*Nerwen*

colony breeding can have issue with fighting of hens over boxes which is why BJ states more boxes than hens. It is doable many here don't wish to do colony breeding as they have records of their birds and their relations either for personal or showing reasons . If you are not worried about being 100% of who the dad is and just want to enjoy these birds then Colony isn't a problem - be sure to watch behaviour well for any trouble makers. Oh and they can breed with just one pair -having 2 breeding gives the change to move chicks if they are not being feed or eggs if one has too many in her nest.

agree with BJ .

welcome - love the stories of how your birds got their names. Can't wait to see some pictures.

that vet sounds wonderful! i will keep her for sure. Sorry to hear that it is French moult. you are doing super with all of them. Hope the tests give a clear answer.

sounds like a plan - hope it works out, you should show us the pairs and outcomes.

Good Luck Daz. IS there a type you are aiming for? From memory you liked spangles and recessive pieds.

Robyn - i must just have to steal him

yep love that book.

wonderful work Aus, you have a great looking bird there. Is this one staying inside as a pet or joining the rest?

sky, Cobalt and Mauve are due to a dark factor - if a parent has one it can be given to half the offspring. Yes a recessive pied can be split for other recessive genes which is bred to the same genes will appear in the nest. Personal choice on how you like your budgies to look. I rather like the slightly larger bird but with slim line feathers.

are they just in a cage or have you also supplied a box? some hens show no interest until they have a safe nesting site. They don't mate for life but watching my flock they don't swap around often. I've had one couple set for over a year together in the flock but then another I took out as he was bonding to the wrong bird (he was put into a breeding cage with another) once back in the flock he has since paired up with another hen.

I was wondering if she was spangle with the unfocused picture above. May mixed spangle for greywing. What does her tail look like? The quill of the tail too (black, clear,grey?) I gave details of information known - many birds are split for something but it is part of the fun when using bird you don't have a history for. I di not state any dark factors as the Ino hen could have any, that will show in the young if you get sky and cobalt. Hilly may be right and the recessive is greywing.

when I used show budges in with my pets sized ones the chicks where slightly larger than mum in the end. One was more feathers than a big build compared to siblings

no it is only sex lined genes that have to appear on the female if both parents are not showing the gene. Recessive is different it can be carried by both genders. In the example above it is a tricky answer. If the young was a type 2 yellowface it would be the male that is split (carries) the gene as the gene can not be carried unseen in a normal blue bird. However type 1 yellow face gene can have an affect where the bird looks normal but in fact has two genes for yellow face (double factor) so when the young get one gene from the hen it will appear yellow face. In either care the chick can still be either gender. easier example: normal blue male and normal blue female - recessive pied young. This means both of the parents are slpit (carry) the recessive pied gene and the chick can be either gender. Sex linked example: normal blue male and normal blue female - Cinnamon young. This bird has to be female and the father gave the split gene to her. hope this is understandable.

Do you have the space for an extra brd plus young (even if for a while)?? I agree with Hilly, blue, yellowfaces and pied seem to be popular with people looking for pets but others are happy with normals if the bird is well behaved and happy to be with them.

Recessive Pied Cock and Albino Hen 100% normal blues All split recessive pied Males split ino Dom pied cock and Yell Face Dilute Are you sure she is dilute? I would love a better shot to see if she is type one or two yellowface as your male is type two. He is also opaline. Below are based on what you state and what I see Dom pied opaline yellow face type 2 cock and yellowface (type 2 for now) Dilute Yellowface dom pied Yellowface blues All hens opaline All Split Dilute

agree the best way is to train her to leave and enter the cage on your finger.

welcome. How long have you had them? How long has the box been there? Do you know they are both of breeding ages? You said you THINK you have a male and female, You should get that confirmed before moving onwards with breeding

Keep in mind their beak is their hands, it is how they examine the world so if it isn't painful she is learning her new world. Only train her out of bad biting - where the latch on hard. You should keep in mind your actions as well: did you move too fast and scare her, was she happy doing something else at the time?

yep we all have to start somewhere with budgie genetics and I think you did great trying to work them out yourself first. Adding ti Jodies info - yellow face is dominant to the normal blue gene. and there are three types: yellow face type one: pale yellow mask, white wings and body is all blue. Type two: yellow mask, yellow wings, body will get 'bleeding' of yellow into the feathers making them green (chest area), and Goldenface: Deep yellow mask, yellow wings, body will get 'bleeding' of yellow into the feathers making them green, some times these birds can almost appear normal green.

ALL the males from that pair (ino hen non ino male) would be split for the gene. Hens can not be spilt for sex linked genes. if you use a split male with the ino hen then you will get some of both genders. I use INO for the gene nothing to do with colour.

Jodie Cinnamon on who?? I don't see it on either of them

you male isn't " yellow face type two normal green" he is just normal green. The yellowface part is in relation to a gene for white bases birds (blues) as all greens have yellow faces. You are correct that she is opaline but not greywing - tail and flight feathers are normal dark colour not greyish.

correct,

That would make her cinnamon. Can you share any pictures of her and chicks.