# Egg Hatched- White Down Feathers?



## Drake (Sep 10, 2010)

I've been breeding cockatiels for a year now, and this is the first time I've seen one that just hatched with white down feathers. The other baby has yellow down feathers. Is there something wrong with it?


Thanks,


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

LOL...id neither parent is a visual whiteface, then both parents must be split to whiteface. White down is a whiteface baby....Congratulations


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## Drake (Sep 10, 2010)

Well the parents are both greys, and show no other visual mutations. The last batch they had were 2 lutinos.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Then both parents are split to whiteface.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

> The last batch they had were 2 lutinos.


This means that your male is split lutino, and all your lutino chicks will be female. 

Your parent birds are capable of producing female whiteface lutino chicks (like Snowy in my signature). These chicks are easy to identify at birth because they have white fuzz and red eyes.


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## Drake (Sep 10, 2010)

tielfan said:


> This means that your male is split lutino, and all your lutino chicks will be female.
> 
> Your parent birds are capable of producing female whiteface lutino chicks (like Snowy in my signature). These chicks are easy to identify at birth because they have white fuzz and red eyes.





srtiels said:


> Then both parents are split to whiteface.


Thanks for the information.

Looking forward to hand-rearing them. :lol:


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

BTW, here are your expected breeding outcomes according to the genetics calculator at http://www.kirstenmunson.com/cockatiels/blue.html These are statistical averages so you probably won't hit the exact same percentages. If your birds have any more hidden splits that will change the outcome too. 


Mother:Grey Split To Whiteface
Father:Grey Split To Whiteface {X1: Lutino}

male offspring:
13% Whiteface Split To {X1: Lutino}
13% Whiteface
13% Grey Split To {X1: Lutino}
13% Grey
25% Grey Split To Whiteface {X1: Lutino}
25% Grey Split To Whiteface

female offspring:
13% Whiteface Lutino
13% Whiteface
13% Lutino
13% Grey
25% Lutino Split To Whiteface
25% Grey Split To Whiteface

If we boil this down to visual colors only you get this:

Males
25% whiteface grey
75% normal grey

Females 
12.5% whiteface lutino
37.5% lutino
12.5% whiteface grey
37.5% normal grey


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