recessive genes (gcc)

[avoltin]

So i have a 1.5 year old green cheek and i was wondering if he carried the turquoise hidden gene. He's a yellow-sided, crimson bellied so he has a lot of color mutations as well as tiny parts of turquoise between the grey on his head and green on his back as well as another section above where his red tail feathers meet his green backside.

[Harpmaker]

Welcome to the forum, avoltin! Enjoy your stay.

Alas, I know nothing of GCC genetics, so I can't help you there. They do seem to have quite a few color variations.

[GMV]

I would bet the only way to know for sure is a DNA test

[Wolf]

Since it is a recessive color mutation it is probably a sex linked gene and it depends upon whether it is carried by the female or by the male. I saw your post and the last site that I visited was crap, but I am looking for an answer for you. I will get back to you as soon as I know something useful for you.

[Pajarita]

No, Turquoise is not sex-linked, it's a plain recessive so there is no way to tell visually if a bird is split to it or not. The only way to know is to see the parents or, after you breed it to another, what the babies come out looking like. DNA does not tell mutation.

[GMV]

No, Turquoise is not sex-linked, it's a plain recessive so there is no way to tell visually if a bird is split to it or not. The only way to know is to see the parents or, after you breed it to another, what the babies come out looking like. DNA does not tell mutation.

DNA does not tell mutation?

[Pajarita]

Nope. Not that it could not if they identified the exact mutated gene and look for it (we can now tell which mix of breeds a dog is through a similar process) but the DNA they do for birds is just for gender. Besides, nobody would pay for that kind of test because, if you are a breeder, you acquire your breeding stock already knowing which bird is split to what.

[Wolf]

it was my understanding that splits are because it is a sex linked gene. Meaning that it is only carried on one chromosome being either the x or the y, and not both. Still researching this, but it does appear that the only way to know is through knowing the parent or through breeding it .

[Pajarita]

No, both males and females can have a recessive mutation gene (when you have a mix of dominant and recessive, the bird will be a visual dominant -meaning normal coloration- but, when you have only recessive genes, the bird will come a visual mutation). The sex-linked part comes from the fact that when you breed two splits, the ones that come out visual are hens because that particular mutation is carried in the female sex chromosome.