My First Java Babies hatched!

[lovezebs]

Babs

That shouldn't stop you from loving him, honey .

[Babs _Owner]

lovezebs

In a total panic, I started another thread last night. Thank goodness it seems he is a very light fawn or white mutation and this lack of eye pigment at this age is common.
Thank goodness!

I would never be able to house another finch with Midget and Buttercup. I once put a gouldian juvie in his cage, Midget sensed an intruder.....followed the sound of it's begging...located the kiddo and promptly pulled a mouthful of feathers out of the poor guy's face. I quickly pulled the little guy out of there.

Another blind finch would mean a completely new setup. Glad that is not the case here.

[Sheather]

It's impossible yet to determine if he's white or fawn, however, not all whites have red eyes whereas even fawn birds without any white will have lighter than normal eyes (not necessarily pink though). You can have "gray whites" and "fawn whites", as the all white mutation alters feather color but not the eyes, and therefore you can still see what the underlying mutation is.

I'm not sure of the genetics of less common Java mutations but believe the all white gene can overlay on all of them. Then you have pied, which I believe operates on yet another gene altogether and is not the same gene which usually produces a solid white bird (though in theory, a heavy pied bird could be entirely white, it usually retains some speckles on its back.) Pied birds retain the pattern they fledge with for life, whereas a true solid white fledges with a gray patch (usually a saddle marking, and not just speckles) on its back which it molts a few months after and becomes fully white.

Javas have some confusing genes!

[lovezebs]

Sheather

And I thought Gouldians were confusing...

[lovezebs]

Babs

Glad to hear that all appears to be well with this little one .

[Babs _Owner]

Sheather lovezebs

I was just now trying to find a good Java mutation calculator and all the good Java sites seem to have been abandoned, and sadly most of their pictures that would give me clues are missing from the old articles.

All I can find are the colors of carefully bred mutations, and not pictures of possible outcomes with pairs of different splits. Very frustrating.

But I have to admit, it is exciting to wonder how he will color up.

[andiok]

Babs
I answered already on the other post but just wanted to say that there is nothing to worry about.
I mentioned there that the little guy will be pastel fawn(diluted fawn) or opal isabel. basically just creamy brown color and because the melanine reduces a lot in color their eyes will be red-ish and will darken somehow in color.
Im pretty sure that the little thing will be one pretty bird and you'll love it.

[Babs _Owner]

andiok

Yep I am excited!