Breeding two different head colours

[Finnigan]

I saw a video on youtube they said if you breed say a yellow headed bird with a red headed bird all the offspring will be male. but i have read other things that seem to contradict this. would like to know what you guys think. true or false.

[garyh]

Hi Finnigan,i breed these two head colors together and they breed both male and female,so that video to my mind is false,garyh

[Shane Gowland]

There is a peer reviewed study on this subject that found mixing head colors does lead to a gender imbalance favouring cock birds. They also found that Gouldians could be fooled into producing more hens by taking to the head color with a black sharpie.

The study: http://beheco.oxfordjournals.org/content/18/3/621.full

So to directly answer the question: True. The science supports the assertion of the YouTube video.

[Tiaris]

Definitely false.

[matcho]

Gee,

My forecaster says 50% each way hens and cocks, be it either red hens/yellow cocks or yellow hens/ red cocks. So who do I believe? (Must be only if pure?)

I love this thing because it all seems so black and white but surprises will turn up. Yellow head cock bird or hen had a w/b somewhere in theirs history obviously because got a white breasted chick and even had a pastel breast turn up.

Go figure.

Ken.

[Blue Cuban]

False as already stated but a few of my American friends that breed Gouldians claim they can control the offsprings sex via their diet to favour either sex as they choose.

Rich.

[matcho]

Wow,

Just read Shane's attachment.

Too many big words for me (what the hell is a Dyan?). Head is in a spin, but good luck to those who did the study.

Think I will just go down the back and sit and watch. Rh Bh and Yh. Love em!

Ken.

[KENTUCKY]

Many years ago it was claimed that, men who eat salty foods before starting off a family would have more boys than girls,men, on the other hand, who ate more dairy products would have more girls than boys,it turned out to be HOGWASH, i doubt wether the sex of a being can be controlled or produced on demand just by changing a diet or food intake.
I love these continental albert einsteins with their outrages claims.

[Shane Gowland]

Too many big words for me (what the hell is a Dyan?). Head is in a spin, but good luck to those who did the study.

I frequently have the same criticism of academic writing. Explain the methodology and the results, don't try to dazzle me with your vocabulary.

To answer your question: 'dyad' is a fancy way of saying two. ie a group of two people could be called a dyad. Three would be a triad, four would be a tetrad and I can't remember anything higher.

My forecaster says 50% each way hens and cocks, be it either red hens/yellow cocks or yellow hens/ red cocks. So who do I believe? (Must be only if pure?)

I'd imagine our aviary birds lack genetic purity, therefore giving less consistent results. Probably explains why so many posters above are saying false based on their own observations, when (current) fact states the opposite. Similar logic to the "it's snowing here so climate change isn't real" argument that sometimes pops up.

[Finnigan]

http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/2589683.htm