Curious beak colors -

[Teresa]

Here are 2 males from this YB hen + BB Male. As you can see they are molting and one has a red tip beak and the other has a yellow tip beak.





Here are the parents - the hen just finished with her 3rd clutch and now needs a very much deserved rest! This picture was taken back in June and she was in rough shape - doing much better now though! Doesn't he look like he just adores her??



Since they are hatching YTB and RTB I think this means that the hen is black head/yellow head?

[debbie276]

Looks like your YB hen is a YTB:
If two yellow head genes are present on a bird that has no red head genes (and instead has black head genes), the bird will have a black head with a yellow tipped beak (YTB). This occurs because the bird is genetically a yellow headed bird, but it cannot express the yellow color because the yellow gene depends on the red head gene for expression, and the red head gene is not there.

Very nice looking birds!
best of luck with them

[nixity]

Also means your male is BH/OH