Aussie Finch Forum

Thank you. And it's all right I'm not madly looking your phone number up. Going to be a nuisance and confirm something else now. Talking breast colours. PB is dominant OK we know that. And LB and WB are recessive OK we know that.
So to get a LB we need 2 birds split for it but a bird can not be split for both LB and WB correct? Yes one of the young has an almost blue sheen on the breast. While it's siblings are nice clear white or purple. (And I am dropping hints to my daughter re her PHd as well) As she has a head start on the boys having completed her undergrad in Biol/animals.
LML

finchbreeder wrote:Thank you. And it's all right I'm not madly looking your phone number up. Going to be a nuisance and confirm something else now. Talking breast colours. PB is dominant OK we know that. And LB and WB are recessive OK we know that.
So to get a LB we need 2 birds split for it but a bird can not be split for both LB and WB correct? Yes one of the young has an almost blue sheen on the breast. While it's siblings are nice clear white or purple. (And I am dropping hints to my daughter re her PHd as well) As she has a head start on the boys having completed her undergrad in Biol/animals.
LML

If it is the same gene a bird can only be purple or one of white or lilac, in which case a bird cannot be lilac and split for white. However, if that's the case then LB + WB will lead to all PB young, I want to test that theory because it seems there is an interaction between 3 forms of the gene and a LB can be split for WB but a PB cannot be split for both as there are only two "spots" (one on each chromosome) for the genes.

Dirty / poor quality whites have a blue sheen. The blue comes from the structure of the feather, not pigments in the feather (I believe this is so for all birds) so blue on white means that some feathers are not as well composed. I don't know how this works / happens unless there is something in the way the gene affects feather production as well as pigment conversion (it is converted from the food). There is a picture of the dirty whites on the Belgian site from memory.

One of my original birds, bought just on 12 months ago, is a LB Euro Yellow and I plan to use him as the start of a dynasty centering around a series of breeding experiments. All my pairs will be Euro yellow, some with DFEY cocks and normal hens and some with SFEY cocks and EY hens and a mixture of PB (which will be paired with PB or WB) and LB (which will all be paired with WB). I have 9 pairs that will be used to create the basis of a future "stud" of LBEY but sourcing good LB birds has been very difficult. There will be a single pair per flight to control who does what with whom.

"Dirty / poor quality whites have a blue sheen."
Thought that was most likely the case. But as I have mentioned these are my mothers birds and we are busy working out the finer details so as she notices or mentiones something I check it out and confirm or disprove.
Wonder if it would be possible to produce a line of "dirty" whites who's colour was "uniform"? Bet they would cease to be "dirty" and become "marked". It's alright, in general I am very much into "clean" colour. Just noticed the odd one of these who looks very nice.
Look forward to hearing more about how you go with the LB. And wish you all the success in the world with them.
Like how you use the EY term maybe be should all be doing this to stop confusion in future.
LML

Been studying the birds closely this arvo. And trying to get well enough focused photos. With a spectacular lack of success.
All those with yellow backs are different shades. From butter coloured WB hen to straw coloured WB cock. Noticed also that the line arround the head varys from clear white on 2 birds to quite blueish gray on 2 others.
LML

Well it seems from the production of yellow chicks of both sexs that the white breast is irelavent in the scheme of things. The Cock bird in this equasion has to be Euro yellow/Aust yellow. As per Natambos original answer. Particularly as he was the only visuall yellow bird on the property neverlone in the avairy.
LML

Diane has posted a pic of the hen from this pair with some of the young on the thread about her parents. Thank you Butterfly. And now that pic is here too. Thanks again Di.
LML

The bird in the centre is the mother. With some of her young ones that resulted with crossing to the YHWBYB (who we suspect of being both Aussie and Euro yellow) Ignore the white effect on her head that was caused by the flash.
Thank goodness mum is a better photographer than me or you would never have got to see these guys.
LML