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Hi all I have decided to follow through with the breeding of these two hens displaying black on their body feathers with hopefully the future aim of reproducing that colour in chicks in increasing amounts. It will be a long process of course, but it will be an interesting challenge to work on 'on the side'. I intend to use this thread for my own progress records but also would love any comments/recommendations.

 

I have decided to use the grey body colour as my base, since this seems a sensible colour to use when working towards black. So today I got two nice biggish grey normal english cocks to put to the two hens I have, one is a 'rescue' which the bloke gave me but was also my preferred cock so I decided to take him anyway (he got in a fight last night and got a chunk taken off his scone). At this stage I am not too fussed on increasing body size, etc it will have to be more about using birds that display the best colouring and then when possible selecting for the best body type of those.

 

So my first generation will be:

 

Grey normal cock X green opaline hen(black marks)

 

Grey normal cock X grey opaline hen (black marks)

 

Photos will come later of all the parent generation birds

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If you need any help (aviary space or breeding space) with this let me know, I am going to have spare room so cna help you out there would be really intreseted in what comes of this.

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If you would like I don't mind trying to help out with sussing out the genetics B)

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At this stage can you keep an eye out for any budgies that have black feathers anywhere they shouldn't(any colour budgie). It could all be a complete flop and I may end up with nothing to show for my hard work but if I'm gonna give it a go I might as well do it right. Just cross your fingers that miss grey is capable, since she is my ricketts girl. If she was a boy I would consider AI if they couldn't mate but if she can't mate she is going to struggle t get in a nest box and sit too so I don't think its worth pushing the issue if she can't do it.

 

Thanks SW, might be a year or two before I have anything real to suss out but I'll update this post if I get anything promising and then we'll look at genetics.

Edited by melbournebudgies
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Check with club breeders and ask for their "dirty marked" culls.

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All four of the budgies in my first generation are club rung from a local club so I am going to try and track down the breeder of the hens and see if he has any others floating around.

 

 

Oh I do have a question though. What is the reason for large amounts of spotting on the head? I am trying to work out if it is worth selecting birds with lots of spot- I wondered if it was something to do with lots of melanin...

Edited by melbournebudgies
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Good luck MB! I'll watch this space with much interest!

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Yes, i would say it would be to do with excess melanin.

Go for ones with lots of flecking and giant cheek spots, as well as having more melanin this could also cover the budgie's face with black too. It may even spread down over the front and help join up with the black dot.

Yes you want heavily marked birds, I'd say.

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I had a feeling that was the case so I grabbed the grey male today that had the most flecking on his forehead and big splashy cheek spots. The cheek spots most breeders would probably think look ghastly but they are exactly what I want B)

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The lovely secretary from the Eastern Districts budgie club is on the case for me B) She's going to look into the breeder of my flecked birds and also ask around for other birds with black flecks and grey birds with heaps of forehead flecking and big splashy cheek spots

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Hey spoke to Ivan he said he thinks he might have a grey hen show type that has a few black spots on her belly but she only came in about two days ago and so he has not had time to have a good look and it's to dark now to go have a good look but will get back to me tomorrow.

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Fantastic, and grey too ;)

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Opalines will help you...the dirtier the better. I have a hen here you would like, but its too far for her to fly.

Anyway, good luck with your new aspirations. Learning more about melanin is the way to go ;)

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Opalines hey... I avoided them today as I thought that I would want colour on as much of the bird as possible and since opalines don't have the colour on their head... What is your theory behind opaline? I am interested to get as manytheories as possible.

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DIRTY opalines are the ones with black flecking ;)

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I got dirty normals...

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Honey I think someone beat you to it.

 

Anthracite

The anthracite budgie has a black (or very, very dark grey) body color. All other markings on the budgie are normal, except for the cheek patches, which are the same black as the body color. This variety is very new and was first established in Germany. This variety has been shown to be genetically semi-dominant. A single anthracite factor produces a darkening effect extremely similar to a single dark factor (producing cobalt). A budgie that is double-factor anthracite appears as the true anthracite with the black body color.

 

Basic Genetics:

Normal - recessive

Anthracite - semi-dominant

 

Taken from - http://www.budgieplace.com/colorsguide.html

 

However I now REALLY want to breed these! I think I have fallen in LOVE

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I have a feeling that's not in Aus AV (like the Netherlands or somewhere) and we really have no way of getting it sice we can't import birds here from Europe.

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LB lol...I was thinking on that lines because I really think it is due to more then just spotting but MB you can try right that is all you can do is try.

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I know it's from Germany :sad: I really want one, hmmmm wonder if I can paint on of my guys *insert evil laugh* Is this where you are trying to head? Cause if so I am so on this band wagon.... I don't care if it takes the next 20 years i was a baby bat and a goth so this is my my bird! (shhh just don't tell Harley :D )

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ANthracite body colour while called black is actually a VERY dark grey so it can still be distinguished from the cheek patches as you can see in that photo. The colouration on my hens is true black not a suffusion due to a dark factor.

 

Unfortunately any mutations we want in Australia will have to be developed by Aussie breeders due to the import bans(unless we can disguise budgies as pigeons :D ).

 

 

Thanks LB for those inspiring words.

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Mb I'm on the same wavelength as you I have been looking out for unusually marked birds to head for the Black Budgie. I'm in agreement with Kaz; it seems to me that the Opaline mutation is the way to go. You say that you didn't want to use an Opaline because of their clear heads, but heavily marked Opalines usually have the show fault of barring on their heads & massive mask spots, some already are almost Black faced. Also they, especially the English type are the ones with the most flecking, but of course I still would be looking out for any bird whatever colour that showed hope. Also there are really two types of Black Budgies there's the black face of The Netherlands, with barring over most of its body & then the Anthracite, which still have the normal clear mask. Young birds that show plenty of barring in their baby plumage might also be a possibility, there that's most of my secrets of the way I've been thinking. I'm pretty sure it can be done, if you think the way most show people go they are culling birds that show these "undesirable faults" but if you go the other way & select, why can't it come true. There's two ways of killing a cat as they say...you can Patiently wait for a mutation to occur…very rare…or go the time test method of selection, it may not be a new mutation, but should get results.

 

Yeah don’t let LB disillusion you MB…he has no sense of adventure… :hap: let him sit around waiting for his lottery win, while we have all the fun...LOL... :wub:

Edited by Norm
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Black budgies are a possibility. As a 12 year old my ex father in law bred a black budgie. It was a chick in a nest, and he swears it was black on not grey. Before he knew he had something rare or special in died in its first two months. But he swears to this day it WAS A BLACK BUDGIE and he doesnt tell stories just for the sake of it.

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Mb I'm on the same wavelength as you I have been looking out for unusually marked birds to head for the Black Budgie. I'm in agreement with Kaz; it seems to me that the Opaline mutation is the way to go. You say that you didn't want to use an Opaline because of their clear heads, but heavily marked Opalines usually have the show fault of barring on their heads & massive mask spots, some already are almost Black faced. Also they, especially the English type are the ones with the most flecking, but of course I still would be looking out for any bird whatever colour that showed hope. Also there are really two types of Black Budgies there's the black face of The Netherlands, with barring over most of its body & then the Anthracite, which still have the normal clear mask. Young birds that show plenty of barring in their baby plumage might also be a possibility, there that's most of my secrets of the way I've been thinking. I'm pretty sure it can be done, if you think the way most show people go they are culling birds that show these "undesirable faults" but if you go the other way & select, why can't it come true. There's two ways of killing a cat as they say...you can Patiently wait for a mutation to occur…very rare…or go the time test method of selection, it may not be a new mutation, but should get results.

 

My head hurts but thanks for this, I am reall intrested in going in with MB and doing this even if it just giving her space and scouting birds. Now I have an idea of what to ask local breeders for and hopefully we can get a good first generation base.

 

 

Black budgies are a possibility. As a 12 year old my ex father in law bred a black budgie. It was a chick in a nest, and he swears it was black on not grey. Before he knew he had something rare or special in died in its first two months. But he swears to this day it WAS A BLACK BUDGIE and he doesnt tell stories just for the sake of it.

 

Hope oh Hope, I see a shinning light at the end of the tunnel! :hap: Thanks Kaz hopefully ina few years time we can show you some photos of our black little babies!

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