Gouldian yougsters

[Barbara]

Well my four gouldian babies are around 5 to 6 mths old,and finally geting there adult colors was wondering on the colors the mom is a black head violet breast,dad is a red head purple breast it appears two of the babies are white breast and it looks like they will all have black heads.Is the black head the dominant color is that why there all appear to be coming in black? Also any idea on males and females? I am so proud of these little babies parents were great.

[debbie276]

Congratulations!
To get WhiteBreast chick's from 2 PurpleBreast parents you know that each parent must be split to WhiteBreast.

[Barbara]

debbie276 I don't really get all that but the store I bought them from bought them from a breeder that unfortunately had some serious health problems I took a pair of the babies in a store credit I had they had no idea about anything else they had about 30 babies.None of them appeared to have white breast,at least the ones I saw.I just wanted a pair from different parent and they were banded to tell.I feel I certainly got a great deal on a good pair,and babies were a nice surprise

[debbie276]

It's a bit too early to tell what the head colors will be (especially in pictures) but if they are BlackHead then the male must be split to BlackHead otherwise all chicks will be Red Head.
I see one male for sure but not sure how many times he is pictured. He would be the one right side of bottom picture. Left side 3rd picture and middle in second picture.

Good looking chicks!
Best of luck

[debbie276]

debbie276 I don't really get all that but the store I bought them from bought them from a breeder that unfortunately had some serious health problems I took a pair of the babies in a store credit I had they had no idea about anything else they had about 30 babies.None of them appeared to have white breast,at least the ones I saw.I just wanted a pair from different parent and they were banded to tell.I feel I certainly got a great deal on a good pair,and babies were a nice surprise

To get a WB chick from PB parents the chicks MUST get a WB gene from EACH parent. Therefore each of you parent birds have a hidden (split to) gene for WB.

So your female is a BlackHead.PurpleBreast split to WhiteBreast (BH.PB/WB) and male a RedHead.PurpleBreast split to WhiteBreast (RH.PB/WB) for sure.
Once you know for sure their head colors we will know if your male is split to BlackHead.

[Barbara]

debbie276 wow thank you for that information it does look like they are all black heads but will wait and see.I do know I will never get all that genetics but I am glad to get that information from people like you with such knowledge thank you again,I know the pictures aren't the greatest they are very active and don't sit very long.

[Babs _Owner]

Barbara

They are coloring up nicely. Exciting time!

[Barbara]

Babs thank-you,it sure takes a long time,they are so cute at this stage they look soft and fluffy and not knowing the parents genes was a nice surprise to see the white breast

[lem2bert]

Barbara

They are gorgeous !!! It is a little confusing , but I am starting to understand a little from debbie276's posts . I could be wrong but it seems that the colors of the babies come from both parents and grandparents' genes. You can end up with a surprise with the colors of the babies because the parents have a split gene for a certain color that it not noticeable in the parents. You can only tell from the babies that the parent has this split gene.
If I am wrong someone please correct me !!!!

[debbie276]

You can end up with a surprise with the colors of the babies because the parents have a split gene for a certain color that it not noticeable in the parents.

Correct!!!!

You can only tell from the babies that the parent has this split gene.

That and knowing the genes of the parents parents is helpful.

[Babs _Owner]

Barbara

I spy two red beaks in there. ;)

[Barbara]

Babs if there beak is done changing I think I have three boys and one girl,and if that's what I end up with would be good because all boys in on flight and all girls in another with the other gouldians and it would make it even numbers.Does that matter if all the same sex?

[Babs _Owner]

Barbara

Until they molt up I cant tell girls from boys until they sing. Thankfully a lot of male juvies practice singing very early on before they molt.

If I see a red beak in my room, it's gonna be a redhead male or female. I cannot create blackhead males yet with my genetics. Only BH hens.

But that will be changing soon. Shhhh!

If you see black feathers coming on the head cheeks of a singing male, its a BH.

[lovezebs]

Barbara

Congratulations Barbara,

They are lovely babies.
I can't really tell much from the pictures, but you should know more in two or three weeks time.

[Barbara]

Babs I agree I have seen one do that male dance but that was before they started geting a little of there color so don't remember what one it was time will tell they can all stay together in that flight gage till they starting geting a little to aggressive with one another.thank-you for the help