Blue vs "self blue"....just curious

[Yard full o' rocks]

I have noticed BYC'ers posting information about their chickens being "self blue". I currently have some "blue" Plymouth Rocks (about 10) and 1 baby "blue" orp. Just so I am more educated, can someone tell me what the difference is between "blue" and "self blue"....just curious.

Thanks....

 

[DTchickens]

Blue- http://www.poultrypages.com/images/blue-andalusians.gif

Self blue- http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1245/779993994_3f147bd0ef.jpg?v=0

Basically, blues will throw 25% splash, 25% black, and 50% blue when bred blue/blue. Self blues breed true... Some especially the good ones can even look purple in the right light, which is why they're called Lavender in some breeds/person specific.

 

[catwalk]

It's also a different gene. They both dilute black, but lavender also dilutes buff, and is a recessive gene. Therefore, your bird will need two lavender genes in order to be self blue. Blue, or Andelusion (sp) blue, is an incompletely dominant gene. If a black bird has no blue gene, it will remain black. If he has one blue gene, the black will be diluted to blue. Give him two blue genes, and it's diluted further into splash.
You cannot get a lavender bird by breeding blues together, UNLESS both parents are carrying a lavender gene. Incidently, I believe a lot of lavenders are being bred to blues, to try to "enhance" one of the colors. This makes breeding much more complicated, for when a lavender from these crosses shows up, they end up on this forum in the form of "am I blue or self blue?"

 

[Hoosiermomma]

I believe a lot of lavenders are being bred to blues, to try to "enhance" one of the colors.

Shouldn't lavenders be bred to black to 'enhance' the color instead of being bred to blue?

 

[Krys109uk]

Blue aka Andalusian Blue is the colour when a bird is heterozygous (split) for the incompletely dominant gene blue (Bl) & the not blue gene (bl+) (birds which are homozygous BL/Bl are called splash).

Self blue is the term people in US use for lavender. (Self blue means an even andalusian blue throughout in other countries). Lavender is the resulting colour when an otherwise black bird is homozygous (pure) for the autosomal (not on a sex chromosome) recessive gene lavender (lav).

Andalusian blue is rather variable in colour & the colour is often darker in some parts, ofen with darker edging around the outside of the feathers.

Lavender tends to be a lighter more even colour often with an almost silverly look to it. It is aptly called pearl grey in some countries.

I don't think having lavender & blue in the same line particularly desirable.

 

[speckledhen]

You don't have any lavenders, Scott. The coloring is more consistent overall while on blues, the head is usually darker than the body. And the proof is really in the chicks. Blue x Blue can give blue, black or splash, all in the same hatch. Lavender (self blue) x Lavender will give you only lavender. Breeds true, being a completely different gene. It's not really just a different shade, but a different gene entirely. I have one lavender, a banty Cochin, if you recall seeing her.