Hello Everyone! South Africa

[Chanty 4]

I have finally decided to formally Introduce myself... 

 

My name is Chantel and I live in South Africa.  I am fairly new at keeping Zebra Finches and have been, well kind of addicted to expanding my knowledge about these little zebbies. I love all the different color mutation and possibilities. It is great reading all the conversations on this forum; to learn about everyone's experiences.

 

I currently have 6 Zebra finches with my 2 newest additions: 

 

I think the first one is a silver, but I am not sure at all. The second one well, grey cheek, and then I noticed she has no tear marks, so the research continues!

 

 

   

 

[Andyn 534]

Hello Chanty and welcome to the Forum.

 

From your photos those birds look pretty good.

 

I'm not into any of the mutations but I know that Orange Breast don't have tear drops so I think Black Breast is the same and it doesn't look like a Penguin either.

 

Other members with much more knowledge of mutations will no doubt let you know I'm sure.

 

Don't be worried about asking questions and perhaps we will see you enter our monthly Photo competition. (just drumming up business  )

 

Enjoy!!

[Chanty 4]

Thank you so much!  I love taking photo's of my birds, so you will most definitely see my photo's in the competition soon. 

[MrMe3257 28]

Black Breast have tear marks but there thinner than normal and if you look at the tail feathers they are either like hourglass shaped if the birds split for black breast or the tail has horizontal stripes.

 

Welcome to the forum Chantel

 

 

Stephen

[Emmy 528]

Welcome to the forum Chantel

Don't be afraid to ask even if you think it may be a silly question- I've asked a few of those in the past and they turned out (most of them lol) not to be silly at all and they all get answered.

Love your photographs thanks  for posting them.

Emmy

[Chanty 4]

Thank you for the warm welcome Emmy!

 

Thank you Stephan; I tried last night to get a picture of those tail feathers hoping that I would be able to see better on the pics, cause she's still new to her environment she won't sit still for me...not that I would be sitting still if someone was trying to photograph my behind

 

I managed two pics that wasn't too bad;

[MrMe3257 28]

That bird has the hourglass markings so its split for black breast.

 

Stephen

[Chanty 4]

Thank you Stephan, so I'm going to need a male black breast as well!

[MrMe3257 28]

It depends on what for because I've bred a bb split male with a cfw and gotten three bb chicks.

[Ozzy747 25]

Black breast usually do not have a tear drop.....split black breasts have thinner tear drops generally. I cant see a tear drop on your bird but the tail does not suggest 100% bb so im a little confused.....other more experienced members may help.......Welcome to the forum.

Scott

[MrMe3257 28]

Heres a picture of what a BB tail looks like and Im not sure if you can see it but it has a tear marking.

[Chanty 4]

Very Interesting...

 

Thank you Scot, me too the more I research on the possible mutations the more confused I get.  

 

I see the tear thank you MrMe, my hen definitely has no tear marking at all unless it blends in perfectly with her grey cheeks, that's exactly why I'm so confused about her. It looks a little orange by her tail feathers. And then I was thinking; when I bought her she was in a cage with only black cheek zebra finches, maybe there is an explanation in there somewhere...

[MrMe3257 28]

black cheeks tear markings cant be seen as its all black but I'm not sure about the grey cheeks as I currently don't have any so maybe other members may know.

[Clare L 175]

Hi Chantel,

 

Welcome to the forum

 

The zeb in the first pic is a fawn hen, but the zeb in the second pic, is

 a Black Cheek Silver Hen, Silver is a dominant dilute mutation so will reduce all black areas down to a light grey hence silver, this is why she seems to have grey cheeks, but is in fact a Black Cheek. 

Best to pair to a normal or fawn male if you pair to a fawn male you might get cream hens ( dilute of fawn)

 

Dominant mutations should not be paired together

 

Hope this helps, tried not to complicate it to much

The BC Sliver hen is very nice I have one myself, wish you all the best with her.

Enjoy the forum

 

Clare

[norfolk flyer 208]

Hi Chantel,

                   First of all welcome to the forum and hope you enjoy your stay on here,

 

Mutations are not as hard as people make out, just concentrate on the colours you have and once you are used to seeing your colours then move on to other colours. if you try and look at nearly every mutation it does become a bit of a minefield.

 

You can look at www.efinch.com good photo's and good info, well worth a look,

 

it will also clear up the BB markings for you,

 

In your photo's I can see a Fawn hen (single), CFW male with a BC ?,

 

Have you another pic of the BC in the flight would be good please the colours would come across more natural,

 

Hope this helps you (efinch),

 

All the best,

 

Trevor

[Chanty 4]

Thank you all for your help you have made it much easier for me.

 

Thank you Trevor and Clare; my pictures’ color isn't coming out accurate most probably due to their cage back and side board being wood, so I guess the reflecting light is making it hard to get her right color to show on the pictures.

 

But from all of your advice, I think she is split to BB due to the the markings in the tail as Stephan said (1^st Pic):

 

 

Then I think she must be BC because she was in a cage with a lot of blackcheeks (when I bought her) and because she doesn't look like a grey cheek at all – the dilution of the cheeks maybe as Clare says, there is another light mutation involved like silver. I got this female (2^nd & 3^rd  Pic -middle-) with her and they are both about 6-7 months from the same cage, might be from the same nest... Sorry the pictures aren't very good.