paulm

Hi Emmy it may show more colour. Paul.

Hi i can see something but not enough to tell from the photos could you post clearer ones so we might be of more help could it be that this hen is infact a very faintly marked CFW cock. Paul.

Hi It could be a CFW Pied as Clare says. Paul.

Hi Emmy The Pied chick are i would say from the pair of Pieds as the other pair i doubt are splits. Paul.

Hi Emmy Are you sure you didn't move two eggs as i doubt looking at he parents they are both split pied so the two pied chicks would be from the other pair. Paul.

Hi Emmy You do get hens with flank markings but they are usually white surrounded by the birds own body colour never seen a hen with orange flanks so my money is on a cock bird. Paul.

HI In silver the black marking are usually diluted to a shade of grey this is why silver and cream are called dominant dilute mutations as they dilute the colour of the bird. Get a few more shots of that last bird it looks a lot like a hen with some cock markings which you do get but im not sure.

First cock looks to be a Silver Black cheek and the other looks like a hen strange colouring,although its wing is down and it looks to be missing some of its feathering around the leg and flank, you can get the odd cock missing cheeks but a hen with some chest barring is more common.

I Agree with Dave look like CFW

Hi Yes Dave your right there if she were a Recessive white she would show no BC i didn't read it close enough and i agree she sounds more like a fawn cheek to me if she has brown cheek patches rather than black. Black cheek and Cheeked such as fawn cheek and grey cheek are not the same, Black cheek is recessive and the others are dominant. Paul.

HI Kerry It could well be split for BC you just never know where it will pop up once its around try breeding next year to a visual BC and see what you end up with. Paul.

Hi It all depends on what the hen is carrying if she is a white and has no CFW or Pied which as far as i'm aware you would not know till she has been test bred Trev would be right but if she is CFW Dave would be correct but with some of the birds also being split for White as it is a recessive mutation, But also another thing to bear in mind it the cock may be carrying unknow mutations himself. I might i ask does the hen birds have tear marks if not she is more than likely Recessive white. hello paul, "being an expert who do u agree with?" I wish i'm just a Hobbyist who loves his birds. From your Crest in your first year you should as Dave and Trevor say get crest offspring as crest is a dominant mutation "can't be carried hidden only visually" the production of them is random in a nest it could be a nest full of crested young or none at all and everything in between. Any Crested young you produce in this first year will be split Black cheek as will any none crest siblings, in your second year of breeding with the now grown crested young you can pair the to visual Black cheeks and hopefully produce Crested Black cheeks. Paul.

Hi Colly A phaeo is a Isabel Black Breast so if your bird is a Phaeo it should be full Black Breast and not split it could also if it has an orange chest be a orange breasted phaeo. Paul.

Hi The breeding result depend on if the White hen is also Cfw as well as white as some are, Cfw is a sexlinked mutation and White is recessive so work differently if the hen is not Cfw you will not produce Cfw coloured cocks but if she is you will "Norfolk i'm a little confused about what u mean when u say " 25% Normal/Black cheeked Chestnut flanked males" does it mean 25% normal grey with split of black cheeked chestnut flanked males? i don't understand how to make meaning of this. what does normal here mean? by normal do u mean grey color? After the slash "/" are u talking about the split?" Yes your right Normals is the term use for the Grey colour birds which is their Normal wild colour and the 25% Normal/Black cheeked Chestnut flanked males is as you thought, also Split is the term used in zebra finches for a carrier "a birds which carrys a hidden mutation" Crest is a Dominant mutation and should be bred to none crested birds dont pair crest to crest, if your aiming for Black cheek crests use the birds your meantioned to Black cheek birds in the second year. Paul.

Hi What are the parents?. The tear seems more brown than black and if theres no cheeked mutation in it may be it is just a CFW Fawn. I wouldn't breed Cheeked to Black cheek if you have them and want to produce more of them myself as ones a Dominant mutation and the other is a recessive mutation Paul.

Hello and welcome to the forum. Paul.

Hello and welcome to the forum. Paul.

Happy Birthday. Paul.

Hi Looks like a dark silver hen and a Silver Lightback cock. Paul.

Hello Sue It is the best practice to make the nest for the zebra finches before placing the nest box, then just give them a little extra when putting the nest box in to let them finish it to their liking.I would only advice giving more nest material once the eggs are laid if one of the pair starts to pluck feathers from the other to line the nest with, as this can sometime happen and if this does occure only give small amounts of nest material scattered around the cage. Paul.

Hi Emmy Its alway best to remove the nest once they fledge in my opinion, i Know the hen is no longer with them but they just dont need a nest once fledged the nest has done its job and there more of a breeding ground for germs than else where . Paul.

Hi Keiron Nice chick and i bet your glad to of been able to continue with this line as theres nothing worse than a good pair not breeding for one reason or another. Paul.

Hi Emmy If they have fledged remove the nest. Paul.

Hi You do have to becareful not to be in and out to much as this could make the cock stop feeding, can you not see into the nest with removing the chick i have doors on my cage fronts and simply turn the nest box around, this causes as little stress to the parents as possible and im in and out as quick as im able. Paul.

Hello and welcome to the forum. Paul.