# Ringneck Dove baby coloring issue



## SheerMint (Oct 27, 2011)

My pair of white ringnecks just got their first baby and I was wondering what color it would end up as.
Both parents are white (you can see a bleeched grayish ring around the neck), but I was wondering if there is a possibility that they have other colors in their genes?


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

I don't think the birds are actually white..but a dilute coloration that can be seen as white..but not a true white as I think I remember reading.. i do think you can get other colors from the pai depending on their background genetics..but you would have to wait till he feathers out all the way and perhaps even after the first molt to see what color he will be.


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## Doves1111 (Mar 5, 2005)

Breeding White to White results in 100% White offspring. Even if both White parents carry the same recessive genes...the offspring will still be White.

The only way you can get colored offspring is if one or both parents are Mimic Snow White. The Mimic Snow White is white even though it does not carry White at the sex-linked locus. BUT...a Mimic Snow White can also carry the White gene. I had a White Crested pair set up...a Snow White Crested (I thought) to a White Crested. I was expecting White and Frosty White Crested offspring. Well surprise!...I got Blond Ivory Crested. 

The male turned out to be a Mimic Snow White. His gene make-up was actually a Blond Ivory Pied Frosty Crested (dB iviv pipi Fr). No White Crested offspring from this pairing...

Dawn


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## SheerMint (Oct 27, 2011)

Big thanks to both of you! 

Spirit wings: yes i'm sure you are right, now that you metion it I belive I also read something like that somewhere XD

Doves1111: Interesting, I looked around for pictures of Mimic Snow White, but unfortunately I didn't find any :/ but I did found this site: (http://www.internationaldovesociety.com/RNColorPics/platinum.htm) that talked about Platinum. Now I do not know if my doves are colored on the underside of thier tail-feathers, I haven't looked because they aren't tame enough to be held yet so I don't really want to lose the trust i've obtained just to see that. :O

Anyways the baby will most likely be some form of white since the pens that have started to grow out (it's 4 days now) seem to be white.
Though I spoke to the guy who I brought the doves from in the zoo store (he seems quite experienced) and asked about the coloring and he said that it can be white _or_ "wild" colored, because they have the wild color in thier genes, even if it's far far back. Is this untrue?

Thanks!


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## Doves1111 (Mar 5, 2005)

SheerMint said:


> Doves1111: Interesting, I looked around for pictures of Mimic Snow White, but unfortunately I didn't find any :/ but I did found this site: (http://www.internationaldovesociety.com/RNColorPics/platinum.htm) that talked about Platinum. Now I do not know if my doves are colored on the underside of thier tail-feathers, I haven't looked because they aren't tame enough to be held yet so I don't really want to lose the trust i've obtained just to see that. :O
> 
> Anyways the baby will most likely be some form of white since the pens that have started to grow out (it's 4 days now) seem to be white.
> Though I spoke to the guy who I brought the doves from in the zoo store (he seems quite experienced) and asked about the coloring and he said that it can be white _or_ "wild" colored, because they have the wild color in thier genes, even if it's far far back. Is this untrue?
> ...


Here is the link to the Mimic Snow White...
http://www.internationaldovesociety.com/RNColorPics/mimicsnowwhite.htm

Untrue...White cannot carry the gene for Wild Type...but Wild Type could carry the gene for White. Wild Type is dominant over Blond/Fawn and White. Blond/Fawn is dominant over White. White can carry the recessive genes...Ivory, Rosy, Albino, Pied, and Crested.

Here is a chart showing *The Simple Breeding Combinations* and their results by John Fowler...
http://internationaldovesociety.com/RNColorPics/simplebreedingcombinations.htm

Dawn


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## SheerMint (Oct 27, 2011)

Doves1111 said:


> Here is the link to the Mimic Snow White...
> http://www.internationaldovesociety.com/RNColorPics/mimicsnowwhite.htm
> 
> Untrue...White cannot carry the gene for Wild Type...but Wild Type could carry the gene for White. Wild Type is dominant over Blond/Fawn and White. Blond/Fawn is dominant over White. White can carry the recessive genes...Ivory, Rosy, Albino, Pied, and Crested.
> ...


Great links!  I noticed that Mimic Snow White had black eyes, and mines are orange. So if I am getting this right; My doves are "regular" white because of the orange eyes and they will only get babys of the exact same colors, regardless of the genetics? Or am I totally of track? XD


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

Your doves are not regular white. If they were regular white, the feathers at the neck would be pure white. 

You've got some sort of dilute color going on in there. 

maybe they're one of these colors--since you said there is a slight grey neck ring:

cream? http://www.internationaldovesociety.com/RNColorPics/cream.htm

sunkist? http://www.internationaldovesociety.com/RNColorPics/sunkist.htm

champagne? http://www.internationaldovesociety.com/RNColorPics/champagne.htm

light cream? http://www.internationaldovesociety.com/RNColorPics/lightcream.htm


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## Doves1111 (Mar 5, 2005)

SheerMint said:


> Great links!  I noticed that Mimic Snow White had black eyes, and mines are orange. So if I am getting this right; My doves are "regular" white because of the orange eyes and they will only get babys of the exact same colors, regardless of the genetics? Or am I totally of track? XD


Most likely your doves are normal Whites and not Mimic Snow Whites. The Mimic Snow White has no visible neck ring or undertail bar. Their eyes can be dark...or dark ruby like the Snow White...
http://www.internationaldovesociety.com/RNColorPics/snowwhite.htm

Whites have orange eyes like you described...and they can have a tea colored undertail bar.
http://www.internationaldovesociety.com/RNColorPics/white.htm

You said your doves have a bleached "grayish" color neck ring. Is it grayish or more tannish in color? Some Whites have a light color neck ring...some no neck ring. I have a White Crested hen with a tan color neck ring.

Can you take clear closeup pictures of your adult doves...their eyes...and their neck rings? This my help in identifying their color and the color of their baby.

Dawn


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## SheerMint (Oct 27, 2011)

From what I can tell from your links is that my doves are either Light Cream or White.
Here is a link with some pictures of the male, I didn't get the best pictures of his eyes but maybe you can tell the color anyway.

http://s1191.photobucket.com/albums/z467/0SheerMint0/

Also here is the female, I think she has slightly darker eyes than the male and the neck ring is more prominent.

http://s1191.photobucket.com/albums/z467/0SheerMint0/Kamilah/


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

SheerMint said:


> From what I can tell from your links is that my doves are either Light Cream or White.
> Here is a link with some pictures of the male, I didn't get the best pictures of his eyes but maybe you can tell the color anyway.
> 
> http://s1191.photobucket.com/albums/z467/0SheerMint0/


Yeah, looking at that pic, maybe he is normal white. Still not totally sure.


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## Doves1111 (Mar 5, 2005)

I can see now...after looking at the pics, why you think the male is a Platinum...but I'm still leaning towards White. Is his body a light pewter gray...or is it white? Can you get a better pic of his eye without using the flash? Does he have mottled eyes like an Ivory? A Platinum is a Tangerine Ivory Frosty (iv//iv Ta// Fr//). Here is a pic of my Blond Ivory Crested's eye...you can see the mottling in it...typical of the Ivory mutation.


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## Doves1111 (Mar 5, 2005)

Neither your male nor your female are Light Cream. The Light Cream has a dark neck ring and undertail bar. The female is definitely a White. Here are some pics of my White Crested. The first pic is of my Light Cream male next to my White Crested female. You can see how dark the Light Cream's neck ring is compared to the White's neck ring. The other pics are of my White Crested's eye and undertail bar...so you can compare to your doves...


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## SheerMint (Oct 27, 2011)

Doves1111 said:


> I can see now...after looking at the pics, why you think the male is a Platinum...but I'm still leaning towards White. Is his body a light pewter gray...or is it white? Can you get a better pic of his eye without using the flash? Does he have mottled eyes like an Ivory? A Platinum is a Tangerine Ivory Frosty (iv//iv Ta// Fr//). Here is a pic of my Blond Ivory Crested's eye...you can see the mottling in it...typical of the Ivory mutation.


Well the color of his body is from what I can see identical to the female.
I managed to take some okay pictures of his eyes, hopefully it's enough for you to identify, he wasn't really exited to look into the camera. XD I doubt it's mottled though.

http://s1191.photobucket.com/albums/z467/0SheerMint0/The%20Eyes/



Doves1111 said:


> Neither your male nor your female are Light Cream. The Light Cream has a dark neck ring and undertail bar. The female is definitely a White. Here are some pics of my White Crested. The first pic is of my Light Cream male next to my White Crested female. You can see how dark the Light Cream's neck ring is compared to the White's neck ring. The other pics are of my White Crested's eye and undertail bar...so you can compare to your doves...


Yes, it indeed seems as if my female is White, but to make absolutely sure i'm going to take some pictures of her eyes when see don't sit on the baby, which unfortunatly she does atm.


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## Doves1111 (Mar 5, 2005)

Your male is a White. He is a very nice looking bird!

My doves kept turning their head away from the camera too. I would straighten it...go to take the pic...and they would turn away again! 

My White Crested female has an orange/red iris...but most of my Crested doves have a yellow/orange iris. I have a young White Crested that has a golden iris with a dark blue pupil. I'll take a pic of its' eye when he matures more...it's very cool looking. 

Dawn


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

oh gosh.. now I can see why it is so confusing..but you two have beautiful birds!


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