FINCHforum

This is the male gouldian that I adopted back from my friend. It is the one that I was so worried about because it was in it's molt.
I have his dad and he is a purple breast. I was really surprised at his color. Is he considered an orange or yellow head?





By the way, he is coloring up beautifully. This is his first molt.
I am gonna keep him. He is already doing the happy dance for his
sister. I guess I will have to find her another home.

that looks like a orange yellow head to me, nice.

Hi Donna

That is often called Yellow head. I prefer to use the term Orange because it is, well, orange - certainly in comparison with the true yellow of the Gouldian belly. Genetically they are one and the same; it's just terminology.

On white-breasted Gouldians the Orange tends to be especially bright and radiant.

S

Thank you. I did finally figure that out. One of the many things I have learned here on this forum.
That beautiful little bird died a while back. I had given my sister a pair and she decided she didn't want them. I took them back during their molt and I think the move may have been too much for them. I am hoping one day to find another one like it.
Just another thing I have learned here. Never move a bird during a molt. Thank you again for your reply.

Sorry to hear you lost that beautiful bird.....that photo is just lovely.

This was my pride and joy a while back...but after being attacked by mites he looks terrible now...whether he will moult back into pristine condition...I don't know....shame.

I am currently breeding a BH/PB/NB-B with a OH/WB/YB hen in hopes of getting that colouring in the male offspring. They are/were lovely birds.

Sorry for your loss Donna.

Hi Liz,
From what I understand of the colours you have listed you won't get any OH/WB/NB males.

Being that the hen is yellow all your male offspring will be SF yellow for a start and unless the BH male is split OH & split white chest none of the off spring will have orange heads or white chests.


25% Male >> Red / Black / Orange (Head) - Purple / White (Chest) - SF Yellow / Blue (Body)
25% Male >> Red / Black / Orange (Head) - Purple / White (Chest) - SF Yellow (Body)
25% Female >> Black / Orange (Head) - Purple / White (Chest) - Green / Blue (Body)
25% Female >> Black / Orange (Head) - Purple / White (Chest) - Green (Body)

Sorry - you're right - the male I have is BH-O/PB/NB-B and I expect the male offspring (when paired up with the OH/WB/YB hen) should be dilute green or SFY with PB and OH or RH. That's IF I can get any males at all - I've been getting ~90% females here for the past year.

Thanks for catching that, Reubenvg.

hehe np's I'm enjoying learning about the genetics, it's one of the things I enjoy most about keeping Gouldians. Hope you get what your after