Check out my pale Lilac Breast YB OH Gouldian boy

[Finchy]

This chap is rather interesting and pretty. Last year he had a white breast; this year he's moulted out into a very pale lilac. Didn't know that was possible! Here he is with some friends, so you can see the contrast with White Breast and a normal hen's Purple Breast (plus normal males in the background)...

[Craig52]

Hi finchy, lilac in WB's is very common and can be hidden for generations. Infact it's recessive and very hard to get rid of and all your future WB's can be tainted with it.
I prefer the pure white WB's. Craig

[Finchy]

Hmm...dang . Though I do like it on him - very attractive with his orange head and sky blue neck. He looks like a baby's toy .

Is it normal/common for a bird to be clean white one year, then change to lilac the next? How does that work?

[matcho]

Okay,
I have plenty of "lilac" breasted birds from this year. Bought 5 pairs,all black headed, yellow beak, kept the hens, output this year are mainly "lilacs" no worries.. Is this bird in the photo is some sort of "factor" , grey neck, light back colour?

Please tell me, because the factor, eu, ay and whatever spins me out.

Ken.

[Tiaris]

Its a single-factor Euro yellow-back.

[matcho]

Okay,
Next question......I tried to get my goulds back to as natural as possible last season. All Bh,Gb,Ytb. normal hens. Most chicks are now pastels, cocks were Yh, Bh and Rh normals. I think the days of getting back to original are long gone, unless by some sort of miracle someone can obtain "pure" wild birds. Are there any Goulds out there that are truly "pure"?

Ken.

[Tiaris]

If the chicks are pastels, either one of their parents is also a pastel or they are both split to recessive dilute & that is what the young must be if all parent birds are normal phenotype.

[vettepilot_6]

Okay,
Next question......I tried to get my goulds back to as natural as possible last season. All Bh,Gb,Ytb. normal hens. Most chicks are now pastels, cocks were Yh, Bh and Rh normals. I think the days of getting back to original are long gone, unless by some sort of miracle someone can obtain "pure" wild birds. Are there any Goulds out there that are truly "pure"?

Ken.

Can guarantee no mutations in my flock... as for colour maybe brighter then wild type?

[finchbreeder]

As you say Finchy, he looks soft and cuddly in those colours. Some people do not like the lilac in white breasteds, but if they all looked like this they would be popular with us ladys.
If you like him you could try breeding a strain of lilac breasted EU YB from him.
LML

[Finchy]

Interesting idea! I wouldn't mind actually. So I'd need a yellow hen....oh, brain ache...what would I need??? (Bearing in mind I won't do close breeding; I prefer the long-winded method using mostly unrelated birds.)

Ta