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There are several genetic "recipes" to create buff. First, the base, or e-allele must be either E^Wh or e^b. The wheaten based birds tend to have less black in wings/tails and less smut. But they tend to have lighter skin, combs and even eyes. The partridge/brown based birds tend to be a darker buff, have darker skin, combs and eyes, but are more likely to have smutty undercolour and black in the wings and tail. I've never heard of buffs being bred to blacks to improve their buff colouring. Yes, to improve type, but not colouring. If the chicks hatch with backstripes, chances are they have at least one copy of e^b. I suspect that an E^Wh/e^b bird may be about the best compromise you can get between the darker buff plumage, darker skin/comb and least amount of smut or black in the wing/tail. Breeding blue in reduces the appearance of black, but does not remove the pigment. Breeding to dun or choc would be closer to matching buff, but still does not remove the eumelanin--just alters its hue.
