Information on Pennants and Genetics
Our main interest is the breeding of mutation pennants, or crimson rosellas, so I've put together a short article that covers various information about keeping them, breeding, genetics etc.
Housing
Pennants need an aviary at least 9' long, 3' wide and 6' tall. Length is the most important thing, so go for at least 12' if you can. We use both 19 gauge wire and 16 gauge wire on our aviaries. If you are starting from scratch, go for 16g as it is more durable, but we have only rarely had a problem with pennants damaging 19g wire. They will need a draught proof enclosure to protect from the cold winds, which are probably the biggest threat to their health. None of our aviaries have a separate inside enclosure - instead we put plastic around them in the winter and this is very effective. When breeding (or whenever a nestbox is present), only one pair can be kept per aviary. If pairs are kept in adjacent aviaries, ensure they are double wired and/or a plywood board is put up between them. When they are not breeding, pennants can be kept in a community if the aviary is large enough, but keep a very close eye as fights may still develop.
Food
Pennants need a good quality parakeet mix (more than just sunflowers mixed with budgie seed). The books all state that they must have fruit regularly. We would disagree as none of our birds have had fruit for over a year, and they are now healthier than they have ever been. We have also just had our most successful breeding season. Softfood is readily taken.
Breeding
The books say that pennants breed at two years old. The truth is that some will breed at one year old and others will breed at two or three years old. We had a hen who didn’t breed until she was 5. Pennants will use a variety of parakeet nestboxes, average size probably being about 10” square and 18-20” deep. The size is not very important, as long as it is around the dimensions stated. If the birds show no interest in the box, try placing another box in the aviary in a different location, facing a different direction. When placing nestboxes, try to ensure that the inspection door is facing towards the entrance to the aviary. We have found that putting nestboxes outside the aviary makes for easy inspection and the birds are not disturbed.
Mutations and Genetics
In recent years, many mutations have appeared in pennants. These include blue, yellow, cinnamon, orange, pastel, lutino and pied. There are also combination mutations such as silver (blue and yellow), albino (blue and lutino) and black eyed white (blue, yellow, cinnamon and pastel). Mutations are generally sex linked, recessive or dominant. Recessive mutations in pennants include blue, yellow, recessive pied and pastel. Sex linked mutations include lutino and cinnamon. The only dominant mutation I know of is dominant pied. Orange works differently to all of these, and will be explained below.
Some common misconceptions are:
1. A hen can be split cinnamon or lutino. Incorrect - these are both sex linked mutations. (Note albino is a combination of lutino and blue).
2. A blue bird can be split orange. Incorrect - a blue bird with the orange factor will appear orange.
3. A normal cannot be split for orange if it appears red. Incorrect - orange will only appear on a blue bird. So a normal red bird could carry the orange factor but not show it.
4. If a pair of pennants comprise a normal cock, and a normal hen split blue, all the chicks will definitely have blue in them. Incorrect - only half the chicks will be split for blue.
5. Pairing a blue to a yellow will produce 100% silver chicks, or 50% blue and 50% yellow chicks. Incorrect - blue and yellow are both recessive mutations, so to produce either colour, both parents must carry it. This paring will produce 100% normal chicks, split for blue and yellow. The exception will be if either parent is split for the other colour.
Recessive Mutations
Firstly, recessive mutations. For a bird to be visual for a recessive mutation, both its parents must carry that mutation. For example, the following pairing would produce 100% normal chicks, all split for blue, as they only get the blue gene from one of their parents:
Cock: Blue
Hen: Normal
Chicks: 100% Normal split Blue
However if one of the parents was blue and the other split blue, the following would result:
Cock: Blue
Hen: Normal split Blue
Chicks: 50% Normal split Blue; 50% Blue
If both parents were blue:
Cock: Blue
Hen: Blue
Chicks: 100% Blue
This works the same for all recessive mutations. If both parents are each a different recessive mutation, the following would result:
Cock: Blue
Hen: Yellow
Chicks: 100% Normal split Blue and Yellow
If one parent is split for a recessive mutation, you would get:
Cock: Normal
Hen: Normal split Blue
Chicks: 50% Normal split Blue; 50% Normal
This is probably not the best combination as it is impossible to tell which of the chicks are split, and which ones aren’t. With recessive mutations, it is irrelevant whether it is the cock or hen which is visual for the mutation or split. With combinations of mutations, it gets more complicated, please email me if you have any questions.
Dominant Mutations
The only dominant mutation I am aware of is Dominant Pied. If a bird has the dominant pied gene, they will show it visually. Therefore, a bird cannot be split for a dominant mutation.
Cock: Single Factor Dominant Pied
Hen: Normal
Chicks: 50% SF Dominant Pied, 50% Normal
Cock: SF Dominant Pied
Hen: SF Dominant Pied
Chicks: 50% SF Dominant Pied. 25% DF Dominant Pied. 25% Normal.
The degree of pied on the chicks will vary. A double factor pied should have a greater percentage of pied markings.
Sex Linked Mutations
Sex linked mutations are different in that only cocks can be split for a sex linked mutation. If a hen has a sex linked mutation, she will be visual for it. So, it is impossible for a hen to be split for lutino or cinnamon. If a hen has lutino or cinnamon in her, she will be visually lutino or cinnamon. A sex linked mutation works like this (I have illustrated it with lutino, but it works the same with cinnamon):
Cock: Lutino
Hen: Normal
Chicks (Cocks): 100% Normal split Lutino
Chicks (Hens): 100% Lutino
Cock: Normal
Hen: Lutino
Chicks (Cocks): 100% Normal split Lutino
Chicks (Hens): 100% Normal
The above two combinations explain why cocks who visually display a sex linked mutation are generally more expensive.
Cock: Normal split Lutino
Hen: Lutino
Chicks (Cocks): 50% Normal split Lutino; 50% Lutino
Chicks (Hens): 50% Normal; 50% Lutino
Cock: Normal split Lutino
Hen: Normal
Chicks (Cocks): 50% Normal split Lutino; 50% Normal
Chicks (Hens): 50% Normal; 50% Lutino
Orange
Orange works differently to the other mutations. It works similar to violet in budgerigars. The orange mutation is only visible on a blue bird, and can be double factor or single factor. It is impossible for any bird that is visually blue to be split for Orange. This includes silvers and albinos. A double factor orange is a darker, more rusty colour than a single factor. So any other mutation (yellow, cinnamon) that has the orange factor will not show it. The orange factor will also show up on silver or albino birds, since visual blue is a component of both of these mutations.
Cock: Orange (Single factor)
Hen: Normal
Chicks: 50% Normal split Blue with Orange Factor (Single); 50% Normal split Blue
If one of the parents is a double factor orange, 100% of the chicks would carry the orange factor.
Cock: Orange (Single Factor)
Hen: Orange (Single Factor)
Chicks: 25% Orange (Double Factor); 50% Orange (Single Factor); 25% Blue
Cock: Orange (Single factor)
Hen: Blue
Chicks: 50% Orange (Single Factor); 50% Blue
Again, if one of the parents is a double factor orange, the above pairing would produce 100% Single Factor Orange chicks.
Here are a few examples of combination mutations – there are far too many to list, so please email me if you have any questions:
Cock: Silver Orange (Single Factor)
Hen: Yellow
Chicks: 50% Yellow split Blue with Orange Factor (Single); 50% Yellow split Blue
Cock: Black Eyed White
Hen: Cinnamon Pastel
Chicks: 100% Cinnamon Pastel split Blue and Yellow
Cock: Normal split Lutino and Blue
Hen: Albino
Chicks (Cocks): 25% Albino; 25% Lutino split Blue; 25% Blue split Lutino; 25% Normal split Blue and Lutino
Chicks (Hens): 25% Albino; 25% Lutino split Blue; 25% Blue; 25% Normal split Blue
Cock: Lutino
Hen: Blue
Chicks (Cocks): 100% Normal split Blue and Lutino
Chicks (Hens): 100% Lutino split Blue
Cock: Orange (Single Factor) split Yellow
Hen: Yellow split Blue
Chicks: (where orange, all are single factor) - 12.5% Silver; 12.5% Silver Orange; 12.5% Normal split Blue and Yellow; 12.5% Normal split Blue and Yellow with Orange Factor; 12.5% Yellow split Blue; 12.5% Yellow split Blue with Orange factor; 12.5% Blue split Yellow; 12.5% Orange split Yellow
New mutations are appearing all the time. I have seen a photo of an Opaline pennant.