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Blue is a dilution gene. One copy dilutes the black to the lighter blue color. Two copies of blue dilutes the black pigment even further to "splash." A blue bird has one "blue" gene and one "black" gene, which is why breeding two blue birds together can result in blue (one blue, one black), black (two black), or splash (two blue) chicks. It's not negative per-say, and it's just something that you have to take along with the blue since blue won't breed true. However, even where blue is a showable color (such as blue wyandottes, blue andalusians (sp?), etc) the splash is either a DQ or a serious fault. Which is a shame, since splash can be so very pretty. So people who are hatching chicks with plans to show may be disappointed to get only splash (or splash and black) chicks.
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Blue is a dilution gene. One copy dilutes the black to the lighter blue color. Two copies of blue dilutes the black pigment even further to "splash." A blue bird has one "blue" gene and one "black" gene, which is why breeding two blue birds together can result in blue (one blue, one black), black (two black), or splash (two blue) chicks. It's not negative per-say, and it's just something that you have to take along with the blue since blue won't breed true. However, even where blue is a showable color (such as blue wyandottes, blue andalusians (sp?), etc) the splash is either a DQ or a serious fault. Which is a shame, since splash can be so very pretty. So people who are hatching chicks with plans to show may be disappointed to get only splash (or splash and black) chicks.
Thank You for that explanation! And with that being said, Is "Splash" actually a color? when you said diluted blue, splash would be a diluted version of the darker blue? so when people say they have a splash hen its light blue/gray? In regards to the BLR's I see what you mean..But I also could have sworn I have seen other colors (light tans, whites also referred to as splash) so just wanted to figure this out..Sorry, I am new to chickens and just want to understand. Thanks again!
He is actually really sweet, you can just pick him up and hold him and he makes that purring noise. But he was facinated by the camera!! Something shiney I guess.
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The person I got them from was very nice. Thank you. I have a friend who is working on the little ones, he was really educational at a show yesterday. There was not one single BLRW at the show in the LF. Alan had all the bantams. But I can see at least in the bantams were they are starting to look almost more like cochins. It was very educational.