# eye color question



## chinbunny (Mar 1, 2010)

I have a almost pure white house pigeon that has a few stray black feathers. His eyes are very dark, but they don't look like bull eyes. Or at least they don't look anything like the pictures of bull eyes i have seen on the net. The retina looks black, the iris is very dark blue. Couldn't find any color charts with the blue colored eye on them. What are they? Are they bull eyed? 

I bred to him a normal blue barred hen & they produced chicks that look either pied, grizzle, or mottle. They have pure black spots with white feathers. Can't tell the eye color on them yet.


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## chinbunny (Mar 1, 2010)

Turns out he does have bull eye. whats the chance of passing that onto the babies.


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## sev3ns0uls (Jul 2, 2011)

a picture will help you know. 

Anyway, i was told from members that only Rec.white and some pie/splash can only have the bull eyes.


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## chinbunny (Mar 1, 2010)

sev3ns0uls said:


> a picture will help you know.
> 
> Anyway, i was told from members that only Rec.white and some pie/splash can only have the bull eyes.


that's what I have read. I wonder if he might be a pie/ splash, because his babies kind of look like pieds. But he is nearly with a few black feathers. Black with white spots. Ill see if I can post a picture later on. Im pretty sure its bull eyes. in that case I will keep any babies who have normal eyes, and will eventually send him to the auction.


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## sev3ns0uls (Jul 2, 2011)

well not just any pie. It various in those pie color bird. It is not aways guarantee that any pie will get the bull eyes. As for rec. white, its a guarantee.


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## chinbunny (Mar 1, 2010)

sev3ns0uls said:


> well not just any pie. It various in those pie color bird. It is not aways guarantee that any pie will get the bull eyes. As for rec. white, its a guarantee.


Thank you very much. I'll grow them out and see what color their eyes go. I haven't had time to upload a picture. The males eyes are the same color as these are. http://seraphimclubinternational.com/ The Hungarian giant house pigeon standard I found online says the eyes on white birds have to be another color. I forget what, but I know its not blue, or black. 

How can you tell if a baby will have bull eyes?

Another funny thing. I have a new baby who is either going to be black grizzle or pied. Out of a pair who have never ever thrown that color before during the 3-4 years I have had them. & I keep all my breeding pairs in their own pens.


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## sev3ns0uls (Jul 2, 2011)

like i said, only a picture can really help. Yes, the male you talking about have bull-eye. Any other color bird except rec.white will *NOT* have bull-eye. Pie colore and grizzle are exception. Due to lost of pigment in their head cause it to be while, it also cause the eye to become bull-eye. 

When i mean pie they have to look like this. 








Pie bird with bull-eye are common in roller pigeon. Not a lot on other breeds. As you can see in the picture, the red pie bird has bull-eye and its head is all white. The other bird is a grizzle and its nature eye color is yellow so no bull-eye. although some grizzle have bull-eye too.

you cannot tell if a baby will have bull-eye unless its a rec.white baby. Then you can really say that its 100% bull-eye. For you, i suggest you wait for the baby to turn 1 month old. By that time, the color of its eye will show up and you will know if it has bull-eye or not.


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## chinbunny (Mar 1, 2010)

sev3ns0uls said:


> like i said, only a picture can really help. Yes, the male you talking about have bull-eye. Any other color bird except rec.white will *NOT* have bull-eye. Pie colore and grizzle are exception. Due to lost of pigment in their head cause it to be while, it also cause the eye to become bull-eye.
> 
> When i mean pie they have to look like this.
> 
> ...


Thank you. that's the answer I was looking for about the babies. They are 2- 2 1/2 weeks right now

I tried to get a picture of his head, the eye keeps coming out colored black. the eyes look the same color as your red pie bird above.


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## chinbunny (Mar 1, 2010)

Just talked to mary of exter and she said it sounds like my bird has pearl eyes. Bull eyes would be accepted in the house pigeon standard, because most white birds have them. pearl eyes are not. Which would explain why my birds eyes are nearly black. Looking at your bird so another computer, they look brown.


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## sev3ns0uls (Jul 2, 2011)

yes she is correct. But i know that for a offspring to get pearl eye, both parents has to be pearl eye or carries the pearl eye but hide as a bull-eye.

Like i said, that a picture can really help.


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