Two Blues and Two Greens!

[ac12]

As Debbie said, you now have a breeding problem.
Are the GB chicks GB or GB/BB?
Unfortunately, you won't know till you breed them with a BB and see if you get a blue chick.

This is why I do not like to do a a GB/BB to GB/BB mating.
I won't know if the GB chicks are GB or GB/BB, and for me that is important, to plan my breeding. Because of limited breeding and community space, I can't afford to do unknown pairings.

In your case it was a nice surprise.
Now record in your records that both parents are GB/BB.

[slwatson]

Jen

The babies are adorable! Congrats

[slwatson]

I feel like taking pics of all my adult gouldians and having you all help me identify what they are, and their possible offspring! I'm terrible with the genetics thing!

[ac12]

SL
There is a gouldian genetic forcaster that you can get to on the web
http://www.gouldianfinches.eu/en/genetics-forecast/
or install on your PC.
https://ladygouldian.com/content/gouldi ... -forcaster

I've used both and they are terrific for someone like me who does not understand genetics very well. After using the forecasters a LOT, some it has finally sunk in

The sneaky stuff is the splits. Until you mate them, you have no idea if they are split for another color or not. I've been surprised a few times by the birds that I have bought, when a chick of a color that I had not expected feathers up. Then I have to update all my records, to indicate the split, for the parents, and ALL the chicks of the related color. A GB chick could be GB or GB/BB. And this may change my breeding plans.

Some colors are tricky to figure out:
- I have hens where their colors are so full and rich, that they look like males. And the trouble is Purple Breast vs. Lilac Breast?
- Yellow Tip Beak. A BlackHead that is geneticly Yellow but missing something that makes the orange feathers. I've been thrown by these several times.

I've used the forecasters in both directions.
1 - To forecast what chick colors could result from a particular pair.
2 - To determine what parent colors I would need to get a particular chick color. This one is more difficult as I have to put in parents like #1, but MANY different parents in different combinations, to see which combinations give me a chick of the color that I want.

gud luk

[Jen]

ac12
I just want them to hatch, fledge, molt and just live! Maybe over time I will get the genetics thing. Right now I think I have the nutrition down and my birds are on a good diet. This year I have been very successful with several clutches that have hatched, fledged and still looking good through their first molt.

I take "baby steps". I'm just that "crazy ole' bird lady" that the neighbors talk about and come over to see all those "rainbow colored birds"! I really appreciate all the info that you post about these beauties. I have learned so much in just the last couple of weeks. Thank you!

[tt101]

ac12
I just want them to hatch, fledge, molt and just live! Maybe over time I will get the genetics thing. Right now I think I have the nutrition down and my birds are on a good diet. This year I have been very successful with several clutches that have hatched, fledged and still looking good through their first molt.

I take "baby steps". I'm just that "crazy ole' bird lady" that the neighbors talk about and come over to see all those "rainbow colored birds"! I really appreciate all the info that you post about these beauties. I have learned so much in just the last couple of weeks. Thank you!

Just curious, how long do your gouldians take to moult into adult plumage? Also is bird lady better than cat lady? I think so!

[ac12]

Jen
That is a good approach. Just enjoy yourself.
It takes a lot of stress off of breeding when you don't have to plan.

tt101
Anywhere from 6 months to a year after fledging. I've not been able to figure out why some take so much longer than their siblings, in the same cage eating the same food.

[tt101]

Jen
That is a good approach. Just enjoy yourself.
It takes a lot of stress off of breeding when you don't have to plan.

tt101
Anywhere from 6 months to a year after fledging. I've not been able to figure out why some take so much longer than their siblings, in the same cage eating the same food.

I agree, I also see anywhere from 4 months to a year coming from people who were successful (Unlike myself..... ). I wonder if this varies by parents also, like some may produce chicks that color up faster?. I wish they came out with adult color, but then again, this is like getting 2 gifts!

But I am back new and improved and ready to go with breeding! Also a lot of this time as well!

[slwatson]

act12

Thanks for the post with the info....I've tried the forecaster, but sometimes when I don't know the complete history of the parents, it makes it so hard!

[slwatson]

Like there's black headed/yellow headed or black headed/gen. yellow headed or yellow/headed black/headed (YTB) or yellow/headed (YTB)...it's like learning a second language for me.

[debbie276]

Black Head will always have a red tipped beak.
If a Black Head has a yellow tipped beak it is genetically a Yellow Head but can not express it because there is no red gene. Written BH YTB

If your using a forecaster you would input YH and BH do not put in split to YH

[ac12]

act12

Thanks for the post with the info....I've tried the forecaster, but sometimes when I don't know the complete history of the parents, it makes it so hard!

True.
That is the situation when I buy a new bird. Most of the time, the sellers can't tell me the parents, so I am left with just what the bird looks like. The splits only show up when I mate them, and the chick turns out to have a color that I did not expect. SURPRISE Then I have to try to figure out the split that the parent has, and update all my records.

It is only when I have control over the breeding for a couple generations, that I feel comfortable with the forecast. At that point, I figure I know the genetics of the birds that I am mating.

[Jen]

ac12 tt101
I see most of my juveniles colored up by 6 months. I have a couple of clutches from Oct that are almost fully colored except for head coloring that is still "spotty" but coming in pretty quickly.

The only one I have lagging is "Rain" that was a first and only baby of a pair of OH/PB/YB and their very first clutch. He is still not colored out and not a strong flyer like everyone else. He fledged in September. I think the more mature the parents, the better all around for stronger, healthier clutches. Just because a pair has all their beautiful colors doesn't make them ready to breed. I guess that's way everyone says to wait at LEAST until they are a year old. Pretty colors on the outside....but still developing on the inside! I believe this to be very true.

[tt101]

ac12 tt101
I see most of my juveniles colored up by 6 months. I have a couple of clutches from Oct that are almost fully colored except for head coloring that is still "spotty" but coming in pretty quickly.

The only one I have lagging is "Rain" that was a first and only baby of a pair of OH/PB/YB and their very first clutch. He is still not colored out and not a strong flyer like everyone else. He fledged in September. I think the more mature the parents, the better all around for stronger, healthier clutches. Just because a pair has all their beautiful colors doesn't make them ready to breed. I guess that's way everyone says to wait at LEAST until they are a year old. Pretty colors on the outside....but still developing on the inside! I believe this to be very true.

That seems like a good rate actually. It is sometimes much much slower than that. Some people's chicks take over a year. I wonder how those people have the patience to wait that long!