Chick Colours

[Iangodfrey1960]

Hi these two first timers have three chicks and i am surprised that all three seem to be normal greys

 

[sunnysmom]

I am not a baby tiel expert, but I think it's too soon to tell what they are. @Monica ? @CeciliaZ ? If you do have normal greys (which they would be split to something I believe) it's actually a good thing because normal greys are becoming rare.

Normal Grey - Just Cockatiels!

Your birds are very cute!

 

[iamwhoiam]

Beautiful parents and cute babies.

 

[Cassandra.c87]

Whats happened is since the parents don't share the same mutations the chicks have come out visually as the dominant "wild type" grey. to produce visual pieds both parents must carry the gene either visually like the father or split (where they have a white patch behind the head) since the mother is not pied or split pied you won't get any visual pieds
To produce a pearl the father MUST be a visual or split pearl as female pearls will only pass it down to sons as splits (hidden) since you don't have any pearls we can assume your male does not carry this mutation
But you look to have whiteface chicks, this means the father is split whiteface.
the chicks will be useful in future pairings though, as they will all be split pied and the males also split pearl

 

[Cassandra.c87]

Actually on my screen the chick closest to us looks like it could possibly be a cinnamon? (more pics can confirm or not) if it is then the male would be split cinnamon and the chick would be a female

 

[Monica]

Your whiteface pearl hen is gorgeous!

Cassandra is correct, in that it appears that you have whiteface and normal colored offspring. If there are no other hidden genes, you'll only get normals and whitefaces. All males will be split pearl pied and all females split pied.

 

[Iangodfrey1960]

Actually on my screen the chick closest to us looks like it could possibly be a cinnamon? (more pics can confirm or not) if it is then the male would be split cinnamon and the chick would be a female

Thanks very interesting here are some more pictures

 

[Iangodfrey1960]

I am also concerned about the youngest chick it does not seem to be developing feather growth size ect any input would be appreciated thank you

 

[Iangodfrey1960]

Actually on my screen the chick closest to us looks like it could possibly be a cinnamon? (more pics can confirm or not) if it is then the male would be split cinnamon and the chick would be a female

The chick now looks like its parents

 

[Iangodfrey1960]

Your whiteface pearl hen is gorgeous!

Cassandra is correct, in that it appears that you have whiteface and normal colored offspring. If there are no other hidden genes, you'll only get normals and whitefaces. All males will be split pearl pied and all females split pied.

Look at her/him now

 

[zoo mom]

They are beautiful.

 

[Tiel Feathers]

Such cute babies!

 

[Monica]

So we know the father is split pearl and mother split pied, since you have a normal colored, a whiteface, and a whiteface pearl pied chicks.

 

[Iangodfrey1960]

So we know the father is split pearl and mother split pied, since you have a normal colored, a whiteface, and a whiteface pearl pied chicks.

Hi dad is a pied mam is a whiteface pearl can you explain split to me please and will they always have a mixture of babies thank you

 

[zoo mom]

A split means that they are carrying the gene. Dad is a visual pied but he also is split pearl meaning he carries the pearl gene as well. Mom is a visual white face pearl but also is split pied meaning she carries the pied gene as well. This can be determined by the mix visual traits of your chicks. Some of their mutations are sex linked.

That is as far as I can explain because I don't know cockatiel genetics. But I did have a biology course in college that had a heavy section of genetics so I do understand the terminology and the general principals.

While it is probable that they will always have a mixture of chicks due to the laws of chance. It is possible that any given clutch could all be the same.

 

[Iangodfrey1960]

Thanks for that its interesting i am going to read up on it.