Spangles - Our On-Going Experience

Bill and Christine Heale

[Note: one possible answer to some of the questions posed here can be found in the article Spangles - the Answers.]

Since our introduction to the Spangle variety in the mid-1980s, the reproduction of Spangles per nest has always been of a high percentage compared to the Normals produced by these pairings. We would estimate that the number of Spangles bred has been approximately 70% per nest.

In our first few years the pairings were strictly Spangle to Normal. From these pairings both Spangles and Normals of good quality were bred. We also found that by pairing Spangles back to Normals, bred from Spangle pairings, we produced both Spangles and Normals with good markings and colouring.

Double Factors Appear

Because the Spangle was dominant like the Dominant Pied, there was a desire to produce a larger percentage of Spangles, hence the trend became to breed Spangle to Spangle. The offspring we now know were White-coloured from Blue series Spangles and Yellow from the Green series Spangles. These Double Factor Spangles, when paired to Normals would produce 100% Spangles, giving us a good choice of Spangles for potential show birds. This resulted in a big boost to Spangle classes in the early years, particularly as Double Factors could be entered in Spangle classes as well.

The following few years caused Spangle fanciers concern and frustration as judges mostly chose Normal Spangles, with good markings, over Double Factor Spangles, to win classes at shows. There was certainly a dilemma as to how to place birds without markings, against Spangles marked as laid down by the colour standards. The only real hope of a Double Factor Spangle winning was if it was a Budgerigar of a more substantial size compared to its Normal and Opaline Spangle counterparts.

Generally, the feeling among many Spangle breeders was that the only place to enter a Double Factor Spangle was in the increasingly successful Rare Variety shows, which included specific classes for them. This made it possible for Double Factor Spangles to win classes and receive their due reward. Gradually fanciers bred less Double Factor Spangles, partly because it was more difficult to breed show specimens with the same size as Normal and Opaline Spangles. Consequently, we reverted to our breeding method of pairing Spangles to good Normals, hoping to maintain our Spangle ratio of 70% per nest which we would be more than content with.

Spangle Ratio Drops Alarmingly

In the last three years, we became concerned at the lower percentage of Spangles which we bred, which culminated in an all time low in 1995, when ten Spangle/Normal pairings bred only eight Spangle young birds. Fertility was good, with forty two chicks reared by the pairs but the ratio of Spangles barely exceeded 20%. The most productive pairing produced nine youngsters of which not one was a Spangle.

After discussing these findings with other Spangle breeders, it appears to be a general trend, with other fanciers complaining of less and less Spangles being bred from the traditional Spangle/Normal pairing. Another factor which has come to light, is the appearance of Normal young when using Double Factor Spangles paired to Normals. Of course such a pairing should only breed Spangles!

Has The Spangle Gene Weakened?

Our only conclusion to date is to ask "has the gene which produces the Spangle characteristic weakened, and if so, why?". If this trend were to continue, family lines of Spangles will diminish within a few years of breeding the variety. Looking outside of Spangles for a moment. Is this what has happened to Dominant Pieds? Is that why many fanciers have chosen not to persevere with Dominant Pieds?

During the 1996 breeding season we have tried several alternatives to the last few years. The first of these is pairing Spangle to Spangle in order to breed Double Factor Spangles. At least this way even if the size of the Double Factor Spangles is not quite up to standard they can be bred with very good Normals in future years.

The other major change was to pair Spangles to Normals, but to use Normals unrelated to Spangles. These Normals had been brought into our stud over the last few years and crossed into our Normal lines. These Normals would, of course, have been eventually introduced into our Spangle line but this was the first time we introduced Normals into the Spangle line which had no Spangle blood in their pedigree.

Spangle Percentage on the Increase Again

By the end of April 1996, we had taken two rounds from four Spangle pairings, and are thrilled to report that we have twenty visual Spangle chicks and a small percentage of Opaline and Normal young birds. Our Spangle to Spangle pair has not been so fortunate with only clear eggs laid. We will try another Spangle/Spangle pairing before the end of the breeding season. Anyway we are well pleased with the results with the ratio of Spangles once again above 70%.

We are still like everyone, experimenting and learning about the Spangle variety, but this encouraging start to 1996 makes us think "could this be the answer?" Use new or unrelated stock frequently into a Spangle family. Perhaps continually pairing Spangles to related Normals bred from Spangles somehow weakens the Spangle gene(s) that produce the visual Spangle. Another bonus for us has been the appearance of very good wing-markings on the Normal Spangles bred.

We shall have to wait and see what 1997 brings. Our breeding results may confound us and destroy our theories. As we said we are still learning about the Spangle. It cannot be done in one year!

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