Blue becoming Splash?

[BlueTheBrahma]

This is my Brahma Rooster, Blue. He is the first chicken I ever chose when I started chicken keeping. I’ve raised him from a 2 month old little cockerel to 2 foot 6 dinosaur. When I first chose him, I though the was blue, hence the name, but as he aged, he became lighter as he developed dark splashes amongst his feathers, which are purple in the sunlight.

I’ve never personally hatched any eggs he has fathered, so don’t know if he can produce black based offspring, or just blue/splash offspring. I have a few splash Brahma hens which I am creating a breeding programme with this year, once they are large enough.

I have quite a good understanding of genetics, but don’t know whether to call his colour blue or splash, as my other splash chickens are lighter in colour and were always undeniably splash from being young. He’s also got a lot of gold leakage unfortunately, which I believe is usually more common in splash than blue. Anyone know an answer? Is it just variation within splash? Is there a gene I don’t know about/ am forgetting about in play here?

Thanks

Edit: I was given him at about 2 months old along side brahmas of other colours, so don’t know what colour he was as a chick.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I'm answering not because I'm an expert on splash or blue genetics, but I hope an expert will answer.

In my limited experience with splash, my splash were white with blue spots. They were yellow/blue down chicks that grew into white base with blue spots. I bred them to pretty much anything and got blue chicks.

I wouldn't call him splash. I'd call him blue mottled? I'm not sure exactly what to call that...but I'm not seeing true splash.

Interested to hear what some genetics experts might say.

@NatJ do you have a thought?

 

[NatJ]

@NatJ do you have a thought?

Sorry, I understand the genetics, but I also have trouble recognizing the birds that are not obvious. I agree that the early photos look blue, and the later ones look splash, but I don't know which genes the bird actually has to cause him to look that way at those ages.

@nicalandia @The Moonshiner
Can you tell whether OP's bird is blue or splash?

 

[BlueTheBrahma]

I'm answering not because I'm an expert on splash or blue genetics, but I hope an expert will answer.

In my limited experience with splash, my splash were white with blue spots. They were yellow/blue down chicks that grew into white base with blue spots. I bred them to pretty much anything and got blue chicks.

I wouldn't call him splash. I'd call him blue mottled? I'm not sure exactly what to call that...but I'm not seeing true splash.

Interested to hear what some genetics experts might say.

@NatJ do you have a thought?

I have blue mottled Pekins (Cochin bantams) and they don’t look like this - they are blue with white circular markings, rather than light with dark patches.

 

[BlueTheBrahma]

Just thought I’d mention, my friend has some blue brahmas which he hatched out from the same set of eggs he bought (he hatched mine out too). They look almost black in the picture, but aren’t quite there, so is there a gene which darkens the entire blue/black/splash gene?

 

[NatJ]

@Overo Mare @ColtHandorf
Can you tell whether OP's rooster is blue or splash?
(Multiple photos in the first post.)

 

[Painted Calls]

He is unique. Looks like a really dark splash. Though his color appears blue.

Most blue birds will have a color gradient. Head will be darker and it will fade into a lighter shade on their body. This boy doesn't have that gradient.

@The Moonshiner, what do you think?

 

[NatJ]

Just thought I’d mention, my friend has some blue brahmas which he hatched out from the same set of eggs he bought (he hatched mine out too). They look almost black in the picture, but aren’t quite there, so is there a gene which darkens the entire blue/black/splash gene?

Blues can be lighter or darker, and I assume that is controlled by some gene(s). But I don't know of any genes that have been specifically identified or studied that control how dark the blue is, so I can't tell anything about how they work. They aren't on any of the lists of genes I've found.

Of course for any color, you can breed darkest to darkest, or lightest to lightest, to try to get more of that shade-- people have been doing that for a long time without knowing exactly which genes are involved.

 

[ColtHandorf]

He is unique. Looks like a really dark splash. Though his color appears blue.

Most blue birds will have a color gradient. Head will be darker and it will fade into a lighter shade on their body. This boy doesn't have that gradient.

@The Moonshiner, what do you think?

I would agree that the bird is Splash.

I have a Splash Orpington hen that is marked similarly.

 

[BlueTheBrahma]

Thanks for your replies
I was always leaning more towards splash, and this has reassured it for me. I’ll post an update once I’ve bred him with my splash (and other coloured) hens to see the result. If there are no black offspring, I can safely say he’s splash then.
Thanks again