Question on Brassiness in Splash Jersey Giants (BBS Breeding)

[GTR]

I’m looking for input from breeders experienced with BBS color genetics.

I hatched about 30 birds from a Jersey Giant line producing the typical black, blue, and splash (BBS) colors.

From that hatch I had three splash roosters that showed a bit of brassiness / warm brown tone, mainly in the hackles and saddle. I ended up keeping two of them and gave the third away.

What I find interesting is that the rest of the hatch appears clean:

• The black and blue birds show no brassiness
• I also have a splash hen from the same line and she does not show brassiness
• The only birds showing the warm tone were those three splash roosters

My question for those familiar with BBS breeding:

Is a slight warm/brassy tone sometimes just part of the splash dilution effect, where the pigment shift can make hackle or saddle feathers appear tan or warm?

Or does brassiness in splash birds usually indicate underlying red/brass leakage in the genetic background that becomes visible when the bird is fully diluted (Bl/Bl)?

I’m trying to determine whether this is normal splash variation or something that suggests background color leakage in the line.

Photos attached for reference. Interested in hearing from anyone who has worked with BBS Jersey Giants or other BBS breeds and seen similar expression.

 

[Amer]

Melanin can often hide the underlying red/gold pigment, while melanin dilutions like splash can reveal them. Probably the only way to get a clean splash is silver based birds, or just birds with very little gold pigment. You could call it leakage, but very weak leakage that is only revealed on very diluted birds.

 

[Amer]

Most gold based solid black birds probably have some level on pheomelanin pigment, but it isn't visible under the strong eumelanin.