Advice for breeding BBS (Blue Black Splash) genetics! 🐣

[hannahsocal]

This is the one who I can't quite tell if she's blue so dark as to be charcoal or black:

You can see a difference between her head and her body and apparent lacing on the her feathers.

Not like this glossy shine on her hatchmate:

View attachment 3235989

Did you have any other blues from that hatch to compare to?

 

[kurby22]

This is a great thread! Thanks so much for starting is @hannahsocal! I have Ameraucana pullets—a black, a blue, and a splash! And I’ve been trying to figure out what my strategy will be, because they’re such gorgeous birds I don’t wanna ruin their children

For example, I know they are trying to get Splash to be an accepted color in Ameraucanas and I think I have a good one to show and continue breeding quality ones…but I don’t really know what the tricks are to maintaining good splash coloring and consistency plus all the other SOP stuff.

Isn’t she pretty??

 

[3KillerBs]

Did you have any other blues from that hatch to compare to?

Yes, though I won't be able to get pictures today since I'll be at work.

 

[Florida Backyard Chickens]

This is a great thread! Thanks so much for starting is @hannahsocal! I have Ameraucana pullets—a black, a blue, and a splash! And I’ve been trying to figure out what my strategy will be, because they’re such gorgeous birds I don’t wanna ruin their children

For example, I know they are trying to get Splash to be an accepted color in Ameraucanas and I think I have a good one to show and continue breeding quality ones…but I don’t really know what the tricks are to maintaining good splash coloring and consistency plus all the other SOP stuff.

Isn’t she pretty??
View attachment 3236194

I have some splash hens that I think are beautiful but their splash is not nearly this dark. Is there a way to darken the splashes? I have splash black and blue hens and believe I have a blue rooster I am going to be able to purchase The farm also has a black roo, but I’d like to focus more on blues and splashes.

 

[3KillerBs]

It's been difficult to get good photos, especially since I've got a summer cold and am too wobbly to sit out there for very long. But I believe I'd captured photos of Charcoal as well as the lighter and mediums blues and one where she's with a medium blue hatchmat and a black hatchmate.

Charcoal, lower right, with her blue and black hatchmates between the FCM in the top left and the SWL in the middle.

My other really dark blue

Asst. flock members in different shades of blue with a couple blacks.

My lightest blue in the center with the Lavender Orpington at the waterer and one of the darker blues to the right.

A blurry photo of the lightest blue with one of the mediums (and some very bad barebacks (I haven't found a saddle pattern I like -- one that both says on and has adequate coverage).

 

[hannahsocal]

It's been difficult to get good photos, especially since I've got a summer cold and am too wobbly to sit out there for very long. But I believe I'd captured photos of Charcoal as well as the lighter and mediums blues and one where she's with a medium blue hatchmat and a black hatchmate.

Charcoal, lower right, with her blue and black hatchmates between the FCM in the top left and the SWL in the middle.

View attachment 3237789

My other really dark blue
View attachment 3237790

Asst. flock members in different shades of blue with a couple blacks.
View attachment 3237791View attachment 3237792

My lightest blue in the center with the Lavender Orpington at the waterer and one of the darker blues to the right.
View attachment 3237793

A blurry photo of the lightest blue with one of the mediums (and some very bad barebacks (I haven't found a saddle pattern I like -- one that both says on and has adequate coverage).
View attachment 3237794

Hmmmm. If those are your blacks, I’d say that the ones you mentioned are probably blues! Although I have to tell you that that is INCREDIBLY rare!!!!! It is WAY harder from what I’ve heard to make blues too dark than too light (most people have the opposite problem haha!). In your specific situation, I WOULD recommend integrating a high quality splash into your breeding plans. But like I said, this is a very rare situation and most people end up in circumstances where they cannot get their blues darker no matter what lol.

I’m not an expert but I do know a bit about this, I just started thread really to see if there were any more experienced breeders than me who could share advice/ experiences and to have all of that info in one place. That being said, it’s WONDERFUL that so many people are sharing their experiences and we all start off somewhere before we become better, so this is a good place to start!

 

[hannahsocal]

I have some splash hens that I think are beautiful but their splash is not nearly this dark. Is there a way to darken the splashes? I have splash black and blue hens and believe I have a blue rooster I am going to be able to purchase The farm also has a black roo, but I’d like to focus more on blues and splashes.

Hello! You can message me if you like privately, I breed BBS ameraucanas and I might have the shade of splash you’re going for if you’d like to get some eggs or chicks.

 

[hannahsocal]

This is a great thread! Thanks so much for starting is @hannahsocal! I have Ameraucana pullets—a black, a blue, and a splash! And I’ve been trying to figure out what my strategy will be, because they’re such gorgeous birds I don’t wanna ruin their children

For example, I know they are trying to get Splash to be an accepted color in Ameraucanas and I think I have a good one to show and continue breeding quality ones…but I don’t really know what the tricks are to maintaining good splash coloring and consistency plus all the other SOP stuff.

Isn’t she pretty??
View attachment 3236194

She is! I would focus on getting her whites whiter and her darks darker! Also, that chicken on the right is SO DIFFERENT WOW!!! How did that happen lol, so interesting!

 

[3KillerBs]

In your specific situation, I WOULD recommend integrating a high quality splash into your breeding plans.

I'm going to do a couple more hatches in Sept. and December and am hoping to get a splash male to use as junior flockmaster.

Or, better, if it happens, several splashes so I can pick the best.

 

[kurby22]

She is! I would focus on getting her whites whiter and her darks darker! Also, that chicken on the right is SO DIFFERENT WOW!!! How did that happen lol, so interesting!

Thanks! That is one of my porcelain d’Uccles! It’s the lavender gene over the mille fleur pattern! Isn’t it just amazing?