We now have 3 chicks from a brood of 5 (two were infertile). Not at all clear on varieties and colouring of budgies yet, but female is green normal while male is much paler green. Two chicks are BLUE, one is Green !! How can this be ???

Your parent birds are split for blue. So the green shows up but they have a gene hidden from sight for blue. The two chick both got a single blue gene from the parents and the blue showed, the green baby only got one blue the other green and so shows up green, but he too is split for bluw.

We now have 3 chicks from a brood of 5 (two were infertile). Not at all clear on varieties and colouring of budgies yet, but female is green normal while male is much paler green. Two chicks are BLUE, one is Green !! How can this be ???

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Your parent birds are split for blue. So they carrie the blue gene. Both your green birds must have had a green and a blue parent. Hope this helps.

And if I am wrong Pass will let you know.

 

Love to see some pics if you get the chance

We now have 3 chicks from a brood of 5 (two were infertile). Not at all clear on varieties and colouring of budgies yet, but female is green normal while male is much paler green. Two chicks are BLUE, one is Green !! How can this be ???

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Your parent birds are split for blue. So they carrie the blue gene. Both your green birds must have had a green and a blue parent. Hope this helps.

And if I am wrong Pass will let you know.

 

Love to see some pics if you get the chance

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

My thanks to Lady and Nerwen for their explanations. I've a lot to learn, must get a book on genetics.

Your parent birds are split for blue.  So the green shows up but they have a gene hidden from sight for blue.  The two chick both got a single blue gene from the parents and the blue showed, the green baby only got one blue the other green and so shows up green, but he too is split for bluw.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I think the green baby could also be a true green, getting one green color gene from each parent.

yes your right Rainbow I should have stated he 'could' be split for blue too

the parents would most likely be split for blue, but the odd thing about breeding budgies is that the hen can obtain sperm from a male and it can still be fertile after over a year. it is one of the weirdest things ive ever found. this is why some female budgies bought from large pet stores can go down to nest and still have fertile eggs.

 

hope this can shed some light on the situation.

 

Sco-tie,