Help with blue vs black

[fatcatx]

I have a batch of blue/black/splash chicks and I’m having trouble finding color info on chicks that are a shade between the blue and black. Are these considered black chicks? Is it some form of diluted black? It’s almost a dull black with bluish tips. In the picture you can see the blue black splash In the center. The ones at the sides have me wondering what they are.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I think the middle is actually the black, the lightest is splash and the other two are blue

 

[fatcatx]

Yes - the one in the middle is black. But are the other three darker ones all blues? I did not put all the chicks in the pic, but most are clearly blues, being very grey in shade, and then there is the shade that is too light to be clearly black but not grey either.

 

[JaeG]

Blue is a dilution of black so the background of the black parent bird can influence the quality of blue shades you achieve through breeding.

This page explains it quite well:
https://pekinsnest.weebly.com/blue-splash-and-lavender-self-blue.html

Black to splash gives a wide variety of blues, but blue to splash will apparently give you a more even, consistent blue.

 

[fatcatx]

Blue is a dilution of black so the background of the black parent bird can influence the quality of blue shades you achieve through breeding.

This page explains it quite well:
https://pekinsnest.weebly.com/blue-splash-and-lavender-self-blue.html

Black to splash gives a wide variety of blues, but blue to splash will apparently give you a more even, consistent blue.

Thank you - that is good information.

 

[fatcatx]

.

Blue is a dilution of black so the background of the black parent bird can influence the quality of blue shades you achieve through breeding.

This page explains it quite well:
https://pekinsnest.weebly.com/blue-splash-and-lavender-self-blue.html

Black to splash gives a wide variety of blues, but blue to splash will apparently give you a more even, consistent blue.

Anyone have comments on what shade is preferred? I would assume that the more grey-looking feather color is considered more correct and/or more desirable if you're breeding for blue but that assumption may be wrong. Is there any gene benefits to the more off-black looking blues? Or does it just depend on each breed standard?

 

[Gray Farms]

1 black, 1 splash, 3 blues

 

[JaeG]

.

Anyone have comments on what shade is preferred? I would assume that the more grey-looking feather color is considered more correct and/or more desirable if you're breeding for blue but that assumption may be wrong. Is there any gene benefits to the more off-black looking blues? Or does it just depend on each breed standard?

I would say that more of a mid blue is what you would be aiming for, not too dark, not too pale. But hopefully someone else can that shows their birds will tell you what the standard is.