Budgerigar Varieties

Cinnamons

Brian Byles

There was a time when Cinnamons were fine-feathered birds, shunned by all but a few top breeders because they did not wishing to see the size of their Normals dragged down by them. Times have changed. Since those early days, the make-up of this variety seems to have changed markedly and many of the best Cinnamons are now as good, if not better, than their Normal counterparts, winning major best in show awards.

Because of these changes, the advice which might have been given, say 50 years ago, no longer applies. These days, the best Cinnamons can be, and are, mated to the top Normals with excellent results. If there is a drawback to breeding Cinnamons, it is the fact that, because it is a sex-linked variety, once it is included in a stud, the variety can (if allowed to do so) take on a prominence which some breeders abhor. The answer is, of course, be strict when selecting the birds to be retained each year and keep only the very best. But the same advice can be given for all colours so the problem, as far as Cinnamons are concerned, is not easy to solve and, probably the best thing to do is change direction and build up the family of Cinnamons, rather than try to be too selective as a result of a whim.

Good Cinnamons can, of course, be used with Normals and Opaline Cinnamons and give breeders added choice, knowing that any youngsters produced from such matings can prove their worth in both in the breeding pen and on the show bench. If there is a drawback to having Cinnamons in a stud, it complicates the situation when Normal/Cinnamons are mated to other Dilutes. In fact, the cinnamon factor should not be allowed to mix with Greywings, and many Clearwing studs have been wrecked when Normals have been paired to Whitewings and Yellow-wings, in an effort to improve size and head qualities - not realizing that the Normals concerned were split Cinnamon.

If there is a problem when attempting to breed top-quality Cinnamons it is that of maintaining good body colour and getting the wings just right. All too often breeders tend to concentrate on overall size, type, mask and size of spots, neglecting to give due consideration to colour and markings. Poorly-coloured Cinnamons - whether too light or too dark - should be discarded, bearing in mind that the Budgerigar Society standard stipulates that body colour of Cinnamons should be 50% that of Normals. Cinnamons displaying opalescent markings on the side of the head should also be penalized and or discarded.

Dark Greens and Cobalts

Brian Byles

Dark factor birds - particularly Dark Greens and Cobalts - have a firm place in any serious exhibitor's stud, whether or not they are bred for their own qualities, or, as a means of maintaining the colour of other varieties. Many breeders find it difficult to breed dark factor birds which are as big as other normals. To achieve good size they are often mated to large Light Greens and Skyblues. Such matings not only improve size, they also have the required effect on width of head and depth of mask.

Grey Greens can also be used for this purpose, although it is often impossible to detect if these Grey Greens carry the dark factor. This may not deter most exhibitors, except the purists, who must know just what colours they can expect from their matings.

By the same token, Dark Greens and Cobalts, as already suggested, can be used to improve and maintain the colour of Light Greens and Skyblues. Breeders attempting to use dark factor birds, however, should take account of the fact that there are both Type 1 and Type 2 Dark Greens. Type 1 dark factors are produced by crossing Skyblues with Olives. Type 2 is produced by crossing Light Greens with Mauves. Dark Green/Blue Type 1 mated to Skyblue will produce more Dark Greens and Skyblues than Cobalts and Light Greens. Dark green/Blue Type 2 crossed to Skyblue will result in more Cobalts and Light Greens than Dark Greens and Skyblues. To clarify the position, remember that the dark factor of any bird described as Type 1 had its origin in the Olive and in Type 2 in a bird which was a Mauve.

Olives and Mauves are, on the whole, smaller and not up to the quality seen in Dark Greens and Cobalts. For this reason, many serious exhibitors, quite wrongly, neglect these colours. Certainly Olive × Olive, Olive × Cobalt, Cobalt × Cobalt, and to a lesser degree Dark Green × Dark Green or Dark Green × Cobalt, will result in offspring which are not as big as progeny from pairings which include a single dark factor stock, such as Skyblue × Cobalt and Skyblue × Dark Green. However they have a charm of their own, are very popular - so that they find a ready market - and the best can be mated to Light Greens and Skyblues.

Dominant Pieds

Bryan Byles

Because of its mode of inheritance, the Australian Dominant Pied should have found its way into most birdrooms. Suffice to say that, while some leading breeders, such as Doug Sadler and Barry Wilde, have excellent examples of the variety, it has not become as popular as it might have done since first appearing in the UK in 1957.

Pairing top-quality Normals to Dominant Pied should, and does, produce youngsters which have admirable qualities. They can have plenty of size and good heads. If there are drawbacks, it is because the Dominant Pieds bred each year frequently lack the variegation on the body which results in such birds being penalised on the show bench.

Too many birds these days also have solid body colour. Far too many are completely green, blue, grey or grey green on the body, depending upon variety, or go to the other extreme, are completely white or yellow.

The other failing which can, and does, stop many breeders from being serious about Dominant Pieds, is the fact that a lot do not display a fun set of spots - one or more being taken out by the variegation. Unfortunately, this fault is one, it seems, which runs in families and little can be done to stamp it out, although it is not unknown for Dominant Pieds with missing spots to produce youngsters with a full set.

Dominant Pieds do not, as a rule, have an adverse effect on the quality of other colours and varieties in a stud. Indeed, if they are good, they can enhance the Normals. It can, therefore, be seen that Normal × Dominant Pied and Dominant Pied × Normal matings can be extremely useful in producing quality exhibition stock, as can the use of Opalines, especially if large-spotted Opalines are paired to Dominant Pieds that have small spots. What is not recommended is pairing Dominant Pied to Recessive Pied, certainly if a top stud of one or the other, is the aim. Genetically they are not compatible, at least when attempting to breed exhibition birds, and faults, such as odd-eyed offspring only cause confusion among breeders and judges alike.

Grey Greens

Brian Byles

Grey Greens, because they are among the best birds seen on the show bench, receive the most attention from breeders whose ambition is to win best in show awards, irrespective of colour. But, even the most ambitious breeders don't like to breed too many Grey Greens, so they are regularly paired to Greens, Blues and Greys.

Historically, this has not had an adverse effect on the colour, and others have benefited into the bargain. Grey Greens, like Light Greens, can benefit from being mated to Opalines, but many champions keep only the best Opaline hens for this purpose. Opaline cocks are rarely used unless they are outstanding. Opalescent markings affect Grey Greens as much as they do other Normals so great care needs to be taken when selecting a breeding team. The golden rule should be: if any Normals show opalescent markings, discard them.

Light Greens and Skyblues

Brian Byles

A large number of breeders get hooked on Light Greens from the time they take up the hobby.

Many think that because the wild budgerigar is green, breeding top-quality Light Greens is easy. It is not. Many have tried to produce studs containing nothing but pure Normal Light Greens and have failed. Pairing Light Green × Light Green may seem to be the ideal mating, and it can result in excellent offspring, but it is not the ultimate answer.

Have a complete stud of Light greens - to the exclusion of all other colours - and over the course of several years, breeders can lose size and head quality.

Breeders are advised to use their best Light Greens with good Dark Greens, Skyblues, Cobalts, Greys and Grey greens - and not just other Light Greens. Top Skyblues - those with first-rate size and good heads - can be excellent mates for Light Greens, especially if they have good, deep, colour. The same applies to Grey Greens and Greys, both of which can be mated to Light Greens, although it is said that the Grey factor can deaden the colour of both Greens and Blues.

Fanciers who have good-quality dark factor stock - particularly Dark Greens and Cobalts - can use these birds to advantage with Light Greens because they will enhance the Light Greens' colour, a feature which can spoil an otherwise good exhibit.

Opalines can also be used to advantage with Light Greens, although care must be taken to avoid the opalescent markings on the side of the neck that can result when Opalines are mated to Normals. No Normals with opalescent markings should be included in a good stud of Normals. The fault can spread rapidly and give the owner little chance of winning against Normals which are free of this scourge. If there is this disadvantage to mating Opalines to Normals, there is also a lot to be said in its favour, in as much that quality Opaline hens provide chicks with good width of head and large spots - which can often be lacking when Normal hens are used.

Skyblues, like Light Greens, are best not paired to mates of the same colour, except in special circumstances. All too often, such matings can result in disappointment unless there is good size in both, and excellent head qualities, which tend to be lacking in all but top Blues. Size can be lost, and colour, and as a result, can become shallow and patchy. Greys are often excellent partners for good Skyblues because they frequently have better head qualities and more size than run-of-the-mill Skyblues.

However, to produce Skyblues, the Grey must be a single factor bird. Skyblue × Grey Green pairings can result in excellent Skyblues, but again, the Grey Green must be split Blue.

However, the make-up of the Grey Greens used for this purpose must be taken further into account. Certainly fanciers who wish to breed Skyblues should not use double factor Grey Greens which will mean producing nothing but Grey Greens.

Opalines

Brian Byles

It is unfortunate that for many years the Opaline has been neglected. While many are seen on the show bench, most, if not all, are by-products of good Normals, because the majority of Normal cocks - whether intentionally or otherwise - are split Opalines.

In the years just before, and for a time, after, the Second World War, the Opaline's excellent iridescent colour and first-class markings were there for all to see. These have been largely lost over the years because the variety has been mated consistently to Normals.

The advent of large, coarse-feathered birds has not helped the cause of good-coloured Opalines and there is a place for any breeders who have the foresight and perseverance, to concentrate on this variety.

There is a definite need for breeders to start selectively mating Opaline to Opaline so that, in the course of several generations, the colour and markings on the saddle and wings can be improved and not at the expense of size and head qualities.

Look at many of today's Opalines, and it is easy to see that they lack the all-important clear "V" on the saddle, and the wing markings leave a lot to be desired.

What is needed are breeders to bring together the very best of the variety, and use Opaline × Opaline matings to the exclusion of all others, if this important variety is to be improved.

Having suggested that - and there is a real need for breeders to concentrate on producing top-quality Opalines for their own sake - it is not hard to see that this sex-linked variety will continue to help breeders produce Normals that have not only good body size, but also width of head and large spots. All too often, breeders, and that includes those who should have known better, have excluded Opalines from their stock, only to find years later, that the birds they are breeding leave much to be desired.

Opaline hens, which frequently have wider heads than many Normals, have been discarded in an attempt to breed Opaline-free stock. Frequently, the mistake is discovered when it is too late and the stud in on the slide to mediocrity.

On the other hand, many leading breeders have made it a matter of policy to use the very best Opaline hens with their top Normal cocks. The Normal hens bred in this way will, in most cases, be better than those produced from Normal × Normal matings, and the best of the cocks should find their way in breeding and showing teams, despite the fact that they will be split Opaline. Indeed, if they are mated to Normal hens, there is still every chance of producing non-Opalines that are worth retaining.

Recessive Pieds

Bryan Byles

The progress which Recessive Pieds have made in recent years is an indication of what can be done when top breeders focus their attention on a recessive variety.

So what are the best pairings for Recessive Pieds? There is no getting away from the fact that this variety - like all others - will only make progress if the best stock available is used from the outset. Thankfully, because of breeders like Roy and Joyce Stringer, Ghalib Al-Nasser and his former partner, Ron Bissell, stock is available for those who wish to try this once neglected variety.

Wherever possible, Recessive Pied × Recessive Pied matings will certainly produce numbers from which the best can be selected for further use - but they must have plenty of size and good head qualities. The closer they are to good Normals, the better. Careful attention also needs to be given to wing markings, which will be penalised by judges if less than 10% or more than 20%.

Recessive Pied breeders have gone about improving their birds by carefully outcrossing them with Normals - but not Cinnamons, which obviously will dilute the markings of any Recessive Pieds bred in this way. Many of the best Recessive Pieds have been produced from Recessive Pied × Normal/Recessive Pied and Normal/Recessive Pied × Normal/Recessive Pied pairings. Quality can be much better when splits are used, but the number of Recessive Pied produced is low - just 25% of any offspring are likely to be Recessive Pieds, according to theoretical expectations, when Normal/Recessive Pied × Normal/Recessive Pied are paired together. The breeder also has the problem of not knowing which of the Normals produced are split for Recessive Pied.