FINCHforum

I have a pair of normal Red-Headed Purple-breasted Gouldians. They bred last summer and the 4 babies are starting to color up. I'm noticing that one baby seems to have a white breast.

What does this say about the genetics of the parents? Obviously, one or both has a white breast gene. I am just wondering about the dominance vs. recessive factors in breast color? I assume the normal purple is dominant.

Both parents had to be split to white breast. Purple breast is dominant over lilac and white, lilac over white. White is the most recessive breast color... or should I say lack of color.
Congrat on a surprize white breast chicks... surprizes are always fun

@Ron
Go to this web site and put in the color of the parents, and it will give you the possible colors for the offspring
http://www.amadinagouldove.cz/gouldian- ... /index.php
Then put for breast color purple/white for one then both and see what you get.

White is a recessive color, so purple will "hide" it.
A bird could be visually purple but genetically purple split for white. Purple with resessive/hidden white.
The splits are where the "surprises" come from, just as you found with your white breast offspring.

If you play with the forecaster you can see different possiblities.
For the head color try red/yellow or red/black for one then both.

Sometimes the splits will not appear in the offspring for a long time. The forecaster gives you the odds for a single chick, but like anything of chance, the odds could go against you for a LONG time, then change way down the road. Example you could have purple and purple/white chicks for years, then 3 years from now a WHITE breast finally pops up.

im fascinated by the way genetics and codes of inheritance work. its just so darn amazing how some traits mask others and how some birds will hide a trait for so many generations and then suddenly POOF!!, you get hit with this odd chick.

Congratulations on the chicks! Like Candace said, both parents have to be split to WB to get a WB chick. On the Finch Information Center site there is a gouldian genetic area that explains their genetics quite well.
Here's the link so you can check it out. http://www.finchinfo.com/genetics/lady_ ... /index.php
It also has visual charts to help explain.

Thanks everyone for the info. Now I know I have a hidden gene in this apparently normal looking pair !!

Congrats. If they are both split WB and yo can get your hands on WB you can pair the splits with them to get more if it is a gene you like