What color gene am I working with?

[MissPriss13]

Several months back I purchased four orpingtons. A roo and three hens. I was told two were lavender and the other two were black. The roo and a hen were lavender. I incubated several eggs and started hatching them. The first one hatched mother's day and the others are 5 and 6 weeks old. My confusion stated when this girl started feathering out.

Can you get a laced color from a black/lavender split? I thought all black splits were solid black?
Here is dad...

Brother...

Should I breed her to a black roo lavender roo??? Help please.

 

[keesmom]

Either one of your black hens is really a dark blue or dad is also splash. Or both. That pullet is blue.

 

[MissPriss13]

Does that mean this lavender is actually blue? How can you tell the difference between the lavender and blue? Are the legs a different color on the blue?
Should I breed her to her brother (pictured)?

 

[keesmom]

A bird can have both the blue gene and the lavender gene. One does not exclude the other. It is hard to tell blue lavender (and splash lavender) from those that are just lavender, which is why most people try to avoid breeding lavenders to blues. If it were me I would breed the brother back to the black hens and see what you get, and use the blue pullet in a blue/black/splash pen.

 

[MissPriss13]

Thank you so much!