blue vs. gray

[muddipuppy]

is it just me or is there an awfully fine line between blue and gray in chicken colors?

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

It is a common question from someone new to chickens. Grey & blue really look nothing alike. I am going to assume you mean silkies, since I am not familiar with greys being an accepted variety for any other breed (unless you mean mealy grey, which is another thing entirely).

Greys are a variety with pattern on hte individual feathers: each feather of a female is penciled. Blue pretty much has solid coloured feathers; the standard says they should be laced, but this is not really noticeable on silkie feathering. Blues do have darker heads & hackles (and on males also the saddle and tail). Blues have a bit of blue/slate hue; greys look like a greyscale photo--varying tints of black.

 

[Illia]

Well, yeah, there is a difference between birds with a grey color, like pencilled birds and such - And blues. If you look at photos of, say, blue Ameraucanas - You can see the blue!

But, if you mean that you were expecting "blue chickens" to truly be blue, then yeah - It is a common expectancy from someone who is new to chickens. It is the same thing as with "blue roan" horses and cattle, or "russian blue" cats.

 

[LeBlackbird]

Grey Jap hen (Same thing as Birchen) Not my bird

Grey Silkie (More like silver pencilled) Not my bird

Blue Cochin bantam (Solid color)

 

[muddipuppy]

Blackbird, I noticed you breed or have a LOT of the breeds I'm interested in hatching. Do you sell hatching eggs?

 

[LeBlackbird]

Quote:
Only thing I have separated is LF BBS Cochins right now, they should be laying soon