Ausmoz

I'll have a guess at yellowface type 2. The face is very yellow, so maybe even goldernface? Someone who knows will correct me

Bea, I think you have a duty to buy this budgie for all of us! At the very least, take a picture in the Pet shop :(Laughing out loud): . I've never seen a picture of a green faced budgie, but I think I've read that it was possible... somewhere... maybe... Buy it! Buy it now! Call the shop and tell them to hold it for you. Oh, Bea, I'd love to see the picture :ausb:

This is a great thread. Maybe it should be pinned, because it's something everyone should seriously consider. I've only briefly kept budgies before, so I don't have much experience to speak from. My current budgie has been tame for a couple of weeks now, and we have just bought a friend for her. They are currently in separate rooms (number 2 is being quarentined and tamed) and wont be allowed to spend time with each other until the second one is at least finger tame though (hopefully shortly after the quarenteen is over). My personal opinion is that even if a bird is well bonded to humans and seems very happy, humans can never be a complete substitute for interaction with at least one other budgie (which is still a poor substitute for the natural flock). I believe there is little reason not to get a second bird. If the problem is the lack of ability to house two separate birds that don't get along, I'd say either find a way around this (re-home the second bird with another person or in an aviary, and try another bird), or seriously consider whether you want to get a budgie in the first place. I guess there must be some exceptions, but that is my general feeling. The most common reason for not getting a second bird seems to be the fear of losing the bond with the first bird. As I said, I can't speak from personal experience, but from what I have heard, the second bird has little effect on the tameness of the first bird. Indeed, the second could be just as tame as the first bird (although this does seem less common), if it is trained with the same patience that the first one was. I also think that if the first bird chooses to associate with the second bird in preference to humans, then that is the choice of the bird, and the human should deal with that Many have said that the joy of watching two budgies interact together naturally, as well as the piece of mind that comes from knowing that they are never alone, far outweighs any jealousy that they might feel when the birds choose to spend time together. Of course, having multiple birds also makes it all the more special when the birds choose to spend time with you. Then you know that they really consider you part of their flock, and don't just spend time with you because you haven't allowed them any other option. I'm sure that many birds kept alone still lead happy lives, but even the most dedicated human can't talk to the bird in it's own "language", can't accept the seed that it is fed, can't share mutual preening like another budgie, and can't sit next to the bird on the perch at night and snuggle up. Whether they like to think about it or not, anyone who keeps only one bird is denying it these things.

Anything that helps me learn about budgie genetics would be wonderful! At the moment I want to learn about yellow face and grey mutations (goodness knows why...)

I don't know much about breeding, but what about proping the lid of the nest box open a little so there is more ventilation?

The wait is over! Thanks for the quiz Nerwen, I really enjoyed it. And Bea, please forgive Nerwen for posting the answer before you got a go, it may have been partially my fault

:(Laughing out loud):

Yay :(Laughing out loud): Our answers are the same Daz, but yours look neater

Guess now Daz! It's been 5 days according to the date on Nerwens post, and I want to know the answer!! Edit: okay, I want to answer question 2 before Daz does (even though I'm not sure). I think yellowwing is the same as clearwing, so my answer is: green cock/clearwing X yellowwing hen = 50% green/clearwing (males and females) 50% yellowwing (males and females)

Quin is the same. His taming started with the hand, but now that he's been out of the cage for a while, he prefers heads and shoulders, and only gets intersted in the hand if there is millet or silverbeat involved (and even then, only when he feels like eating). Maybe you could put your hand in Hercules' cage through the little door so she can get used to your hand inside the cage again. I wouldn't worry about it too much, if she sits on your shoulders playing with your earring, she still loves you!

Pickles (above) has no black wing markings. Does that mean that she is a recessive pied and a clearwing?

Yes, it's some family alright, I was certainly impressed to see the variety of babies that pair produced! Thanks for the complements, but no credit to me, except for Quin, these birds belong to my Mum (but my sister would say they belong to her). Both parents must be split for both recessive pied and clearwing (otherwise no recessive pieds or clearwings would show up). As for the lutino and albino, I think I've pretty much figured out how those genes work now I know they're sex-linked, so yes, the simplest explanation is that the Dad is split for ino (X-normal/X-ino) and the albino and lutino are both girls (X-ino/Y) I'll try to get another photo of the albino. I'm not personally convinced yet about the brown on her wings. But it is a pretty cool family isn't it

Kernel is a very attractive bird. I love the name too :bluebudgie:

This is Quin's family. All of the children are from the same parents. Parents Dad - Pascal Mum Children Pickles Unnamed brother Hercules Quin Quin's younger sibling, just out of the box (the only one from the same clutch as Quin and the only one younger) My boyfriend says that she has some brown markings on her wings, but you can't see them in the photo. I haven't seen this one close up myself. Is it possible that she could be a lacewing? She has red eyes. Also, siblings not pictured: 1 lutino (all yellow, red eyes) 3 Normal light greens 1 Normal dark green (like Mum) So, what do you think of the genetics of that lot?

So was I right with the other question Nerwen? What about the part I didn't answer, can you tell me the answer?

I meant that green and blue are alleles. Not green and "ino", or blue and "ino".

This is Quin's cage. Click on the picture to link to a bigger one in my photobucket if you're interested. The dimentions are 47cm wide, 36cm deep, and 68cm high. The food containers are on a one of the short sides, and both the front and back or the cage have large doors. The "door" on what we are using as the front of the cage is made of clear acrylic that slides in and out. When it's out, the door is huge, and Quin can fly in and out very easily, landing straight on his perches inside the cage. When the acrylic has been in place, there have been a few times when Quin has flown into it, but not many. I think he's almost figured it out now. In the picture, the acrylic has been slid out. The back door opens like a trapdoor to provide a landing platform, but we prefer the acrylic door sa the front, because it is so much bigger, and it's wonderful not to have to look through bars to see Quin when the door is closed. Today, we added a calcium perch to the outside of the cage in the front so he has another way to get in and out of his cage, and also so he can enjoy sitting on his doorstep. Here's a different perspective... a budgie's eye view And Quin on his new perch

okay... let me see if I understand now... So, green + ino = lutino? and blue + ino = albino? So, to make sure: Albino and lutino are not the absence of other colour genes (like green and blue), but the expression of these colours is blocked by the "ino" gene. So a lutino could be a normal green, or a dark green "underneath", but these colours just don't show up because of the "ino"? I hope that's right, if not, I'm confused And another thing, I thought the blue gene was a different (recessive) form of the green gene, but still the same gene (ie I thougth that blue and green were alleles of the green gene). Is this correct or not? Sorry if I'm bugging you (or anyone else) :rip:. I just really want to understand the colours. I really appreciate the help

So, you're saying that a lutino has an extra "ino" gene rather than an absent blue gene. Or is it just a different form of the green gene? I'm not sure I get it... What do you get if you breed an albino with a lutino? Lutinos?

Where does the grey colour come from? I think I read that it is a modified version of the blue gene, is this correct? What about voilet, can someone explain where that comes from? I think I read that it's a result of the effect of multiple genes, but I've got no idea which, is it the dark factor (eg double factor dark and mauve at a guess)? Oh, oh, and what about lutino and ablino? The absence of blue and absence of both? Er... that doesn't make sense. okay, someone tell me By the way, I love the first picture, very cute

Pair One Blue Spangle cock X Green Normal hen okay, edited answer: 50% Green spangles, split green/blue, spangle/normal (=heterogygote for both genes) (males and females) 50% Green normals (males and females) (green/blue, normal/normal = heterozygote green, homozygous normal) Pair Two green cock/ clearwing X yellowwing hen er.... need more reading, no idea Pair Three Blue Pied (no iris ring) cock X Blue normal/ pied hen 50% pied (males and females), 50% normal blue (males and females) (blue/pied - split = heterozygotes) Pair Four Opaline Blue cock x Normal blue Hen 50% opaline females 50% normal blue males (blue/opaline - split = heterozygotes) Lots of fun, but a bit late to think properly now... so if I've made lots of mistakes I blame my sleepy head!

Maybe...? I mean, I'd like to know what makes a budgie olive/kaki green (or whatever the possible colours are officially called) rather than normal green. Or cobalt instead of skyblue. Or violet. If it's dark factors, then I'd like to know about them I'd like to know how lutino vs albino works too.... but I guess I can't hope for *all* my questions to be answered at once I have a lot It's very interesting. I've found out whether most of the pattern mutations are dominant, recessive or sex-linked, but I'd looooooove more nitty gritty about the body colours. Ahhh, genetics EDIT - thanks for the links, I'm looking now

Hey, I just found this thread. I didn't know you had lessons other than the clearwing/greywing/dilute etc one that's pinned Nerwen. Maybe this lesson should be pinned too, it's good Are there others? I'm guessing yes becuase this one is called Number 3... I'd like one on the genes that make up all the different shades of green and blue as a base body colour

I love his expression :(Laughing out loud):

What a great photo!