He is very dark. What some term over-melanized. He should have more color on his saddle and shoulders. The lack of saddle color would concern me and I personally would not breed one so dark. My females do not have great hackle color....it would be a road to nowhere. You have to take into account what your hens bring to the breeding equation.
Thank you. I know that he is very dark but he's of the best type that I've been able to find anywhere. My plan is to grow out some of his offspring and see if any one his sons show more color. If so, I'll put one of them back over my hens. My girls have some copper, one more than the other, so maybe a breeding to her will help in coloration.