PIED Cordon Blue

[cindy]

One of the stores, a new one with cleaner and roomy cages had cordons reeding and sitting, they actually looked really good compared to the store closest to me. Their birds look frazzled and stressed.

The one with the nice cordons also had green singers, there was a male there that really caught my eye. They also keep their species separate unlike the store near me.

Do they usually toss the eggs?

[Chris103]

One of the stores, a new one with cleaner and roomy cages had cordons reeding and sitting, they actually looked really good compared to the store closest to me. Their birds look frazzled and stressed.

The one with the nice cordons also had green singers, there was a male there that really caught my eye. They also keep their species separate unlike the store near me.

Do they usually toss the eggs?

Per Policy they are required to toss the eggs.....unless they changed that ruled after I worked there. I got into a HUGE ordeal with corporate telling them how unhealthy it is to keep tossing eggs as most hens will just replace them. It took 2 dead canaries and a necropsy to confirm that it was egg binding for them to stop at my store (in Colorado). I almost lost my job over it.....it was sooo rediculous.



Anyway, are there any Cordon breeders in TX that any of you know of? I need a male for this girl ASAP! I guess im going with a red cheeked unless anyone strongly thinks otherwise.

[L in Ontario]

Going with a male RCCB sounds good to me and good luck to you for a bunch of healthy babies!

You know, of course, that now all of us are going to run to our nearest PetSmart to check out their CB's!!

[Chris103]

Haha, I wouldnt count on it lol! Although, It would almost be a relief if someone found another. Trying to establish a mutation is a lot of pressure but has always been a dream of mine since I was about 7.....really, I was that kid

Once/if I reproduce a few pieds I will be selling VERY few to spread them out across the country just in case something were to happen at my aviaries(or house for that matter....she's inside). I would hate to loose this mutation!

And thanks for the luck, Im going to need it!

[nixity]

I shot an email off to Marcus Pollard of Clifton Finch Aviaries in AUS. http://www.cliftonfinchaviaries.org/
They seemingly breed the pied RCCBs.. I asked if he knew the pattern of inheritance. I'm also curious if this occurs in all sub-species or just the RCCB - all the photos I think I've seen doing google searches are pied RCCBs?

[Chris103]

Well cool, Thanks!
I've also noticed that all the pieds that I have seen were RCCB's but I always hate to assume thats why I wanted to ask you guys. Please let me know what he says about the mode of inheritence (cross your fingers for dominant).

[Domenic]

What an amazing thing to stumble on! Sorry to have just caught this thread now, but congrats on the pied CB. It is a real pain to guess if it is a red cheeked or blue capped, I'm guessing red cheeked as well looking at all the information that has come to light on pied CB's. Something else I've noticed is that Petsmarts carry red cheeks much more often than blue caps, in fact I've never seen any blue caps in Petsmart, so that's something to consider too.

Keep us posted on this, very exciting!

[nixity]

Marcus got back to me (that was fast considering the time difference!)

He says:

"Pied cordons are common here in Australia. I believe it is a dominat trait - like Red-face - but have asked a mate who breeds them for confirmation. We do not have the mutation in Blue-caps."

So - seemingly it only occurs (for now) in AUS in Red Cheeks, and it is most likely dominant!

[L in Ontario]

Very good news and a good lead, Tiffany!

[Chris103]

Wow! That is great news! We'll see if this pied acts the same way as the Aussie pied (lets hope so)! Thank you so much for finding that out!

[Sally]

That is an incredible mutation! I don't blame you for being so excited, what a discovery!! I'm looking at the photos, but the pied factor makes it a little harder to tell whether it is RCCB or BCCB (though it sounds like the history is that she is most likely RCCB). My RCCB hens usually have a slightly longer, sharper beak with a darker tip--BCCB hens have a more fuschia-colored, shorter, fatter beak. RCCB hens usually have a slightly slimmer build, BCCBs are slightly rounder. RCCB hens usually have no blue on the top of their head, BCCBs will have a little. These are all subtle differences, much easier to see when you have them together.

I have a 2008 RCCB male that was parent-raised. He has not been proven as a breeder. I also have a 2009 RCCB male that is only about 5 months old. Both these birds are NFSS banded, raised by me. My other RCCB males are unknown ages, not bred by me, and both have tossed.

There is a mart coming up in Temple, TX, on March 20? That's quite a drive for you, but if you were interested, I could meet you there.

[Sally]

I tried to find some photos that would show the differences between the RCCB and BCCB hens, but I don't have any great ones. I should try to get some new ones, but in the meantime:

[Rayray]

okay i think i am gonna blow up a dream

i showed ( the picture addy ) to a few breeders here and asked what they thought about it ...

one who's breeding with CB's and BCCB's as his only birds and having more then 30 breedingcages gave me this answer : he breeding with pied and almost white ones and the normal color , and he thinks its an older bird ( wild caught / own breed ) that was in the hands of people that gave it the wrong food ( and missing vitamins / calcium ) for a long time , sometimes here they find a new mutation with the same thing like only the wings are white but after good food and moulting its loosing the white and the blue / brown comes back . he says its for sure a CB hen and not a BCCB .

the other 3 people that did respond said the same : lack on good food , missing vitamins , missing light , calcium , 2 said its a CB hen , one said its a mix breed hen between CB and BCCB .

for you i hope its a mutation but honestly i think .....

Ray

[L in Ontario]

Ray - I think it's good to get more feedback from others. Sounds like you checked around quite a bit and I'm sure we all appreciate your efforts no matter the outcome.

We can/should be prepared for the 'not so good' scenario and yet hope for the best.

[Rayray]

Liz as i said i hope its a mutation but i really think that poor bird HAD a bad time in its life !!

Ray