Just a few quick terminology questions...thank you...

[new 2 pfowl]

Hello you guys,
Just checking: what exactly are Red Buff and Emerald?

I understand that "Red Buff" is the old name for Spalding BS, but is it Spalding Blue BS or can it be any color?
And, in this case, what is a "Red Buff Spalding," is it the same thing?
(I know there is a thread here that discusses Red Buff, but it confused me more and didn't seem to answer my question).

Also, I understand that Emerald used to refer to high % spalding (75% or higher), but, once again, only Spalding Blue or any color?

(I got a little confused looking at Texaspeafowl.com's website, http://www.texaspeafowl.com/peahen.html, one of the gracious contributors to the Image Database).

This is all over my head

, but I just don't want to put incorrect info on the database. Thanks!

 

[MinxFox]

Actually I was going to say to look at the red buff spaldings on Texaspeafowl! Sid could probably explain it better than me, but Red Buff does not mean Spalding blackshoulder. It is more of a blackshoulder that has a lot of flecking on the neck and I guess they have that redish color on the neck too, but it is a bit confusing to me since red buffs were almost lost and Sid might be one of the few working on keeping this variety going.

Here is a good quote off of Sid's site regarding the Red Buffs:
Quote: So yeah they are not spalding blackshoulders they are similar, but not the same thing and probably fairly rare. They do seem to have a redish color to them. I thought in the past I read that they had to have flecking on their neck. I am not sure what the males look like, I guess they look like a regular spalding blackshoulder.

Emerald I am pretty sure can be used for any color as long as it is high %, but of course this term is not used anymore since many people misused the term.

 

[new 2 pfowl]

Thanks for that info MinxFox!
I think it's safest to just make a separate Red Buff Spalding category on the database...

Sid has some nice Emeralds on his website, but 'm not sure how to categorize them in the Database since I have the spaldings divided by color. Maybe that's too strict an approach, since the color isn't always known/apparent. We may need a "Miscellaneous Spalding" category!

 

[MinxFox]

Or on each spalding page like say for example Spalding purple, you have at the top: Low % spalding purples, in the middle there are medium % spalding purples, and then the bottom has high % (Emerald) spalding purples.

Something I have always thought would be useful is a visual comparison between the low spaldings and the high ones. Kind of like a scale. I did one once, but I think it could be better.

 

[Arbor]

Red buff, from what I had heard a while back, is a type of Blackshoulder Spalding that had involved the cameo gene. It's not a cameo bird, but a single copy. Somehow it affects the later generations of hens without actually making them cameo. I hatched out some split cameo Blackshoulder Spalding birds three years ago. Other than the gigantic size of the males, they initially looked very red buff as they feathered out. Once their adult plumage began, the males lost any trace of the red buff appearance. This will be my first year hatching from one of these males, so I'll have to see how his daughters look (the ones that aren't cameo that is).

 

[connerhills]

The Red Buff Spalding is a Black shoulder Spalding and the better ones are about a 75% blood spalding . I do not believe there is any Cameo in them. The way you make a red buff is with a BS and a green. The Emerald Spalding does not exist as per the UPA . This was changed ( both emerald and red buff spalding ) During the time that I was president of the UPA. All so the name Oaten was discontinued as it is the same as a Black Shouldered Cameo . These correction were made at the same time the color and pattern chart was done . The first reference to Emerald was some time ago and was to be a spalding ( any color )with at least %75 green, as spaldings do not breed true phenotypically some of the crosses were a better looking green and we found that a lot of them were being sold for more money ( you have omitted 2-3 yrs breeding and charged more for the bird ) It was decided to do away with the terminology " Emerald " and ask that the percent of green blood be stated by the seller ( most people don't know this info ) and some people bought them as Javas. Sid is one of the few people that still uses the Emerald name. Brad Legg has some very nice Black Shoulder Spalding's as well as Craig Hopkins. I have one that is a yearling and is looking very nice ( female ) . Maybe this will clear up some misconceptions on some of the birds, I am not the expert on this but I was involved in the making of all the changes. People can call their birds anything they want to, all of my reference are to the way the UPA done it. connerhills