ForpusAviary.com

Genetics

Here is my “cowboy genetics” (the class I had at Texas A&M) lesson on Pacific Parrotlets.

All current Pacific Parrotlet color varieties are known to be autosomal recessive with the exception of some pied birds in Europe which are autosomal incomplete dominant. Autosomal recessive birds can carry one or two genes for a color variation but will only show that color variety (Blue) if that bird receives at least one of these genes from each of its parents.

For example:

Normal cock X blue hen = normal colored chicks split to blue.

Normal X blue
Genes Passed	blue	blue
Normal	Normal/blue	Normal/blue
Normal	Normal/blue	Normal/blue

This is because the chicks only receive the blue gene from the hen and not the cock. If you then mated these normal colored chicks split to blue back to an unrelated blue bird you would expect:

Normal split to blue X blue = 50% chicks to be blue and 50% to be Normal split to blue.

Normal/blue X blue
Genes Passed	blue	blue
Normal	Normal/blue	Normal/blue
blue	blue	blue

This is because only 50% of the chicks would receive one gene from the Normal split to blue parent and all of the chicks would receive two blue genes from the visual blue parent. Remembering that they have to receive one color gene from both parents to express the trait would tell you that half of the birds will be normal split to blue.

Those are the basics but I hope to cover more on this subject soon.

If you would like to see a great site on parrot genetics go to the non “Cowboy” site at: The Genetics of Color in the Budgerigar and other Parrots. This site does a great job of explaining the intricacies of this science.

Here are some other combinations and their expectations:

Normal/blue X Normal/blue
Genes Passed	Normal	blue
Normal	Normal	Normal//blue
blue	Normal//blue	blue

lutino X blue
Genes Passed	blue	blue
lutino	Normal/lutino/blue	Normal/lutino/blue
lutino	Normal/lutino/blue	Normal/lutino/blue

Normal/lutino/blue X Normal/lutino/blue
Genes Passed	Normal	lutino	blue	lutino/blue
Normal	Normal	Normal//lutino	Normal//blue	Normal//lutino//blue
lutino	Normal//lutino	lutino	Normal//lutino//blue	lutino//blue
blue	Normal//blue	Normal//lutino//blue	blue	blue//lutino
lutino/blue	Normal//lutino//blue	lutino//blue	blue//lutino	Albino

Normal/lutino/blue X lutino/blue
Genes Passed	lutino	lutino/blue
Normal	Normal/lutino	Normal/lutino//blue
lutino	lutino	lutino//blue
blue	Normal/lutino//blue	blue/lutino
lutino/blue	lutino//blue	Albino

Lutino/Blue X Blue/Lutino
Genes Passed	blue	lutino
lutino	Normal/lutino/blue	lutino/blue
blue	blue/Lutino	Albino

Albino X blue/lutino
Genes Passed	blue	blue/lutino
blue/lutino	blue/lutino	Albino
blue/lutino	blue/lutino	Albino

Albino X Normal/lutino/blue
Genes Passed	Normal	lutino	blue	lutino/blue
blue/lutino	Normal/blue/lutino	lutino/blue	blue/lutino	Albino
blue/lutino	Normal/blue/lutino	lutino/blue	blue/lutino	Albino

If you have any questions just shoot me and e-mail: Brent.Gattis@ForpusAviary.com