By: Sandee L. Molenda, C.A.S.
It is important for anyone that wishes to breed color mutation Pacifics to spend a little time investing in planning and educating themselves before they buy their first pair of color mutations. This is both to protect the potential breeder from disappointment and to produce the healthiest, strongest color mutations possible.
One must remember that color mutations are, by definition, genetic abnormalities. They are desired genetic flaw, namely new color plumage that is not found on 'normal' or wild-type parrotlets. Breeding color mutations is done by perpetuating these desired genetic flaws. While we hope that we are only replicating the abnormal color gene, there is a risk other, not so desirable genetic flaw are also being produced. This especially true when working with new or recently introduced color mutations. That is the main difference between Pacific parrotlets and other types of hook bills that have long established color mutations such as lovebirds, budgies, Ring necked parakeets and cockatiels. Those birds have been bred for hundreds or even thousands of generations while parrotlet mutations have only been in the United States for around a decade or less. With care and consideration, however, one can produce color mutations that are just as strong and healthy as normal wild-type parrotlets.
The first rule of thumb is to try and avoid breeding related parrotlets as much as possible. This means do not breed father to daughter, mother to son or the worst, brother to sister. This is called "inbreeding". There is a reason in humans it is illegal to marry a relative and it is because of the high probability of genetic birth defects and it is the same in birds. In parrotlets, even breeding cousins is frowned upon and should be avoided. This is called "line breeding". While there may be circumstances under which inbreeding and line breeding may be utilized but it should only be done by genetics experts working with severely endangered, rare species or new spontaneous mutations that understand the risks and how to avoid them by 'out-crossing' to normal, wild-type parrotlets.
The next thing to avoid is breeding the same visual color mutation to one another. An example would be to breed a blue mutation to another blue mutation. While this is acceptable with other types of color mutation birds, parrotlets have not been bred long enough to eliminate genetic flaws with this type of breeding. This type of pairing can produce a variety of congenital and/or genetic problems such as low fertility, infertility, high instances of dead in shell embryos, smaller clutches, abnormally sized chicks, higher chick mortality rates, failure to thrive, offspring with weakened immune systems, abnormal feathers, birth defects and lethal genes.
Along those lines, one should never breed a red-eyed bird to another red-eyed bird. Even with other types of birds, one never should breed red-eyed birds together. This means fallows, albinos, cinnamons and lutinos should never be bred together. Severe birth defects have been known to occur such as blindness, absence of eyes and death.
Finally, it is important to also have normal wild-type Pacific parrotlets that are completely mutation-free to outcross with your mutation birds. This is the only way to ensure health, strength, vigor and vitality to your mutation lines. Otherwise, after a few generations, you can end up with a 'genetic bottleneck' with birds that have numerous genetic and increasingly severe genetic flaws.
Breeding unrelated double-splits, using yellow and blue, is as follows:
6.25% GG
12.50% BG
12.50% YG
25.00% GYBW
6.25% BB
12.50% BW
12.50% YW
6.25% YY
6.25% WW
GG = Normal Green
BB = Visual Blue
YY = Visual Yellow
WW = Visual White
BG = Blue Split
YG = Yellow Split
BW = Blue Split to White
YW = Yellow Split to White
GYBW = Green Split to Yellow, Blue and White
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I've heard albino can throw just about any color...
