Mixing colours

[inquisitivebird]

I have a splash Auracana (new zealand standard) purebred rooster. I have many easter egger hens that ate part Auracana annd part red shaver, barred roxk, leghorn and barnevelder. I've tried hatching the eggs of these hens to see wha coloured chicks I will get. Ive noticed that i dont get any brown chicks ever and I wonder why is that? I understand the black blue splash genetics a bit, but does it also mask the colour brown?

 

[donrae]

Black is usually extended black, which dominates other colors for the most part. Breeding black to brown/red or silver usually gives you black with red leakage. In your case, the splash male would dilute any black genes the hens contribute to blue instead.

Buff is better about holding it's own against the extended black genes. if you want something different, you might look at bringing in a buff hen or two.

 

[inquisitivebird]

It's interesting though because i get blue chicks from the splash roo and from hens that are blue. The blue hens are easter eggers. I would have thought the splash would have diluted the blue. I'm wondering if the hens have some hidden genetics.

Also, is there another kind of black besides extended black?

 

[junebuggena]

This is a handy chart that breaks down Blue/Black/Splash breedings.

Most blacks birds are extended black, but it is possible to produce a solid black bird that is genetically birchen, if there are other melanizing genes at play.