Hi all,

 

I've had this cock for 6 weeks now in his own cage under strict quarantine to make sure he is safe for my other budgies. I am about to release him into my aviary and took these photos before doing so. My next door neighbor gave him to me as he had to cull his flock and want

 

Is he a normal sky blue? or possibly a cobalt? I'm thinking more of a sky blue as I don't think he is dark enough for cobalt, but i'm still learning. He has a funny white spot on the back of his head that i've not seen on a budgie before. Is this a mutation?

 

 

Spot on the back of his head

 

 

 

Thanks for any help

 

Amy

Looks like it to me!

 

Spot on the back of the head indicates its split for Recessive Pied.

Thanks for confirming the colour for me! Good to see I'm starting to learn something haha even if it is something as basic as a normal budgie.

 

ooh and being split for Recessive Pied - that's a good thing right? :P sorry

ooh and being split for Recessive Pied - that's a good thing right? sorry

It is if you want to breed Recessive Pieds

Thats IS good.

 

When I'm ready to breed him, I'd like to try and get some Recessive Pieds out of him as I quite like them, though I'm not sure what hen I should pair him up with.

 

I'm in the process of making a bigger aviary which I will be able to split into 2 flight aviaries and a breeding room. Once that is complete I'd like to start breeding my birds.

 

I've just purchased A guide to Colour Mutations and Genetics in Parrots by Dr Terry Martin which I'm hoping will help me learn more about colours etc.

 

Are there any other recommendations for books I could look at?

When I'm ready to breed him, I'd like to try and get some Recessive Pieds out of him as I quite like them, though I'm not sure what hen I should pair him up with.

Recessive Pieds are a recessive variety gene which means you need to have a pair both carrying that gene in order to produce visual recessive pied offspring. Tha means you would have to pair this cock to a hen that is either a Recessive Pied herself or split for Recessive Pied.

I'm in the process of making a bigger aviary which I will be able to split into 2 flight aviaries and a breeding room. Once that is complete I'd like to start breeding my birds.

Good idea, you are going about it the right way.

I've just purchased A guide to Colour Mutations and Genetics in Parrots by Dr Terry Martin which I'm hoping will help me learn more about colours etc. Are there any other recommendations for books I could look at?

I suggest you join a Budgie Club and then you will be able to borrow books/DVDs etc from the library