Odd colour gouldian

[TomDeGraaff]

The darkness is not really that consistent with the effects on other birds of the dark factor. I reckon Tiaris is on the money. I would keep parents and siblings though. Just in case !

[Finchy]

Personally, I would take another tack and not breed from this bird at all. The mutation is not an attractive one and may be detrimental to health, so there would seem to be no upside to encouraging its expression. I agree, though, that if breeding it at all then pairing with a Normal is wisest; then the mutation can dilute out over the generations.

[TomDeGraaff]

A dark factor has the potential to be combined with other mutations if you are so inclined.
It sounds like some would prefer these things to die off. I think if the bird is healthy, it should be given the opportunity to breed.

[finchbreeder]

The bird looks healthy. Diluting the mutation will garantee that it dies out. Hmm. Well all I can say is I may have only been breeding Gouldians for under 10 years, but I have been involved with bird genetics for 50. Daughter of recognised budgie breeder. So I would not let the nervous put me off doing it my way. Do what you are comfortable with. And let us know. And attratctive or not is in the eye of the beholder. I am sure there are at least a few of us on here who would not sneeze at Gouldians that look like this if it turns out to be a mutation.
LML

[finchbreeder]

If this bird comes from Black heads? Then it would appear that the colour change is to the chest and neck ring. There was a time when there were no white chested gouldians. So maybe this is the start of black chested gouldians?
LML

[TomDeGraaff]

How is this young bird going? Is it colouring up?

[natamambo]

Another pic from OP.

On the assumption it's female (belly colour is dark anyway, but beak has gone black like a hen in breeding condition) I'd be putting it back with dad rather than another random BH bird, that's the fastest way to see if it reproduces the same colour. While most dark factor mutations are dominant, if it is a new recessive mutation then it could be worth maintaining. It would certainly enhance the colour of blue if it is a dark factor.

[natamambo]

Personally, I would take another tack and not breed from this bird at all. The mutation is not an attractive one and may be detrimental to health, so there would seem to be no upside to encouraging its expression. I agree, though, that if breeding it at all then pairing with a Normal is wisest; then the mutation can dilute out over the generations.

If it is a mutation then it cannot be diluted, it's either dark or it isn't. Even selectively breeding to produce "lighter dark" birds won't eliminate such a mutation.

[TomDeGraaff]

Definately looking like a very interesting Gouldian !! Us hybrid-thinkers were wrong (of course, par for course with me!)

Good luck with this fellow. Some interesting combos in the future, perhaps.

[Finchy]

Wow, what an interesting bird!

Nat, I didn't mean to dilute the colour; I meant to 'dilute' the genes out of the line so they don't persist. But looking at this now I've changed my mind - it's too interesting! And it looks like an otherwise healthy bird with balanced, albeit very unusual, colouration.

I would not be so extreme as to mate it to its father - that's much too genetically incestuous and would likely be a source of regret within a generation or two - but keeping the pool fairly narrow to try to reproduce the mutation and see what it does could be very worthwhile.