Making Blues

[LocoPollo]

How does one make a blue bird, like a Blue Orpington?

 

[SterlingAcres]

Here's a link to the Lavender gene thread. There might be information in there.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=69653

 

[MissPrissy]

Lavender = self blue. It is not the same as the blue/black/splash.

You need a bird with the blue gene which is really a dilution of black.

The outcome of breeding them is not just blue - the gene in combinations creates blue, black or splash.

It doesn't matter which color is male or female but when breeding this is how it works based on the averages of 100 chicks hatched -

Blue x Blue = 25% Black (no blue gene) 50% Blue (one blue gene) 25% splash (two blue genes)

Black x Blue = 50% Black (no blue gene) 50% Blue (one blue gene)

Black x Splash = 100% Blue (one blue gene)

Blue x Splash = 50% Blue (one blue gene) 50% Splash (two blue genes)

Splash x Splash = 100% Splash (two blue genes)