Article on the Scope of Ino’s
- By the term ino’s I mean albinos, the white bird with red eyes,
which is the ino of the blue series and Lutino the yellow bird with red eyes, which is the
ino of the green series.
- For the purpose of this article I refer to the sex linked variety of
ino’s and not the recessive variety, which to all intense and purposes died out many
years ago, giving way to this popular and easier to produce variety that we commonly see
today.
Of course it is very possible variety that the recessive genes are stilled carried in
their hidden form, by birds of other-colours, but because of their recessive nature the
gene would have to be carried by birds of both sex to reproduce its own kind.
Therefore all reference is made with regard to the sex linked varieties. The term sex
linked means the variety and sex of the bird in question one directly linked and
cover’s not only albinos and lutinos, but lacewings, cinnamon’s, opalines,
opaline cinnamon’s.
- For instance an albino cock with a normal hen will produce all normal
splits ino cocks and albino hens. The reverse pairing, normal cock to albino hen produces
all normal split ino cocks and normal hens, no visual ino’s
Obviously ino to ino produces 100% ino youngsters bearing in mind this basic mode of
inheritance, we can then introduce splits, normal cock birds which carry the ino factor in
hidden form, to improve the size, shape, head, feather, style and feather qualities.
Only cocks can be split, carry the ino gene in hidden form, hens are either visual
ino’s or normal, by normal any other than ino, hens can’t be split. I must say
now that I believe the best bird to improve ino stock is another quality ino, but
that’s the tricky bit a bird of suitable quality is not always available.
How ever birds other varieties may be more readily available and because of the nature of
ino’s more or less all one colour, yellow or white, birds with certain faults such as
small spots, no spots, multiple spots, flecking etc, can still make good out crosses for
ino’s. This is where both beginner and champion alike can take advantage and
capitalise on birds that may be passed over and not used. The champion, with his well
established stud may well have a few nice large but badly flecked opaline hens for
instance, well as ino’s masks other colours it will also mask flecking.
- Or perhaps a small spotted or multi spotted bird, with nice style and
shapely head could be found, as spots are of no consequence to the production of our
ino's. Now the beginner may not have spare birds of this caliber at hand, but to purchase
birds of this nature, is a lot easier and cheaper then looking for a good all rounder to
improve other varieties. What is needed is length, shoulder, a good size and shape of head
and directional feathering and blow. Colour of course is so important, we want snow white
albinos and hot coloured lutinos, but what outcrosses will effect the ino family in this
respect.
- To start with a good grey that’s split red eye is a firm
favorite and hard to beat to improve all qualities in the albino. But a word of warning,
try to acquire a grey that is not split blue as well, as this can cause on the rump back
and tail.
It’s the same with green split lutinos, light green have improved the size shape and
head quality of lutinos time and time again, but has many a time left a unwanted green
sheen, spoiling the colour and contrast of lutinos.
- It takes a few seasons to breed out the unwanted sheen and if you
are not careful you can end up back where you started. I believe the answer lies in using
dark factor birds as out crosses for ino’s A good dark green leaves far less sheen
then a light green, but it always so easy to find suitable dark greens.
- I have used to good effect, cobolts and mauves to improve size, head
overall length and feather direction, blow etc with out spoiling the colour the lighter
outcrosses do. There is certainly nothing wrong with greys to improve albinos, but I have
found using grey greens with lutinos really dull the colour and that’s something we
desperately want to try to avoid in ino production.
However if I considered a bird to be the right choice in every other respect, I would
still use it, keep the best colour offspring and concentrate on colour in future pairings.
It is all about what’s is available to work with, but I do feel that dark factor
outcrosses, particularly hens, are often over looked when in fact they could be put to
good use in ino production. All though no matter how good a specimen was I would never,
never use cinnamon.
- Last but by no means least there are some very good quality yellows
and whites and of course they make excellent outcrosses for inos. However I do feel that
in proportion to their availability, there are far more dark factor birds that would make
good outcrosses, but are never considered for ino production as it may be seen as not
quite the done thing. Try it, it does work!
- Clive Wakeman Nov 1997
| HOME | MAIN
INDEX PAGE | CLIVE'S PAGE | |