How do you breed a white breast?

ShaneW · Post by **ShaneW** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 2:46 am

Been playing with the genetic forecaster and cant seem to create a white breast without having a white breasted parent.

Is there a way to purposely breed a white breast without a WB parent?

atarasi · Post by **atarasi** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 3:19 am

No sir, unless you happen to have a pair that are purple breasted that are split to white breast. If only one of them is split, then all will be visually purple breast although half of them will be split to white breast. Of course you won't know which ones are split until they are bred.

BirdCrazy · Post by **BirdCrazy** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 10:40 am

I have been told if you breed a white breast to a purple and get white since the purple is split you can get a dirty white breast. I had a male like this that I bought before knowing any better. His first molt he looked fine but his second molt his beautiful white chest was gone and it had a slight purpulish tinge to it. I was told by a good breeder to never mix them and to only breed a white breast to a white breast. Not sure if this happens in all cases but I plan to only breed white to white and purple to purple. I have 6 white breasted ones and 4 purple breasted ones. I prefer the white breasts in the hens. What has everyone elses experience been with this?

franny · Post by **franny** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 12:41 pm

I have read that you should not breed white to white as they are recessive genes and you will possibly get smaller birds, and possibly weaken the breed. In fact the site I read it on actually recommended just split to split. But I also prefer the look of the white breast, and if I was keeping for pets, since I can only have two, I was checking to see if I could breed them, and what I came up with said best not to.

atarasi · Post by **atarasi** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 3:16 pm

BirdCrazy, I've never seen this happen. I've bred purple to white and never had any of the splits look different than just purple. I know some lines are not as bright and vivid than other lines.

Franny, I don't see a problem in breeding a white breast to white breast. The only mutation I won't allow to produce is a blue back to a blue back.
Others might do it, it's just my preference not to.

BirdCrazy · Post by **BirdCrazy** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 3:37 pm

My experience with it was only this one male. One of his parents were purple breasted and one was white. He was a white breasted himself so the one parent must have been split. His first molt was fine and he was very white. The second molt his white came in kind of tainted by a purpulish cast. Definitely not as attractive as bright white. That is my only experience with it myself. I was told by another breeder not to breed white to purple only white to white but wanted to get all of your opinions on it.

Franny, I also breed white to white and have not had any issues with small birds. They have all been just fine. Just goes to show you can never believe everything you are told or read which I usually test out on my own anyway. My Strawberry Finches are a perfect example of this as I have them in a flock and read that you shouldn't but they are just fine and are thriving together.

dfcauley · Post by **dfcauley** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 3:39 pm

I had a purple breast normal hen to breed with a purple breast yellow back and I got a white breast yellow from them.

L in Ontario · Post by **L in Ontario** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 3:40 pm

I have bred white breast to whitebreast and purple breast to white breast with no issues whatsoever. I've also bred yellow back to yellow back with no problems. I plan to breed blue back to blue back as well since the birds are from totally different lines.

franny · Post by **franny** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 3:43 pm

Thanks Atarasi & BirdCrazy, this is great news! If/when I get my pair of gouldians, I've decided my favorite colour is BH/NB/WB, so that's what I was hoping to get, and now that I know it hasn't caused any problems for you, I'd be able to try to breed them. But now I have the dilemma, to get firefinches to share a home with my GBs, or wait until I can get another cage made (I'm looking into it now.) and get the LGs... so many choices!

I think I will have better luck finding WB Gouldians than Firefinches here though.

BirdCrazy · Post by **BirdCrazy** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 6:29 pm

It is nice to share our own experiences so we can learn from them. That is one of my favorite White Breast color too franny. I really like the Red Head White Breast Normal males too. I have two of those right now and love the contrast of the white and red next to each other. They are quite striking. My favorite and best pair that I have are a Red Head White Breast Green Back male with a Black Head White Breast Green Back female. They are a beautiful pair! I don't care as much for the Red Head hens or Purple Breast hens. I like vibrant color.

dfcauley · Post by **dfcauley** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 6:53 pm

The red head in my avatar .... his parents neither one had white breast. He is my favorite gouldian. His name is Spice and he is very tame. He will eat millet from my hand.

DVBourassa · Post by **DVBourassa** » Wed Jan 28, 2009 7:14 pm

http://www.gouldiansgalore.net/genetics.html

I was reading this website that indicates lilac is a possible breast color in addition to purple and white.

ShaneW · Post by **ShaneW** » Thu Jan 29, 2009 4:23 am

Great Link, thanks DVB

That was gonna be my next question. Does anyone have any lilac breasted birds, could they pls post some pics and explain a bit about how they achieved this and what the parents were. Is it some sort of purple/white dilute?