I meet with a breeder yesterday who has babies that should be ready for homes in about 3 or 4 weeks. They were all adorable and have been DNA sexed. There are two normal gray males, one pearl male and about eight lutino and lutino pearl females.

I love the lutinos but I'm not sure if I should go for a girl or take one of the gray males. I had been hoping for something a bit different looking from the normal grays, but in the end color wouldn't be a deal breaker. It doesn't really matter to me if the bird talks but I would enjoy one that would mimic some whistles.

My main concerns are in finding a healthy bird with a sweet temperament. Is there a major difference between males and females as far as cuddliness? Also I don't plan on breeding the bird. Would I run into more health problems with a female? I've heard that even females kept singlely will lay eggs and you can run into life threatening issues if they encounter problems laying. Are males generally healthier than hens?

Thanks for your help.