FINCHforum

that does exist right?

I've read many genetics pages and I make glacial-speed-like progress.

Can a female be yellow split to blue?

I looked at the charts on this site and it looks like oftentimes, the hen only carries one color gene. So, I think you can NOT have a female yellow split to blue. But then, you can have a female green split to blue . . . so my head starts spinning.

At the very least please answer this: can a male be yellow back split to blue?

I currently have a true pair, green back split to blue, and I am planning to add two more true pairs and I want to have them be able to create all kinds of different colors down the road. So I thought a male yellow split to blue would be great. I dont think I want to pay $150-ish for a blue male or female so I was hoping to creat a blue from the babies down the road.

Also, if I were to find a blue that was in my price range, would a female or male blue have any advantages over the other in terms of breeding?

(oh, and I'm accepting to not try to tweek their breeding much at all, I will let nature take its course in my aviary!)

thanks, and sorry this is so combobulated!

Michael

both green or yellow males and females can be split to blue

I agree with Debbie; and I know you didn't ask but dilute (yellow) males can also be split to blue.

so, if I already have . . .

male
normal back split to blue
white breast
red head split to black

female
normal back split to blue
white breast
black head

and I wanted to come up with maximum variety

I'm thinking I should add

a pair of yellow backs split to blue

and a blue and a normal with purple breast?

does that cover most all bases?
I'd rather not buy a blue, Im worried it'll die on me and have cost more than I should spend on it.

I'm going to the May 22nd Midwest Bird Expo and want to have a game plan and not make a decision on the spot if I can help it.

Also, I think I may just get the two yellow split to blues and see if I can find a pair of red parrot finches. That would add some color!

ideas? thoughts?

(thanks again, this forum is amazing)

KoacNation wrote: Also, if I were to find a blue that was in my price range, would a female or male blue have any advantages over the other in terms of breeding?

Since everyone else already answered your other questions, I thought I'd tackle this one ;)

Since blue males and blue females do not differ genetically other than their sex - there really is no advantage to getting one over the other, especially since you already have splits in both sex right now

Are you using a Gouldian genetic forecaster to predict outcomes, thus deciding what parents you want?

What would happen if you had a male as follows:
RH-B, PB-W, SFY-B (dilute)?

L in Ontario wrote:Are you using a Gouldian genetic forecaster to predict outcomes, thus deciding what parents you want?

What would happen if you had a male as follows:
RH-B, PB-W, SFY-B (dilute)?

Hey Liz.....mine

lovemyfinch wrote:

L in Ontario wrote:Are you using a Gouldian genetic forecaster to predict outcomes, thus deciding what parents you want?

What would happen if you had a male as follows:
RH-B, PB-W, SFY-B (dilute)?

Hey Liz.....mine

Yes he is Janine! That's what made me think of a "box of skittles".

KoacNation wrote:
Also, I think I may just get the two yellow split to blues and see if I can find a pair of red parrot finches. That would add some color!

ideas? thoughts?

(thanks again, this forum is amazing)

Well here's the thing - I remember you saying you weren't particularly fond of the dilute males. Any time you pair a yellow hen to a normal male, you are going to get 100% dilute cocks from that pairing (assuming both are PB and not carrying any other breast colors).
If you are fond of the SF Yellow Males (visually yellow with a white or Lilac Breast), then see if you can get a WB Yellow/Blue hen - and she could be a potential mate for your WB N/B cock at some point.
This pairing could produce for you the visually yellow SF Yellow males, as well as SF Pastel Blue males (which would look visually Silver), Blue bodied males and females, and normal females.

Just throwing some ideas out there..
I can't help with the PFs but from what I've heard on here they require quite a bit of space or they can get overweight in a heart beat :/
They can/will also hybridize with the Gouldians, so it might be best to keep them separate.
http://users.skynet.be/fa398872/navfram.en.htm

[quote="KoacNation"]
I'd rather not buy a blue, Im worried it'll die on me and have cost more than I should spend on it.

quote]


If you buy a well bred blue it should be as hardy as yellows or greens. I have lost several green fledglings but never a blue. I think it depends on the lines, health and not so much the color. But it is fun to bred for the color blue also. I got lucky with my first blue. Came from 2 RH PB normals that happened to be split to blue unknown to me when I bought them. I thought they were just plain ole' RH greenbacks....
I breed parrot finches but I have never mixed them with gouldians. As sex driven as my male parrots are I am sure they would mount anything that they could.

thanks Tiffany for that tip, I'm definitely going to be on the lookout for that specific type. Seems like it'll provide the highest number of possibilities.

As to the parrot finches, I checked out the hybrids with the gouldians and I gotta say, they are amazing. I would not have a problem if the parrot finches and the gouldians mated once in awhile.

I need to google that hybrid topic more though. Make sure I know more about it.

I have two weeks before the expo, so my plans are not formalized in regards to seeking out parrot finches, I just think they are so beautiful it's something I want to investigate.