Where is the NG Zebra?

[pbax]

I've been having a difficult time finding an NG Zebra. It seems like they are just disappearing. There are birds out there which are visual NG, but once bred you find they have a couple splits including pied. Those genes just aren't all that helpful, for example, when trying to find a "clean" NG for use in a BC line. I find myself contemplating "reverse engineering" a NG, trying to find birds I can breed back into a clean NG line. Anyway, I was wanting to know if anyone else was having trouble locating clean NG or if I was just looking in all the wrong places.

[tinysparrow]

Hi and welcome to the forum Whereabouts are you located? Are there a lot of zebra breeders near you that you can trade with?

I remember reading a thread recently discussing mutations, and how people seem to flock (no pun intended ) to rarer mutations, as they are seen as different or more special. I personally usually like the wild types best, but I guess I'm in the minority.

[pbax]

Thanks, Amy. I'm in the St. Louis metro area. I can find plenty of people with Zebs, and plenty with wonderful birds and nice mutations. But the people I've managed to network with so far are honest about the fact that anything they have that looks NG is probably not. Lot's of love for the BBBFBC around here, that's for sure. NG, not so much.

[DanteD716]

Here, everybody is focused on mutations, and who has the best and rarest. To be honest, I have never focused on normals, and never even have had normal chicks. Petsmart if you have one, or other petstores tend to have lots of normal zebras.

[pbax]

DanteD716, thanks for your reply. I've been trying to find others, maybe one other person somewhere , who is interested in NGs that aren't split for a lot of mutations. If I buy a bird from a store, I will never get the chance to know the bird's lineage without a lot of experimental breeding. Without knowing that, it's easy to end up with a cage full of mutations (beautiful though they are) that are not the NG I am trying to find/establish.

[Sally]

I believe pbax is looking for more than just another Zebra. Many breeders of Zebras and Societies have found that the normal type is becoming harder and harder to locate. I have a friend who only breeds self Societies, and it is not easy to find Societies that don't carry the pied gene. It is very discouraging to her to breed several generations of selfs, only to have a pied pop up in the mix--that really puts a kink in your breeding program.

I don't see a problem with those who want to work with mutations, but on a personal level, I have come full circle now, and prefer the wild type finch. I first got into mutations when a Red-faced Star male carried the Yellow-faced gene, unknown to me. I was excited to see that one odd offspring pop up. Today, I would be dismayed to have a mutation pop up in my breeding program, as that is not the direction I want to take.

Pbax, were you able to attend the National Cage Bird Show in St. Louis the weekend before Thanksgiving? There were quite a few Zebra breeders in attendance. In fact, the Zebra section was the largest of the finch division.

[Martie]

Sally, I too share your affinity toward "normals". Breeding mutations is very exciting and interesting, but in many species, we are losing the pure wild types. Recessive mutations are extremely difficult to eradicate - and often don't show up for generations.

OK - I still have yellow Gouldians but concentrate on pb gb's. I hope more people come to appreciate the dedication and contribution to aviculture represented by an excellent line of wild type birds.

[pbax]

Hi, Sally and Martie. Great to hear your thoughts, thank you. Unfortunately, I was not able to attend the Show. I heard there were lots of terrific birds there, and I know plenty of wallets here in St. Louis got a work out that weekend.

I'm finding that I seem to be going against the trend by trying to find NG--or even others who have any interest at all in them. Though there are many beautiful mutations which are difficult to get our hands on, the birds can usually be located. It seems like the unmuddled NG might be turning into the most difficult Zebra of all to locate in breeder cages.

[Sally]

I am very fortunate that the species that I have chosen to work with don't have mutations as yet, but I know that the first time a pied appears in one of them, there will be breeders out there working very hard to increase that mutation, and then I will have to be more selective in any birds I purchase.

My biggest problem is with the three species of Cordon Bleus. Too many people have paired one species with the other, resulting in fertile hybrids. With the males, it may be possible to spot a hybrid (for now, anyway), but the hen hybrids can be almost impossible to tell. It means that if I buy a hen hybrid, thinking I have a pure bird, my breeding program with CBs could be set back for years. Since Blue-capped Cordon Bleus are not being imported right now, it is even more important to keep the BCCB bloodlines pure. I certainly don't want us to only have a generic Cordon Bleu in U.S. aviculture some day.

Pbax, if you are not a member of the National Finch and Softbill Society (nfss.org), you might want to look into it. There are many serious breeders of show Zebras in that organization. Though many of them are working with the mutations, I am sure there are some who would like to see the NG type remain pure.

[cindy]

I have NGs here, some are crested in my flock....most breeders use them to create splits. At the shows most are looking for mutations some do like the normals though, one lady wanted just the plain model!!!!