What does "splash" mean?

[OhZark Biddies]

I’m no expert either... but I’ve got a small stack of books from the experts... and from what I understand it’s the combination of the pattern gene (Pg) and melanotic (Ml) that creates the darkened edges of the lacing in many blue varieties.

Recall that the blue gene (Bl) dilutes black pigment, and melanotic (Ml) extends or enhances black pigment... so somehow the pattern (Pg) gene allows the center of the feather to be diluted by Bl, but allows the edges to be darkened by Ml... or something like that

Excerpt from Brian Reeder’s book on ‘color forms of the domestic fowl’:

 

[lilmillefleur]

I’m no expert either... but I’ve got a small stack of books from the experts... and from what I understand it’s the combination of the pattern gene (Pg) and melanotic (Ml) that creates the darkened edges of the lacing in many blue varieties.

Recall that the blue gene (Bl) dilutes black pigment, and melanotic (Ml) extends or enhances black pigment... so somehow the pattern (Pg) gene allows the center of the feather to be diluted by Bl, but allows the edges to be darkened by Ml... or something like that

Excerpt from Brian Reeder’s book on ‘color forms of the domestic fowl’:
View attachment 1615578

interesting. thanks!

 

[IamRainey]

Thanks so much for those explanations and photos.

The photos of splashed birds were more or less what I was expecting for Ophelia.
The explanation of what she is and what's going on are helpful tho I don't pretend to get a word of it...

So, turns out, I've got a blue Orpington and a lavender one. Only 4 more colors of the rainbow to go!

 

[Pyxis]

So, turns out, I've got a blue Orpington and a violet one. Only 4 more colors of the rainbow to go!

Blue and lavender There's no color called violet in chickens.

 

[IamRainey]

Here are what you get if you cross 2 blue birds:

• Blue rooster X Blue hen = 50% Blue chicks, 25% Black chicks, 25% Splash chicks

I just re-read this and I can see now what My Pet Chicken was saying. They knew the cross was between blue hens and blue roos but didn't know which of the hatchlings would arrive in my order.

Makes sense now. Thanks for explaining that.

 

[IamRainey]

Blue and lavender There's no color called violet in chickens.

I got confused again. My Lavender Orpington is named Violet.

 

[OhZark Biddies]

@IamRainey

So who else is in your flock... names? Breeds?

How are the temperaments of your orps? Super friendly like buff orps?.... or different ???

 

[IamRainey]

My flock is:

• Prudence the Partridge Plymouth Rock
• Lavinia the Cream Legbar
• Sadie the Sicilian Buttercup
• Wendolyn the Gold Laced Wyandotte
• Ophelia the Blue Orpington
• Violet the Lavender Orpington
• Monsieur Maurice the Black Copper Marans rooster (who used to be Maude)

I wouldn't describe any of them as super friendly but they are now a happily integrated flock (Prudie and Lavinia predating the others by about a year).

Sadie is a joy to hold. Her feathers are as soft as velvet. Ophelia and Violet are giants who dwarf everyone else except M. Maurice. Can't wait to see what size their eggs are. Wendolyn is very curious and always comes up into the coop to see what I'm doing in there when I'm mucking out. Sadie and Maurice are usually right behind her. Lavinia is an egg-laying champ. She's still pumping out 2-3 pretty blue eggs a week in the darkest days of Winter without any supplementary light. Prudie was the flightiest (and also chief Mean Girl at one point) but she's calmer now and she's also a fine layer or will be again once the days get lighter.

I think Sadie and Wendolyn will be next to lay. M. Maurice is never going to give me those gorgeous chocolate eggs I bought "him" for. ...but I have a female BCM ( I really wanted the dark eggs), a Speckled Sussex, a Swedish Flower Hen and an Olive Egger coming in April.

And that should fill my coop and run.

 

[chickens really]

Lavender splash Orpington Hen I used to own.

 

[lilmillefleur]

View attachment 1617380 Lavender splash Orpington Hen I used to own.

Lavender AND splash?! She’s beautiful!