It is quite possible that a Splash Cuckoo bird would look just like an unbarred Splash bird.
Drom, in respect to Standards the APA approach is very different to the European,British approach.
The APA seems to like a one size fits all approach, by this I mean it describes a colour and a list of breeds that should comply with this description. This produces a simple clear cut description.
The other approach is to have a colour description written to be specific to each breed. Thus in Europe,UK the Brown Red of a Modern Game is different from the Brown Red of a Marans.
Names themselves create great confusion, some are taken from the old description of birds as seen in the gaming pits, the colours seen when they are fighting, i.e. Black breasted with a Red back, gives Black Breasted Red. Others are names are exhibitors hobby names, i.e. Colombian from the Columbia Exhibition where it was first shown.
Many of these names bear no resemblance to the genotype description.
In many breeds the production of near to ideal exhibition birds requires nothing more than mating two birds, in other the breeder needs to also understand the art of balancing the strength & weaknesses. A reason why the French go into such detail in the breeding of Black Coppers. Finally in some breeds it is impossible to breed exhibition males & females from the same pen. They have in fact genetically become two separate breeds.
David
