A good comment in another post regarding buying flecked birds.

 

Is it something we should stay clear of or is it some thing that we can use?

 

 

Medium Flecking... (I've seen worst)

 

 

Light Flecking.

 

 

Clean Cap.

 

 

His father was a very flecked Opaline.

Edited March 10, 200916 yr by Daz

I have a few birds with flecking and think they are gorgeous!

Gosh I know I am going to cop it for saying all this but this is how I feel and at this stage what I believe.

Every breeder is different and have their own ideas and I probably am wrong as I am only a beginner but Greg has been breeding Budgies for 38yrs and he has seen all the changes and he also thinks the flecking taken off the show bench.

 

 

But your last baby picture hasn't gone through the moult yet Daz.

There are all sorts of debate over this,

I know if A bird is so good in every other way most people breeders show and use that bird in their breeding.

But I think it looks horriable and I am trying to keep it out of my birds. I do have some mild flecking which I don't really like.

There has been a lot metioned about this and there are people out there including myself that say when a bird with heavy flecking are shown a judge should disqualify them and that will help to eliminate them from the shows because while the judges pick them to win and they do win even at National level breederes will continue to use them in their breeding programs.

I know they are excellent birds but once that flecking is in it is hard to get out.

Edited March 10, 200916 yr by splat

Sorry Splat that was an old picture of him. Here he is a bit latter.

 

 

This is Sook today for those that have been to my aviary and have seen him.

 

 

This is his brother Sir. He won Champion Young Bird of show in 2007.

 

 

Here is the sister.

 

 

Now I didn't mention if it was good or bad to buy flecked birds. I'm puting it out there for discussion.

 

 

For those that breed recessive pied....

 

Edited March 10, 200916 yr by Daz

I have a Rec Pied like that which I got from Gary Armstrong. I don't mind it in Recessives but I'm dead against it in my Opalines.

That's my viw to Renee nut like Dz and Heath and both said if the bird is excellent in every other you would have to use and I do agree with that but there should be no plce on the show bench for such a bird.

Well you have proved that not all young will be flecked but it still probably carried the gene,

How heavy flecking are the parents Daz?

Flecking !!!!I'm happy to use birds that are flecked mainly opaline and cinnamon opaline hens. My Breeding strategy used to be, to breed 100% show budgies(ie all young i wanted to be show birds), until a few years ago. I now have the view that we should only attempt to breed only a small proportion of show birds (eg 25%) and the bulk of my young to be stock birds. Hence my willingness to use flecked birds. Flecked birds usually carry great spot and depth of mask. Until someone can show me a way of increasing spot size another way i will keep using flecked birds.As a judge we see too many stock birds on the show bench. My Opaline Cinnamon hen that came 3rd at last years nationals is flecked, but still a great bird. Both her parents are clean, sisters are have a degree of flecking, brothers are clean. Every chick she has given me so far has been clean.Flecking is only a feather originated problem. Whats worse a bird with a structural problem (poor backline, narrow head etc) or a bird with flecking????? and if flecking does detract from the bird what about Pieds with no SpotsJudging Flecked birds thats another great discussion!!!!

I have a Rec Pied like that which I got from Gary Armstrong. I don't mind it in Recessives but I'm dead against it in my Opalines.

Renee - why would you be happy to have it in recessives and not opalines???

okay great point Heath, might look at it in a different prospective now as we are all trying to improve, my point was I was scared it would take over but it sounds like it won't because up till now have culled any thing that throughs heavy flecking and their young.

So even this post is a learning point for me.

I have a Rec Pied like that which I got from Gary Armstrong. I don't mind it in Recessives but I'm dead against it in my Opalines.

Renee - why would you be happy to have it in recessives and not opalines???

 

Because Heathrow it's a matter of taste. I like nice big Opalines with clean caps. For some reason I don't mind it so much in Recessives.

 

Having said that I do have a syndicate bird bred for me last year By Cec Gearing that has flecking and almost black wings and I'm at a complete loss who to pair her to .... my Spangles perhaps?

 

Here she is next to the Greywing hen:

Shes lovely Hen Renee, really good cap feather.

Shes lovely Hen Renee, really good cap feather.

 

Yes, she's not bad at all. I believe her parents were Ganzer birds.

 

Would you say she has heavy melanine and be well suited to a Spangle pairing Heathrow?

I now have the view that we should only attempt to breed only a small proportion of show birds (eg 25%) and the bulk of my young to be stock birds. Hence my willingness to use flecked birds. Flecked birds usually carry great spot and depth of mask. Until someone can show me a way of increasing spot size another way i will keep using flecked birds.

 

I think one of the first posts i made on this board was about how flecking was a horrible trait to have in your stock and even worse to have on the show bench. Having had the opportunity since to talk to some of the most long standing breeders in NZ, they have almost completely agreed in their comments which match those of heathrow - when they tried to clear out their flecked birds, they lost the great spots. The said breeding a longer and wider feather created a requirement for more melanin. More melanin results in flecking in the cap, but fixes the spots. Again, they said what heathrow said - they keep the flecked birds, especially hens, as great breeding stock to fix small or weak spots in cocks. There is a happy medium to be achieved - long, wide, large spots on a good wide mask that have great colouration thanks to a flecked parent, but no flecking in the head thanks to a parent without flecking. Sometimes two flecked parents can produce clean capped well spotted offspring, but they told me that is usually because they have a long standing idea of the breeding expectations in certain lines or birds.

 

Long story short, as far as show birds go, I am not ashamed to say I have eaten my hat Most things in budgie breeding seem to come down to balance eh?

Shes lovely Hen Renee, really good cap feather.

 

Yes, she's not bad at all. I believe her parents were Ganzer birds.

 

Would you say she has heavy melanine and be well suited to a Spangle pairing Heathrow?

 

The trouble with opaline spangles is that poorer marked opalines get used hence a badly marked opaline spangle. She looks to have well defined opaline marking and that should throw a well marked opaline spangles. The dark melanine helps but i think it's more to do the definition of the marking.

This is a really informative post and yes Heath I am changing the way I look at flecking.

Shes lovely Hen Renee, really good cap feather.

 

Yes, she's not bad at all. I believe her parents were Ganzer birds.

 

Would you say she has heavy melanine and be well suited to a Spangle pairing Heathrow?

 

The trouble with opaline spangles is that poorer marked opalines get used hence a badly marked opaline spangle. She looks to have well defined opaline marking and that should throw a well marked opaline spangles. The dark melanine helps but i think it's more to do the definition of the marking.

 

Thank You Heathrow!

Flecking can be useful. I used it. But you just need to know how to pair and to keep good records.

 

I am looking forward to pairing the Flecked Opaline to a good broad shouldered hen.

 

 

I like the facial features and length but need to put in the power. There is a German that loves power... names his birds Atlas and Hercules... I don't mind that consept.

Daz - I'd use him, looks to be pulling a bit, but nice feature and feather around the face, and great spot

As I said on the other post,until they penilise flecking on the show bench.

Breeeders will keep breeding & showing them.