split

[crazy cuban]

how do you tell the difference between a gouldian split and normal

[cranberry]

Only through test breeding. If you breed the split (call it split to mutation A) to a bird that is fully mutation A and you get some A's, then you know you have a split.

If you breed the normal to mutation A and never get mutation A in the offspring then you know you have a normal. You will have splits though.

This might take a few clutches to work out so it will be a slow process I'm afraid.

[finchbreeder]

Another way, which is not always popular. Is to breed your bird to a known normal, then breed the young back to the possibble split parent. Of course this does not work as well because even if the parent is split you don't know for sure that the young you use got the gene.
Was talking to a friend yesterday about when he first had silver quail turn up in his avairy's about 20 - 30 yrs ago when they were rare. He was gobsmacked, cause he had only bought normal brown kingys and bred them to each other, and all new blood was also normal brown.
But as I explained
BB x Bs where B= dominant brown and s = recessive silver
BB x Bs produce BB, BB, BB, BB, Bs, Bs, Bs, Bs
Next Generation you add in BB's you still get those splits, and as long as you keep one of the splits you still have it and if 3 or 4 years later you happen to put 2 distant cousins together and they happen to be splits - Bingo
You never had a silver but you always had the gene.
Same applies to all the finch splits.
LML

[crazy cuban]

I dont under stand genetics

[Mickp]

you can always take the easier way out.
purchase your gouldians from a reputable breeder who knows the lineage of his birds.

[finchbreeder]

When you write it down a dominant factor is always written as a Capital and a recessive factor is always written as a small letter. A dominant factor will always show and a recessive will only show if there is no dominant.
eg. BB = dominant brown = looks brown and is pure brown
Bs = split silver = looks brown but has a "hidden" silver gene
ss = silver = looks silver and is pure silver
Hope that helps some.
LML

[crazy cuban]

good thinking mick but the guy that I got them from has only kept normals

[finchbreeder]

So odds are your birds are pure normals.
LML

[Jayburd]

Rick keeps many mutations Crazy!!!!