Is one mutation more prone than others?

[starlingqueen]

I've been wondering this for some time but held back asking because I don't want to cause a mutation to loose popularity, but my curiosity and the faith I have in the budgie community to not discriminate. means I think I can ask for opinions and experience. 

Is there a colour mutation that is more prone to cancers than any other? It occurs to me that the pigment or lack of it could mean that some mutations are more prone, just as we are to skin cancer if we have lighter skin. For instance, would a white bird be more likely to develop cancer than a normal green? And if so should we be mindful of this when using UV lights and exposure to sunlight? Maybe even using supplements instead of exposure?

Anyone who has or has had a bird with cancer, what colour was/is the bird? Maybe we can gather some data that may help determine if the use of supplements would be safer than uv exposure.

[Hezz]

To my way of thinking, the only way this could be is if the budgies developed skin cancers, and as far as I know this has not happened. The reason for UVB lights is to help with the uptake of calcium through the manufacture of vit D. Has anyone seen a correlation between redheads, for example and breast cancer? Those two, the "mutation" and the cancer, have been plucked out of the air, they are not meant to be taken as a definite grouping.

[Marianne Marlow]

I have had several budgies with tumours, some Blue and one white. Some mutations could be more over-bred than others and this might weaken their genetics I suppose?

[birdguhl]

I am no expert, but I think intensive breeding must have given rise to all sorts of new health problems for budgies. When I see these huge, overly feathery birds I feel really sorry for them - just like dogs who have respiratory problems because they have been bred to have short snouts and the like. But even the common type budgies will be affected as presumably early breeding efforts relied on a small number of birds to start with.

[skysmum]

Ive chewed this over for a long time SQ, i definitely think that over breeding has caused a lot of cancer issues in buds but as for the colour factor im not sure. Ive lost three to tumours over recent years one was a yellow pied and the other two were light cinnamon greens. Im sure that the normal green wild type are the hardiest buds, not just because my Jo is 13 but because as a child all our buds were this colour and they all lived to be 12ish and we even had one that was 15 when he died.

The three i lost were from the same parents and i do think that the Hen, even though she lived till she was 12 could have been a genetic carrier, she was quite a showy bird.

The one thing that stands out most for me are the MDF concaves that breeders use in the nest boxes, these contain formaldehyde which is cancerous, now back when i bred my birds 13 years ago or so i didn't know about this and im not sure many others did but all nest boxes come with these and its important to change them for pine.
Its a minefield but im sure the cancer is genetics and incorrect breeding husbandry. I do, as i said think the normal greens are the hardiest though.

[milliej]

Oh I'm sure we fiddle about too much with nature in all it's forms whether human or otherwise (don't get me started ) I was thinking that about Sid actually, although he was quite healthy until just a week or so before his demise, he came from a flock of budgies very much of the same colouring and 'blood line' (if that's the right expression for budgies!). I think the healthiest generally, from my limited experience, are the ones like the 'original' wild green or the smaller 'pet' birds. Some of the show birds are too 'showy' for me personally but if that's your hobby and you're not keeping them for company or as pets, that's another kettle of fish ....so to speak!