FINCHforum

My charcoal male (Dante) and my fawn-something female (Namida) have paired up and have just started sitting on eggs. Is there a way of knowing what the offspring may look like?
Here is a photo of the pair: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v691/ ... pair-1.jpg

Heh, I don’t know much about zebra mutations and genetics… So I don’t know if this information is even necessary but here it is in case:
Namida’s parents are both normal colour, her sister is a fawn (and doesn’t have the white on her wings like Namida does) and her other sister is pied, two of her brothers are normal and her other brother is pied.
I don’t know anything about Dante’s relatives (although when I bought him he was with several other charcoals from the same breeder).

Here is a handy little genetic calculator for Zebras. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... Id=6865800

Unfortunately, the Charcoal is one of the mutations not offered as there isn't yet enough information on them.

You should keep detailed records on this pairing then perhaps you can provide the needed data on this rare mutation.

Charcoal appears to be autosomal recessive.

Pied is autosomal recessive.

Fawn is sex-linked recessive.

Your charcoal cocks appear to be grey charcoal cocks, so unless they are "split" for fawn and "split" for pied, your babies will appear as follows:

Males: All grey, "split" for fawn, "split" for charcoal, "split" for pied.
Females: All grey "split" for charcoal, "split" for pied.

Basically all the babies will just look like normal birds.

If you get any pied babies, you will know that your charcoal cock is carrying the pied gene. If you get any fawn hens, you will know your charcoal cock is carrying the fawn gene.

Here is a link showing grey Charcoals vs. fawn Charcoals in case you ever get enough pairings and generations to produce fawn charcoals:

http://members.optusnet.com.au/ellist/T ... ARCOAL.htm

Wow - handsome birds!

Thank you very much for the information, I currently have 5 chicks now.

Okay, so the babies will most likely be all normal type... will they be able to produce or eventually produce charcoal offspring? If so, is there a specific mutation I should pair them with or do I really need to find myself more charcoal zebras?

To get more charcoal chicks, you'll have to pair your split for charcoal young (Current 5 babies) to other charcoals or split for charcoal birds.

Just an update on the babies, all five are doing well and are all males, normal colour in appearance.

Thanks for the help!