CKP]

We live in Atlanta Georgia. We have had trouble finding breeders around here that have BFAs instead of yellows.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!