Genetics Tutorial

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Breeding Alexandrine Mutations: The Lutino

Introduction The Alexandrine is a beautiful bird similar in appearance to the Indian Ringneck. The characteristics that distinguish an alexandrine from an Indian Ringneck include red-brown shoulder patches, a wider neck ring and larger size. While the Indian Ringneck is available in several color mutations the Alexandrine is generally available only in the normal green. It is possible to produce Alexandrine  colour  mutations by hybridizing the Alexandrine with the Indian Ringneck. Such a program however requires a long term commitment, space and responsible breeding practices to be successful and to preserve the purity of both species. In this article a breeding program is outlined that breeds a sex-linked mutation such as Lutino into the Alexandrines. To start the breeding program you need a good normal Alexandrine and a Lutino Ringneck. There are two options at the start of the program. 1) A Lutino Ringneck cock paired to a normal Alexandrine hen 2) Normal Alexandrine c
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Getting Started with Breeding Ringnecks

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First of all you need to pick the right cage. Ringnecks require a minimum cage size of 24in x 24in x 48in. The front of the cage should be 24x24 with feeding stations. The depth should be 48inches with the nest box installed outside at the back of the cage. There should be a perch about 1.5-2in in diameter 6-8in from the back wall and just below the opening to the nest box. The logic behind such a setup is that the nest box should be farthest from human approach during feeding times. Birds feels secure in such an environment and are more likely to breed. The illustration below shows this setup. The mesh used for the cage should be rectangular weld mesh and not expanded metal mesh as shown in the picture. The nest box should be filled with white pine shavings 3in deep. The cage should be protected from direct wind and prolonged exposure to sun. While sunlight is great for birds, a shaded area in the cage should always be available to them. Once you have the setup in place, you
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Hand Rearing African Grey Chicks

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This blog will detail hand rearing of two African grey chicks. You may read about their parents and the clutch  here . The two chicks hatched on Jan 6 and Jan 9, 2012. They were pulled on Jan 22 with one aged 13 days and the other 16 days. The chicks were close banded on Jan 22. The band id of the chicks are SAUD-202 and SAUD-203 respectively. Here is their first photo and their data. SAUD-202 (L) SAUD-203 (R) 13 and 19 days Old ID: SAUD-202 Hatch Date: Jan 6, 2012 Pulled on: Jan 22, 2012 (16 days) Weight: 129g ID: SAUD-203 Hatch Date: Jan 9, 2012 Pulled on: Jan 22, 2012 (13 days) Weight: 117g The chicks are housed inside a homemade brooder made out of an old fish tank. The bottom is covered with wood shavings and lined on top with tissue paper. The brooder temperature is maintained at 90'F. The chicks hatched 3 days apart but their size does not differ significantly. The older chick had its eyes open at the time of pulling while
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