gouldian babies...How to sex?

[adiekaty]

Just wondering when they will start to color up. Born in September, looks like they are trying to get the blk band around the chin? what comes next? Some are lighter on the breast and some have more greenish tint on their backs, other than that mostly grey...I am impatient...lol

some are quiet and some have a 'weet weet' chirp... Will they sing more if males? and I should herar that before seeing head color etc?

Any imput is appreciated...

[poohbear]

Patience

[L in Ontario]

All finch chicks colour up on their own individual schedules. Some faster than others - same goes with singing and 'dancing'. You might see one start today and other not for two more months. So hard to say when. Enjoy them as they don't stay babies very long!

[dfcauley]

Patience

I knew he would say that!

[Nipper06]

These are 2 Gouldian babies with their father - born this past summer. People on this board have told me that the one with brighter breast color (on the left) is probably a male. Of course, the immature colors might look different in different color varieties - so, for what it's worth, here is my guess - sorry I'm new at this (these are my first Gouldian babies).

A month later. the babies still look pretty much like this.

[adiekaty]

thanks everyone...
And Ron... Love the pics... Mine look just like that! LOL.
I got a few pics the other day, but its hard with the cage bars... Maty have the setting wrong on the camera...

Adrienne

[dfcauley]

I thinking it is so fun to watch them color up and guess what they will look like. Here are a few of mine that have just begun molting into their colors.
I know the dilute is a male because he is hopping and dancing for the girls. I HOPE one of these yellows will be a hen. I was hoping for a white breasted, but it looks like they will all have purple breast like their dad.

[L in Ontario]

They are about the sweetest looking babies I've seen in a long time!

BTW - Dilutes can only be males.

[dfcauley]

They are about the sweetest looking babies I've seen in a long time!

BTW - Dilutes can only be males.

REALLY??? I didn't know that.... wow.... learn something new every day.
And is there a reason for that? Just curious......

And thanks Liz..... that first one is Mario's baby and I think it has his same sweet face.

[L in Ontario]

BTW - Dilutes can only be males.

REALLY??? I didn't know that.... wow.... learn something new every day.
And is there a reason for that? Just curious......

I might be able to figure out why - something to do with Yellow factors with purple breast but I'd mess it up. It's the same way that Pastels can only be males too. I'm sure Tiffany can explain it much better than I can right now. I'll try to do better if she's not on here in a while.

[nixity]

Well - I don't see a dilute pictured in your photos (did you mean to include one?) but either way.. they can only be male by virtue of how the Dilute Body is produced. (PS: It is for the same reason you will never see "Pastel" hens - only males).

Dilutes and Pastels are controlled by the yellow body mutation.
A dilute (and a Pastel) have to be SF for the yellow gene to where it only partially inhibits the production/deposition of eumelanin (black pigment). They also must be purple breasted.
(A DF, by comparison, being completely incapable of producing/depositing eumelanin)

By possessing only one gene - and it being "co-dominant" to the normal body color, the genes sort of blend together for expression resulting in a "diluted" body color - and it ranges, anywhere from lime green to lemon-line, with the tell tale signs being the grey bib (as opposed to white in DF yellows), and a much more pronounced turquoise band behind the mask.

Also, specifically in BH birds, the head would be charcoal on a SF and beige-offwhite on a DF.

Because hens only possess a single sex chromosome, they can only ever be SF if they possess the yellow body gene, and therefore it is always 100% expressed. I.e., eumelanin will always be completely inhibited, resulting in a bright yellow (or silver, if combined with blue body) bird.

;)

PS: I would guess the top and middle yellows are boys and the last yellow is a girl.

[dfcauley]

oops! Here HE is! Thanks for taking the time to explain that to me.

[lovemyfinch]

I just love baby pics