I'm starting to get curious...

[DanteD716]

It comes off as being defensive. Sorry for being so blunt about it but it's my honest opinion.

[LuxandLolita]

People have opinions... SO what if they are ignoring me. I thank you for at least replying at all.

But i don't understand how i leave for a while and come back and all of a sudden i'm a defensive and annoying person who posts to much about mutations..

Sorry for wanting to learn a bit more. Sorry for getting excited because i see the slightest thing..

I won't post ANYMORE about mutations. Sorry.

[Jeff McKee]

A number of breeders I know use hens with black feathering on their chests, when looking to enhance colours in their flock, in certain colour combinations. Black feathering on the breast, with NG, isn't particularly uncommon. It is considered a show fault.

[LuxandLolita]

Thank you Jeff. That is the kind of answer i was looking for!
I appreciate it greatly.

[Cold R]

A number of breeders I know use hens with black feathering on their chests, when looking to enhance colours in their flock, in certain colour combinations. Black feathering on the breast, with NG, isn't particularly uncommon. It is considered a show fault.

I agree with Jeff !!

[cindy]

Katie, if you are exposing the birds to sun through glass or glass with tinting they may not get the full benefit. Try adding a small lightback with a sun stick bulb in it. It helps a lot. It also shows the birds off nicely. It needs to be close to a top perch.

[LuxandLolita]

They get to go outside when it is warm

But since christmas, i have a bit of money and will invest in a 'sun stick bulb'

Where can i buy one?

[cindy]

Best price for a small fixture and an 18 inch tube is WalMart. Lowes has them but the bulb prices can be higher than WalMart.(I think their package forthebulb says daylight..I believe the package is blue. check the label). They may even have a smaller size. Look for full spectrum.The tube bulb I have is made by Phillips and says Natural Sunshine 15 watts.

[LuxandLolita]

Thank you so much for the help, I'll be heading to the nearest store either tonight or tomorrow. I can never have enough

[henrietta]

My female zebra finch has also just started to get these black feathers in and I was curious about it also. She didn't use to have these. They started appearing maybe a month or two ago and now they are very visible. She's from the pet store so I don't know how old she is, but she's at least 9 months old. Is it possible she's still coloring in her adult feathers?

Does the sudden black coloring necessarily mean she has a deficiency in something?

As for sunlight and nutrition: I put them outside for about an hour or so every day the weather allows. Their cage is right next to a non-tinted window. She is eating a seed mix; she has access to both a store bought one and the one Foosa101 sells. She has a cuttlebone, Lefeber's pellets, dry egg mix and dry herbs.

Thanks so much!

[cindy]

Sounds like a balanced diet!

[EyesofFreedom]

In my humble opinion I believe both instances are simply a random color mutation...

By simply reading both post descriptions one can easily remove lack of a balance and varied diet as well as lack to natural light or more importantly its ultraviolet component...

That being said if you look at birds in the wild they do tend to have slight variations... but when you add in human intervention to the natural selection and breeding process it is much easier and more common to see mutations like this...

I dont think there is anything wrong with either hen and you should take pride in having a rare colored bird... who knows... maybe in 50 years your hens will be seen as the firsts in a new sought after color pattern

[cindy]

You stated that she had the hourglass shape in the tail feathers...I have a BC/BB (4 tail feathers showing the hourglass)...she has a faint breast bar. I also have seen this in other splits to BB, some of my fawn hens have had this. It could possibly be linked to the BB gene I would guess. I think we established she was split to BB a while ago based on her tail feathers.

for future reference these are the show standards for all mutatuions and their combinations...it discussed show faults. For a normal gray hen and male it states "NORMAL (GREY)
COCK: Eyes dark. Head, neck and wings dark grey. Breast bar jet black. Throat and upper breast pale grey with black (Zebra) lines running from cheek to cheek continuing down to breast bar. Underparts white which may have some fawn shading near the vent and thighs. Cheek patches dark orange. Tear
markings black and distinct. Tail, black with white bars, side flankings reddish brown with even clear white spots.
HEN: As for Cock minus breast barring, throat markings, cheek patches, and flank markings. Tear markings black and distinct. Throat and upper breast grey. Underparts off white.
Show faults: Brown shading on wings and mantle and white tips to wing flight feathers. Excessive fawn shading to underparts."

http://www.bestofbreeds.net/nca/factshe ... et_16b.pdf

[wellingtoncdm]

My female zebra finch has also just started to get these black feathers in and I was curious about it also. She didn't use to have these. They started appearing maybe a month or two ago and now they are very visible. She's from the pet store so I don't know how old she is, but she's at least 9 months old. Is it possible she's still coloring in her adult feathers?

Does the sudden black coloring necessarily mean she has a deficiency in something?

As for sunlight and nutrition: I put them outside for about an hour or so every day the weather allows. Their cage is right next to a non-tinted window. She is eating a seed mix; she has access to both a store bought one and the one Foosa101 sells. She has a cuttlebone, Lefeber's pellets, dry egg mix and dry herbs.

Thanks so much!

This hen looks split to black cheek.

[cindy]

and then couple that with her being split to BB.