The new Sex-Linked Cinnamon Gouldian is the diamond that has re-sparked my interest in finch breeding. For me it is the missing link that renewed a seventy-year passion with Gouldians. In my journey I have come across Cinnamon in many different bird species. In every case Cinnamon was of significant genetic help to that species!

Which brings me to the barrage of criticism the Cinnamon has been getting online. Criticised as a bird of poor quality that does not live long enough to complete its first moult! (A vet would be my first call on deaths during the moult.) Also referring that it is a Recessive Dilute mix. Wow! They sure are Cinnamon destroying comments that in my opinion are baseless.

I do not like making comments on things that I know nothing about; in the case of the Cinnamon’s health my knowledge is extensive, as I have quite a few pairs of Cinnamon that I acquired four years ago from Gary Herrick. In that time, I have never lost a bird in the moult. My book records show that yes, I have lost a total of three un-feathered young in large nests from competing for food, survival of the strongest and the biggest was the reason.

In fact I have bred so many that this year I will cut the number of nests back to two instead of the usual three nests.

In my four seasons of breeding Cinnamons, I did test my birds for faults by line breeding. By doing this I would know if they carried any hidden recessive colour that would contaminate the future of my usual pure line of breeding. Surprisingly, not even a blue was bred.

I was quite disappointed as I realized that if I was to go further with the cinnamon, I would need blue with the Cinnamon to produce “IVORY”! For another new secondary Cinnamon Mutation.

“Sure” I hear you! How about the blackish heads on some of the original cinnamon hens? This typically is impurities carried from their past breeding history which no one has any control over – all birds are made from their genetic past.

Even the spontaneous change in the gene responsible for development of eumelanin Black in a Green bird, to Brown; this change to the gene is why we now have cinnamon! It is very possible that in the spontaneous change the Brown mingled with the Black creating a Black Brown mix!

Spontaneous change can happen and not be recognised because the colour has not looked correct for that mutation. This I believe could be why many mutations were lost! Even if the colour is difficult to spot, the guarantee I would think are the colour of the eyes – Plum. Of course, there are other red eyed Gouldian Mutations, but the eye is noticeably different. Cinnamon is darker Red (Plum), changing to a normal eye around twelve-fourteen days.

There are also many other points to tell a Cinnamon mutation; the feet and beak will change to a flesh colour. As the Cinnamon gene is located on the sex chromosome, the Cock bird is very important if you want to breed colour in the first year!

Cinnamon is now being developed in all three heads colours; the black has now become dark chocolate – with the correct breeding they will only improve.

As there are so many conflicting opinions regarding Cinnamon, input from a genetic expert like Terry Martin would certainly put us all on the same page. Terry was very helpful with the genetic understanding that I confronted when involved with developing past mutations!!
“THERE IS NO SHAME IN NOT KNOWING; THE SHAME IS IN NOT FINDING OUT”

Adieu
Don.
30/10/22