Opalines

Posted February 15, 201015 yr

Just wondering does anyone here breed Opalines...? And maybe know of a reason why some many Oplaines bred have dirty backs...? I mean by the marked V on their back which is meant to bo clear... :mallet:

I have so many Opalines with dirty backs myself and was just wondering if anyone out there was actually breeding them to save the Opalines really... :laughter: Can these birds still be called Opalines...

I just couldn't stop thinking of the Opalines today while looking at my birds... Just had a moment of saddness....

Any thoughts guys...? I seek your wisedom... :raincloud:

February 16, 201015 yr

It's actually hard NOT to breed opalines these days as it's rare enough to come across cock birds who are not split for either opaline OR cinnamon OR both.

I'm not 100% sure about the whole "why it's happened" but my guess is that it's to do with the markings/spots that have developed over the years on in opalines. I have always been told that using opalines improves spot size so maybe there is some truth to the fact and opaline actually do carry more melanin generally which would also affect other parts of the bird including the mantle.

Because people concentrate on size and type rather than variety AND because in show bird opalines, mantles are rarely even considered, this variety has changed from it's original form.

I HAVE seen 1 or 2 clear mantled opalines but generally only on pet birds.

February 16, 201015 yr

hay darl well im here to say not only am i breeding show type,.. one of the reasons i chose to breed Opaline was to............. save the mantel and bring back the clear v

so far i think im doing okay my birds are not small but also not large the ones that i have managed to breed out with a resonly clear mantel

i have a long way to go but i did chose my pairings to try and rectify these lost beauties

im trying to keep all hens with clear mantels and from these i will be breeding them to the best marked normals not split to anything which im also breeding myself

then the cocks split to Opaline breed from the clear mantel hens will or should i will say carry the clear mantel gene

then its just a matter of keeping this line clear of anything thats split to Opaline from any birds that are not of clear mantel and from anything visually dirty

this includes flecked birds

Edited February 16, 201015 yr by GenericBlue

February 17, 201015 yr

Author

Thanks for that guys... I've been told the same thing Nubbly, opalines improve spots, so maybe they do carry more melanin than other varieties...

I checked my ANBC standard file before and in there it states that the Opaline should have a clear V but I don't think I have see many, if any with the clear V on their back on the show bench...

That is such good news GB, I have bred 7 birds from my everyday pairs and they have a pretty clear V on their back too... Which made me wonder why you see so many with the dirty back... I have noticed that they too are not as big as the parents, just like you said you are geting with yours... Maybe that is part of a clear V... We are getting a clear V and lossing some size for it...

Hmmm...