In continuation of my earlier research on mapping the Z-chromosome of the Budgerigar, I would like to make an appeal to Budgerigar breeders who want to make more out of their hobby or just breeding for shows.
This could be an opportunity for those interested to participate in a research project in order to map the Z-chromosome in the Budgerigar.

The crossover rate between opaline and cinnamon is known to be 32.7% (1:3) [1], and the crossover rate between opaline and slate is known to be 40.5% (almost 1:2) [2], however, the crossover rate between opaline and clearbody, an allele of the SL ino-locus, is not known.
Opaline clearbodies have been recognized, so crossing over must have been occurred frequently, however, the question remains, how frequently.
From what is known to date we may conclude that slate is further apart from opaline than cinnamon. In conclusion; cinnamon is situated in between slate and opaline. The crossover rate between cinnamon and ino is 3% meaning that ino and cinnamon are situated very close to one another.
Crossover rate between lacewing (cinnamon-ino) and opaline also appears to be about 1:3 due to the close linkage of these loci and is further prove that a lacewing is in fact a cinnamon-ino.
Through this research project we will try to elucidate the position of the ino-locus with respect to the cinnamon locus. Is the ino-locus in between opaline and cinnamon or is the ino-locus in between cinnamon and slate, that is the question we would like to answer. In order to achieve this we would like to use SL clearbodies for we are not able to distinguish an opaline-ino from a normal ino. Therefore we like to propose the following testmatings:

In the first year SL clearbody cock x opaline hen (these cocks must be homozygous clearbodies, as a formula:
Z ino^cb / Z ino^cb) or opaline cock x clearbody hen.

In the second year normal/clearbody/opaline cocks (from the first mating) x normal hens.
If you already have accurate breeding records containing the breeding results asked for, please use them to fill in the registers and send them to MUTAVI.

How to participate

Every breeder who is interested in this research project can print a breeding register from the links below and send it at the end of the breeding season to MUTAVI.

In due course we will publish the results and full credit will be given to those who did participate.

Breeding register first testmating

Breeding register second testmating

References:

[1] Taylor T.G. and Warner C.
    Genetics for Budgerigar Breeders.
    London/Illife books Ltd (1961), (1986)
[2] Crossing-over in the Sex Chromosome of the Budgerigar