renee

Alas, it is crystal clear. okay, back to the drawing board. What are my chances if I pair a Dark Green to a Cobalt? Will the odds of a Dark Green DF1 increase and is this the best way to produce them?

Now THAT is a good answer!~!! Thank You PT.Just going back to what you described earlier about the difference between a Dark Factor Green 1 & 2: My understanding is you HAVE to use Cobalt to Light Green pairing to produce a Dark Green DF1?I mean, put it this way, you need the DF Blue to make DF Green?!? RIGHT?

I'm following you on the Type 1 and Type 2 Dark factor Greens. My question is How can you breed a Type 1 and Type 2 Dark Green and Which combination produces more Olives?

Go for it and tell us how it goes!

Sorry it didn't work out for you this time around. Try putting her to an experienced cock bird next time - that should help, it just sounds as if she wasn't ready emotionally to cope with the process. Having fosters lined up if she has problems should help too.

If she is not hot or stressed I would venture that she is adopting the "mating" position - back arched and tail in the air .... plus the chewing - it sounds like she wants a bit of hanky panky

Well the mercury is definitely rising today and I wouldn't be surprised if we cracked the 40C even though top temperature is forecast as 37C .... But for the first summer since we started with aviary of budgies I am not stressing out and rushing out to check on them every 15mins. They have cool water, the sprinkler system is working fine, and while they may go to ground I know that come the cooler weather later this afternoon they will all get up and be fine. Also we a re peaking today and cooler weather is forecast for the week with temperatures rising again next week end so they'll have a few days of respite. The trickiest time is when we have continuous scorchers .... it usually starts around Christmas, in fact I heard one horrid prediction that Boxing Day this year will be 45C - aaaaauuuuugh! When you have up to ten days of 40C+ days it gets difficult .... but I guess we will face that when it comes ...

I await with baited breath

Now a story like this is enough to warm the cockles of your heart

I had a couple of chicks like this this year, both from the same hen. In the first instance I didn't do anything believing there was nothing much I could do and the little chap has gone on to thrive - albeit with a wonky leg. The second time around I recognized that probably the way the hen was sitting had something to do with it and I fostered the chick to another nest and the leg issue corrected itself within the week. I have since come to the realization that the hen tends to place her keel bone just on the hip and this is what cause the little leg to splay outwards.

Now this is exactly what I got from the pairing of a Lute cock to other Lute hens. I'm afraid it is a definite deformity and this chick needs to be sent to God.

Of the two - This one has a better face. It will be interesting to see pics of the hens and see if the balance out the faults in the cocks.

I think they look very promising!

Bets of Luck! Keep us updated.

Not particularly but its not about colour... its all about the bird Spoken like a true Show Breeder!

I think so too .... I espy my my little eye : Directional Feather!

Sorry to hear that Levi was sent to God Please let us know the results of the post mortum. You are doing the right thing by having your birds checked out by the vet - best to err on the side of caution so that more do not suffer the fate of Levi.

What could of caused that to happen and will they eventually grow them? French moult?

You'll have to wait for the experts to come on line, I haven't bred any mauves yet and don't know what they look like.

Not correct. The sex linked gene means that a hen is either Ino or not and cock birds can be Ino or Split Ino. If a split Ino cock bird is mated to any other variety cock bird you do have a chance of a Ino hen popping out. If an Ino hen is mated to a Normal hen some cock chicks will be split Ino. Because Inos can mask other varieties you do have cases when you put 2 Inos together and not all the chicks are visually Inos. Hope that helps.

Hi Deb, Unfortunately YES parents can pass on genetic weaknesses and a weak disposition. However, I have never heard of a case like yours where the chicks are unable to fly. I will leave that to other members to address. All I can recommend is you do not breed from this pairing again.

I await with baited breath

Actually I had an inkling of this, hence the post Please can you explain further the linkage that exists between the Dark and Blue Factors.

This next breeding season I want to intentially breed some Olives for my Lute line. So please correct my theory: Cobalt is the corner stone of Dark Factors So to get Dark Green I bred a Cobalt to a Light Green (seem to have plenty of them ) And to get Olive I need to breed Dark Green to Dark Green, Correct? (This is not a trick question, I am just starting out with my Dark Factor lines)

I am afraid this is quite normal. Your original 2 budgies have bonded so Duncan is seen as an intruder ... I'd get a few more to even things out but even then you are going to find that a couple of budgies are more popular than the others - this happens in an aviary situation, there is always a "pecking order" ... and sometimes some budgies can be bullies.