How did I get a splash from a black over a blue?

[InsaneBreeder]

I bred my black male bantam cochin to my blue female bantam cochin, and I got a splash chick. How is that possible?

 

[SpringChickens]

Maybe its just a very, very light blue?

 

[Debbi]

Maybe what you think is a black, is indeed a very dark blue?? Try breeding that "black" to a splash and see what you come up with.

 

[Illia]

Yep, I honestly think your "black" is a blue. . . Some blues are pretty darn dark.

 

[InsaneBreeder]

Hm, I hadn't thought that perhaps he could be blue. The only thing is, I ordered him as a black frizzle from a hatchery that doesn't sell blue or splash frizzles. So I would assume that they would just use blacks for that, but I could be mistaken. Also, all the chicks of his I've hatched in the past (with non-blue hens) have always been jet black. At the moment I am thinking that the chick could just be very light blue (although that is weird, since the mother is very dark blue).

 

[Kev]

I had pictures up of an 'impossible splash' hen (the mother had no blue in her lineage) a long time ago and was told that some blues can be splashy & was something to select against. That hen was light gray with patches and flecks of darker grey and solid blue all over.

The black male being a very dark blue is a possibility too though. You can test that out by breeding him to black hens, or actually anything that's not white or blue. If he produces any blue offspring with these, you know he's one of those really dark blues.

 

[InsaneBreeder]

Quote:
So I ought not to breed the chick, you think? I bred the male to a red hen, and on a number of occasions, and the offspring always come out black, so I don't think he's blue.

 

[speckledhen]

They can really fool you. My rooster Suede in my avatar had a very dark blue brother, but for the longest time, I thought he was black, even up to his "teens".

 

[pinkchick]

Quote:

I bred my black male bantam cochin to my blue female bantam cochin, and I got a splash chick. How is that possible?

I agree with others about him being a very dark blue....try breeding him over a true black bird and if any offspring are blue you have a very dark blue rooster that appears black like Kev already mentioned.

How is that possible you ask.....let me see if I can help...Blue to Blue breedings do not breed true and you can get all three resulting colors from a Blue to Blue mating, Black, Blue and Splash. Black to Black matings will only produce Black offspring. Black to Splash matings will produce 100% Blue offspring. Splash to Splash matings will produce 100% Splash offspring. Blue to Splash matings will produce Blue and Splash offspring.

 

[Buckguy20]

This is the way I was told their matings go:

Blue X Blue = 50% Blue, 25% Black , 25% Splash


Blue X Splash = 50% Blue , 50% Splash


Blue X Black = 50% Blue, 50% Black


Black X Black = 100% Black


Splash X Black = 100% Blue


Splash X Splash = 100% Splash


I agree with th others in that there must be something hiding somewhere.