BREEDING AND GENETICS:
BREEDING MUTATIONS IN LOVEBIRDS, PARTICULARLY IN AGAPORNIS FISCHERI,
HAVE LONG BEEN A FASCINATION FOR BREEDERS WHO SEEK TO PRODUCE VIBRANT AND
UNIQUE COLOUR COMBINATIONS. AMONG THESE, THE CREAMINO MUTATION STANDS OUT AS A
PHENOTYPE RESULTING FROM SPECIFIC GENETIC CROSSBREEDING TECHNIQUES. THIS
ARTICLE WILL GUIDE YOU THROUGH THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE CREAMINO MUTATION, ITS
GENETIC BACKGROUND, AND HOW TO PLAN BREEDING TO ACHIEVE THIS MUTATION EFFECTIVELY.
ADDITIONALLY, WE WILL ADDRESS CONCERNS RELATED TO PAIRING CREAMINO WITH OTHER
MUTATIONS, SUCH AS ALBINO AND LUTINO, AND THE REASONS WHY BREEDERS SHOULD
CAREFULLY CONSIDER THEIR BREEDING PLANS TO MAINTAIN HEALTHY AND VISUALLY
APPEALING BIRDS.
THE BASICS ALBINISM IN LOVEBIRDS:
BEFORE DELVING INTO THE SPECIFICS OF THE CREAMINO MUTATION, IT’S
ESSENTIAL TO UNDERSTAND THE GENERAL CATEGORY OF ALBINISM IN LOVEBIRDS. ALBINISM
IN BIRDS IS THE RESULT OF GENETIC MUTATIONS THAT LEAD TO THE COMPLETE OR
PARTIAL LOSS OF MELANIN PRODUCTION. THIS AFFECTS NOT ONLY FEATHER COLOUR BUT
ALSO EYE, SKIN, AND BEAK PIGMENTATION.
IN LOVEBIRDS, WE RECOGNIZE LUTINO AS THE ALBINO MUTATION IN THE GREEN
SERIES (BIRDS WITH A GREEN BASE COLOUR). A LUTINO BIRD HAS BRIGHT YELLOW FEATHERS,
AN ORANGE-RED MASK, AND RED EYES, AS MELANIN IS COMPLETELY ABSENT. ON THE OTHER
HAND, ALBINO REFERS TO ALBINISM IN THE BLUE SERIES, WHERE THE BIRD'S FEATHERS
ARE ENTIRELY WHITE, WITH NO TRACE OF MELANIN, AND RED EYES.
WITH THE DISCOVERY OF THE BLUE-1BLUE-2 MUTATION—ALSO KNOWN AS
PARBLUE—ANOTHER AVENUE OPENED FOR BREEDERS TO EXPLORE VARIATIONS OF ALBINO-LIKE
MUTATIONS. PARBLUE, SHORT FOR PARTIAL BLUE, REFERS TO MUTATIONS THAT REDUCE
PSITTACINE PIGMENTATION (THE PIGMENTS RESPONSIBLE FOR RED, ORANGE, AND YELLOW
COLOURS IN BIRDS). WHEN BREEDERS BEGAN COMBINING PARBLUE MUTATIONS WITH THE
ALBINO MUTATION, THE RESULT WAS A BIRD PHENOTYPE KNOWN AS CREAMINO.
CREAMINO A NEW PHENOTYPE IN PARBLUE LOVEBIRDS:
CREAMINO IS THE TERM USED TO DESCRIBE THE ALBINISM PHENOTYPE IN PARBLUE
LOVEBIRDS, SPECIFICALLY THOSE WITH THE BLUE-1BLUE-2 GENOTYPE. THIS MUTATION WAS
RENAMED FOLLOWING THE DISCOVERY OF BLUE-2 AND THE CLASSIFICATION UPDATE MADE BY
GENETIC ORNITHOLOGISTS. THE CREAMINO MUTATION IS NOW SCIENTIFICALLY REFERRED TO
AS NSL INO BLUE-1BLUE-2, WHERE "NSL INO" DENOTES THE TYPE OF ALBINISM
INVOLVED.
IN AGAPORNIS FISCHERI, THE CREAMINO BIRD EXHIBITS A STRIKING APPEARANCE
CHARACTERIZED BY A PALE CREAM BODY, WITH HINTS OF YELLOW IN SOME AREAS. THE
MUTATION THAT CREATES THIS COLOUR IS THE RESULT OF A COMBINATION OF THE NSL INO
GENE (WHICH ELIMINATES MELANIN) AND THE BLUE-1BLUE-2 GENE (WHICH REDUCES RED
AND ORANGE PIGMENTATION).
GENETIC INHERITANCE OF CREAMINO:
THE CREAMINO MUTATION IS INHERITED IN AN AUTOSOMAL
RECESSIVE MANNER. THIS MEANS THAT IN ORDER FOR A BIRD TO VISUALLY EXPRESS THE
CREAMINO PHENOTYPE, IT MUST INHERIT TWO COPIES OF THE SAME MUTATED GENE—ONE
FROM EACH PARENT. BREEDING A CREAMINO, THEREFORE, REQUIRES A PLANNED APPROACH,
AS BOTH PARENTS MUST EITHER BE VISUALLY CREAMINO (HOMOZYGOUS FOR THE MUTATION)
OR BE SPLIT FOR THE MUTATION (CARRIERS OF THE CREAMINO ALLELE, EVEN IF THEY DO
NOT EXPRESS THE PHENOTYPE THEMSELVES).
WHILE BREEDING FOR CREAMINO MAY SEEM STRAIGHTFORWARD,
THERE ARE NUANCES TO CONSIDER WHEN SELECTING THE RIGHT PAIR OF LOVEBIRDS. SINCE
CREAMINO BIRDS ARE A COMBINATION OF NSL INO AND BLUE-1BLUE-2, BREEDING
STRATEGIES THAT INCORPORATE EITHER ALBINO (NSL INO BLUE) OR LUTINO (NSL INO
GREEN) CAN YIELD DIFFERENT RESULTS, AS BOTH MUTATIONS ACT ON THE SAME GENETIC
LOCUS.
KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF CREAMINO LOVEBIRDS:
THE CREAMINO MUTATION SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECTS THE BIRD’S
APPEARANCE DUE TO THE LACK OF MELANIN AND THE REDUCTION OF PSITTACINE PIGMENTS.
THE FOLLOWING ARE TYPICAL FEATURES OF A CREAMINO AGAPORNIS FISCHERI.
FOREHEAD: YELLOW-ORANGE
IN COLOUR.
CROWN AND BACK OF THE HEAD: LIGHT BRILLIANT ORANGE TRANSITIONING TO LIGHT YELLOW
TOWARD THE BACK OF THE HEAD AND NECK.
CHEEKS: YELLOWISH-ORANGE
FADING TO LIGHT YELLOW AROUND THE NECK.
CHIN, THROAT, AND UPPER CHEST: LIGHT ORANGE-YELLOW.
EYES:
RED WITH A WHITE, UNFEATHERED
EYE-RING.
BEAK:
LIGHT RED, THOUGH SLIGHTLY PALER THAN
THE WILD TYPE.
LOWER CHEST, BELLY, AND FLANKS: LIGHT YELLOW.
WINGS:
THE PRIMARY FEATHERS ARE LIGHT YELLOW
ON THE OUTER EDGE AND WHITE ON THE INNER EDGE, WITH A LIGHT YELLOW COLOUR ON
THE WING BENDS.
RUMP AND UPPER TAIL COVERTS: WHITE WITH A LIGHT YELLOW BASE COLOUR.
TAIL FEATHERS: PREDOMINANTLY
LIGHT YELLOW WITH WHITE TIPS. THE SECONDARY FEATHERS MAY HAVE A YELLOW-ORANGE
SPOT, SOMETIMES SURROUNDED BY A WHITE AREA.
LEGS AND NAILS: PALE
PINK LEGS WITH HORN-COLORED NAILS.
THIS UNIQUE COMBINATION OF COLOUR TRAITS GIVES CREAMINO
LOVEBIRDS THEIR CHARACTERISTIC CREAMY APPEARANCE, DISTINCT FROM ALBINO OR
LUTINO BIRDS.
BREEDING STRATEGIES FOR CREAMINO LOVEBIRDS:
NOW THAT WE UNDERSTAND THE GENETICS AND PHYSICAL TRAITS OF
CREAMINO LOVEBIRDS, LET’S DISCUSS HOW TO BREED THEM. AS MENTIONED EARLIER, THE
CREAMINO MUTATION IS AUTOSOMAL RECESSIVE, MEANING THAT BOTH PARENTS MUST CARRY
THE MUTATION TO PRODUCE CREAMINO OFFSPRING. THERE ARE SEVERAL POSSIBLE BREEDING
STRATEGIES, DEPENDING ON THE MUTATIONS PRESENT IN THE PARENTS.
1. CREAMINO (NSL INO BLUE-1BLUE-2) X CREAMINO (NSL INO
BLUE-1BLUE-2)
EXPECTED OUTCOME: ALL OFFSPRING WILL BE CREAMINO, AS BOTH PARENTS ARE
HOMOZYGOUS FOR THE MUTATION.
2. CREAMINO X LUTINO (NSL INO GREEN/BLUE-1BLUE-2)
EXPECTED OUTCOME: 50%
LUTINO SPLIT CREAMINO (HETEROZYGOUS FOR THE CREAMINO ALLELE) AND 50% CREAMINO.
THIS PAIRING INTRODUCES VARIATION INTO THE OFFSPRING, BUT
BREEDERS MUST BE CAREFUL, AS PAIRING CREAMINO WITH LUTINO TOO FREQUENTLY MAY
DILUTE THE DESIRED CREAMINO COLOUR, MAKING IT PALER OVER GENERATIONS.
3. CREAMINO X ALBINO (NSL INO BLUE-1BLUE-2)
EXPECTED OUTCOME: 50%
ALBINO SPLIT CREAMINO AND 50% CREAMINO.
WHILE BREEDING WITH ALBINO MAY SEEM LIKE AN APPEALING
SHORTCUT, IT’S NOT RECOMMENDED TO PAIR CREAMINO WITH ALBINO REPEATEDLY, AS THE
BIRDS WILL BECOME PROGRESSIVELY PALER. BREEDING ALBINO INTO THE CREAMINO LINE
TOO OFTEN CAN DIMINISH THE CREAMY YELLOW BASE COLOUR, LEADING TO BIRDS THAT
LACK VIBRANCY.
4. CREAMINO X BLUE-1BLUE-2
EXPECTED OUTCOME: A
PORTION OF THE OFFSPRING WILL CARRY THE BLUE-1BLUE-2 MUTATION, BUT NONE WILL
VISUALLY EXPRESS CREAMINO UNLESS THEY INHERIT THE NSL INO GENE FROM BOTH
PARENTS.
THIS IS A USEFUL STRATEGY FOR CREATING SPLIT BIRDS—BIRDS
THAT CARRY THE CREAMINO MUTATION BUT DO NOT EXPRESS IT. THESE SPLIT BIRDS CAN
LATER BE BRED WITH OTHER CREAMINO OR SPLIT CREAMINO BIRDS TO PRODUCE THE
DESIRED PHENOTYPE.
CHALLENGES IN BREEDING CREAMINO:
WHILE CREAMINO LOVEBIRDS ARE A BEAUTIFUL AND SOUGHT-AFTER
MUTATION, BREEDING THEM CAN PRESENT SEVERAL CHALLENGES.
1. VISUAL IDENTIFICATION OF SPLITS: AS CREAMINO IS A RECESSIVE MUTATION, SPLIT BIRDS (THOSE
CARRYING THE CREAMINO ALLELE BUT NOT EXPRESSING IT) ARE VISUALLY
INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM NON-SPLIT BIRDS. THIS MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO KNOW WHICH
BIRDS TO PAIR WITHOUT DETAILED KNOWLEDGE OF THEIR GENETIC BACKGROUND. BREEDERS
MUST KEEP METICULOUS RECORDS OF PEDIGREES TO ENSURE THEY ARE WORKING WITH THE
CORRECT GENETIC COMBINATIONS.
2. AVOIDING OVER-PAIRING WITH ALBINO: AS MENTIONED EARLIER, REPEATED PAIRING WITH ALBINO
LOVEBIRDS CAN RESULT IN PALE, WASHED-OUT OFFSPRING. TO MAINTAIN THE VIBRANT
CREAMY-YELLOW COLOUR OF CREAMINO BIRDS, BREEDERS SHOULD AVOID RELYING TOO
HEAVILY ON ALBINO CROSSES AND INSTEAD FOCUS ON WORKING WITH LUTINO AND
BLUE-1BLUE-2 BIRDS.
3. MAINTAINING GENETIC DIVERSITY: BREEDING FOR A SPECIFIC MUTATION OFTEN INVOLVES LIMITED
GENETIC VARIATION, WHICH CAN LEAD TO HEALTH PROBLEMS IF THE GENE POOL BECOMES
TOO SMALL. BREEDERS SHOULD BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT OVERBREEDING CERTAIN BIRDS AND
SHOULD INTRODUCE NEW GENETIC LINES PERIODICALLY TO MAINTAIN THE HEALTH OF THEIR
FLOCK.
CONCLUSION:
THE CREAMINO MUTATION IN AGAPORNIS FISCHERI IS A FASCINATING
EXAMPLE OF HOW GENETIC MUTATIONS CAN BE HARNESSED TO CREATE UNIQUE AND
BEAUTIFUL BIRD PHENOTYPES. BREEDING CREAMINO LOVEBIRDS REQUIRES CAREFUL
PLANNING AND A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF GENETICS, PARTICULARLY HOW AUTOSOMAL
RECESSIVE MUTATIONS WORK. BY SELECTING THE RIGHT BREEDING PAIRS AND AVOIDING
OVER-RELIANCE ON ALBINO MUTATIONS, BREEDERS CAN PRODUCE HEALTHY, VIBRANT
CREAMINO BIRDS WITH THE DESIRED CREAMY-YELLOW COLOURATION.
BREEDERS INTERESTED IN PRODUCING CREAMINO LOVEBIRDS SHOULD
FOCUS ON MAINTAINING DETAILED PEDIGREE RECORDS, PLANNING CROSSES CAREFULLY, AND
SEEKING OUT EXPERT ADVICE WHEN NEEDED. WITH PATIENCE AND DEDICATION, THE
CREAMINO MUTATION CAN BE SUCCESSFULLY INTRODUCED INTO A BREEDING PROGRAM,
RESULTING IN STUNNING BIRDS THAT STAND OUT IN ANY AVIARY.
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This is super informative and well-organized, thanks
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