New Mutations of Shaft tails in the States

[lovezebs]

cindy

Lovely kids.
If and when they breed, do you expect some opal and some gray? Or will you get something in between, like a pale silver, or a darker opal?

Elana

[Colt]

Fantastic news. How quick. They must really be in breeding condition. Did you allow them to pick their own mates or did you select mates for them?

[wildbird]

Gorgeous birds! Best of luck with them.

[cindy]

They should give opals and grays from some of the pairs and splits from the others.... they are about a yr old, two of the pairs had bonded, the third pair was paired by me and the fourth pair was paired by mutation (both fawns/opal gray)

[lovezebs]

cindy

Goodluck.
Looking forward to seeing babies.

Elana

[MiaCarter]

Ooh, so lovely!

I can't wait until you've got some of these lovelies available! I'll definitely want to scoop a pair! They are STUNNING!
(And I love shafttails. They have the best personalities.)

[cindy]

Mia, single pairs will not be sold off, to keep mutations going that are rare or newly introduce you need multiple pairs to keep the numbers up.

Once the mutations are established in numbers then possibly single pairs will be sold.

[Sally]

I have been advised by some old-time breeders that you never sell your F1 or even F2 generation of rare or endangered species, only swap bloodlines with other breeders with the same species.

[MiaCarter]

cindy - That's what I'd assumed. I imagine it will be a year or longer until they're in a state to sell.

Plus I imagine you'd want to keep the first few generations! Establishing a new mutation is no easy task!

[cindy]

I will keep the thread going.... young will be paired with young from other pairs, some will be bred to fawns to help create splits to both mutation and to bring new blood line in. The three breeders will be trading young also.

There are now two pairs on eggs!!!

[MiaCarter]

Ooh, that's so exciting that they're already on eggs! They wasted no time!

Now, in the case of a new mutation that you're trying to establish, do you keep to the 3 clutches/year and wait-til-they're-one-year-old-to-breed rules?
Or do you breed them a bit younger if they seem ready and opt for an extra clutch if they seem healthy and well?

[lovezebs]

cindy

Wow! That was quick.

Elana

[cindy]

Young gray mutation shaft tail. Parents are both opals split to gray. The youngster was raised by societies and supplemented with some hand feedings.

Another pair of societies are sitting on fertile eggs from the same pair.

[erine]

cindy They are just lovely. You must be having so much fun watching seeing what offspring they produce.

[cindy]

so far this baby is the first.... the parents were tossing the eggs as they started to hatch. Hope the three eggs that are fertile from the pair will do well under the fosters.

The others are just starting to give fertile eggs.