The two terms are actually interchangeable. "Split" just indicates a bird that is known to carry one copy of a genetic recessive trait. Since that bird is only carrying one copy of the recessive trait, they are "split", or heterozygous, for the hidden trait.
So, picture a black rooster with a hidden white allele (one copy of the gene). He looks black, he acts black, therefore he is black. But he has a surprise hiding inside.
Now picture a black hen with that same single copy (an allele) of that white gene. She looks black, she acts, black, but she also is carrying a hidden surprise.
You breed that rooster to that hen. You get 100 chicks from that match. Statistically, you would get 25 chicks that are pure for black - they do not have that hidden gene inside; 25 chicks where the white allele from the sire met up with the white allele from the dam and created the surprise white chicks; and you would get 50 chicks that are each carrying that hidden single copy of the white gene.
Remember that a true recessive trait must be in pairs to show up in the chicken, and remember that a chicken gets one copy of each gene from each parent.
Does that help?
This would be recessive . Several people have had these pop up from Paul . Most White Ameraucana are recessive . Dominant is rare . Dominant is useful in some project colors . I created or borrowed my dominant whites . I have sold eggs to some people who had a need for dominant . Wheaten based red Pyle is one project using it .Jerry this is my chick that is supposed to be splash! But it looks white! The chick down is yellow even though you can't tell in the picture! I know Paul said there was a chance of getting white chicks. So what would this chick Be? If it is white and not splash!
This chick is not split it has 2 copies of recessive white ,
Black chicks with one copy of recessive white .
