Blue and splash cochins. Any reason to keep a black cockerel?

[jossanne]

I have ten 3week old cochins, I believe half are cockerels. None appear to be splash. I love splash colored birds, and would like to hatch splash babies in the future.

I understand that breeding black to blue will only produce black or blue birds. Blue on blue will be blue, black and splash. So I'm going to keep a blue cockerel and the pullets, who all appear to be feathering in blue.

So my question is... is there any benefit to keeping a black cockerel in a blue breeding pen? Is it true that with black x splash, the blue isn't as pretty and well-laced as a blue x blue?

*Edited my title, thanks!*

 

[ninny]

im not sure. but i would change your subject title. that might bring more lookers.

 

[Buckguy20]

I can't help you but I would like to know what begats what when it comes to the blue gene. I know there is a standard outcome when crossing the blue, black and splash.

 

[Chickndaddy]

I have heard that blue birds out of a blue x black mating produce better laced birds than a black x splash or blue x blue mating. But I personally have never actually tested this with a control flock or anything, but perhaps someone else has.

 

[LilPeeps]

Black x blue produces better blues than blue x blue, blue x splash, or black x splash.

 

[SGM]

Sure, black is a strong use for blue breedings. If you cross blue to a splash bird all your chicks will be blue. Homozygous means two genes that are the same. Heterozygous means 1 copy of a gene. Splash birds are homozygous with the dominant blue gene. Blue birds have just one of these genes. Black have neither. It is just a dilution of the black coloring. So black birds are useful. I'm curious if breeding back to black often can help with the intensity of the blue color. I am just getting into the blue/black/splash breedings so I will have to "test" this theory out.

 

[Bec]

If a black bird has a single blue gene it is then blue. If it has two blue genes it is then splash. Blue is created by a modifier that dilutes black to blue. The breakdown is listed below:

Blue x Blue will give you 25% Black (without the blue gene) 50% Blue (with one blue gene) 25% splash (with two blue genes).

Black x Blue will give you 50% Black and 50% Blue.

Black x Splash will give you 100% Blue.

Blue x Splash will give you 50% Blue and 50% Splash.

Splash x Splash will give you 100% Splash

Black x Black will give you 100% Black


I believe that the black added to blue produces better lacing as well!




Hope you find this as helpful as I did.... I am new to this and I am working on a blue project myself!

 

[MissPrissy]

It is not a theory. There are decades of practical breeding to get where we are today.

Blue is a dilution of the black gene. You need the blacks in your breeding stock to keep the blue coloration strong anf to get good lacing.

The ratio of hatch per color is based on an average of 100 live hatches -

Blue x Blue = 25% Black (no blue gene) 50% Blue (one blue gene) 25% splash (two blue genes).

Black x Blue = 50% Black 50% Blue

Black x Splash = 100% Blue

Blue x Splash = 50% Blue 50% Splash

Splash x Splash = 100% Splash

I have written this chart a thousand times i think!

The black x blue hatches will always be stronger than the other blue x hatches.​

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

Quote:
I love splashes, too!

I understand that breeding black to blue will only produce black or blue birds.
Blue on blue will be blue, black and splash.
So I'm going to keep a blue cockerel and the pullets, who all appear to be feathering in blue.

That is correct.

So my question is... is there any benefit to keeping a black cockerel in a blue breeding pen?

It won't give you any splashes (if you are talking about keeping a black cockerel now). You only get a small % of splash from blue x blue anyway.

Is it true that with black x splash, the blue isn't as pretty and well-laced as a blue x blue?

I think the claim is, that blue x blue doesn't give nice lacing as much as blue x black does. I would think that black x splash would give nice lacing.
And it depends on your definition of pretty.
I have some pale blues with no lacing that are really pretty to me (some from blue x black and some from blue x blue).

The black x blue hatches will always be stronger than the other blue x hatches.

Stronger how?

Lisa​

 

[MissPrissy]

Stronger color.