# Tiger Grizzle Question



## redleg23 (May 6, 2009)

I recently aqquired 2 black tiger grizzles. Is it true that if this pair produces young, the youngsters will moult out mostly all white with minimal black feathers? I thought I had read this somewhere... any insight?


----------



## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

Yes, tiger grizzles get whiter with the moult.


----------



## redleg23 (May 6, 2009)

If my intentions are to continue with this much black color. Should I use a solid spread black, instead?


----------



## rudolph.est (May 14, 2009)

If you mate these two together you will have the following offspring:
1/4 Blue / Black (No grizzle)
1/2 Heterozygous Tiger Grizzle (like the parents)
1/4 Homozygous tiger grizzle (mostly white)

If you mate one of these bird to a plain blue:
1/2 Het tiger Grizzle
1/2 Blue / Black

In other words, your chances are pretty much the same, whether you mate them together or to a plain black.

If you could breed a homozygous tiger grizzle bird though, mating it to a plain black would give you 100% heterozygous black tigers, which is the route I would follow.

Mate these two together and use the homozygous offspring (if you are lucky enough to raise one) in your breeding program.


----------



## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

rudolph.est said:


> If you mate these two together you will have the following offspring:
> 1/4 Blue / Black (No grizzle)
> 1/2 Heterozygous Tiger Grizzle (like the parents)
> 1/4 Homozygous tiger grizzle (mostly white)
> ...


That is what I would do


----------



## loonecho (Feb 25, 2010)

I have heard numerous times that a tiger grizzle will start out mostly black (or blue) and moult in white over time. Mine did just the opposite. As a young bird, he was mostly white. He is now two years old and has gotten significantly more black feather with each moult. Is it possible that he is not a tiger after all but maybe something else is at work? I know that one of his offspring is a blue tortise shell grizzle with significant bronzing and also shows under grizzle. 

Loonecho


----------



## redleg23 (May 6, 2009)

Thanks Rudolph. I appreciate the advice.


----------



## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

loonecho said:


> I have heard numerous times that a tiger grizzle will start out mostly black (or blue) and moult in white over time. Mine did just the opposite. As a young bird, he was mostly white. He is now two years old and has gotten significantly more black feather with each moult. Is it possible that he is not a tiger after all but maybe something else is at work? I know that one of his offspring is a blue tortise shell grizzle with significant bronzing and also shows under grizzle.
> 
> Loonecho


Probably just a normal homozygous grizzle. The markings can be very light as babies and moult into solid feathers. But they should still retain a lot of white. Any pictures?


----------



## loonecho (Feb 25, 2010)

We'll see if this works. If it does, these are two pictures of Oreo. As you can see, he is spread and certainly looks like a tiger, but as I said, He was mostly white before his first moult. I was new to raising homers at the time and I had no idea that they could change so dramatically after moulting so I didn't take any pictures of him as a youngster.

Loonecho


----------



## g0ldenb0y55 (Dec 23, 2008)

redleg23 said:


> I recently aqquired 2 black tiger grizzles. Is it true that if this pair produces young, the youngsters will moult out mostly all white with minimal black feathers? I thought I had read this somewhere... any insight?


I like these!


----------



## redleg23 (May 6, 2009)

I have some Tigers from these two birds, just now hatching. I am now wondering how to differentiate between **** and Hetero. I presume **** will be a black spread youngster and moult out with mostly all white feather? Any thoughts????


----------

