Why are grey chickens called every other color but grey?

[redinator]

Blue, Self Blue, Lavender . . . .I'm sure I'm missing some (probably several), but these are the most common ones I've seen.

Were the people that decided what color 'grey' chickens would be called colorblind? I have yet to see an actual blue or lavender (light shade of purple) chicken. Is there a 'color wheel' of sorts?

Once the 'reason' is explained, if there is one, I'll get over it, but it's one of those nagging questions that new chicken keepers just have to ask, lol.

 

[No Coop No Problem]

I think that breeders just wanted to make things sound fancy

 

[thecatumbrella]

Yep. Grey is boring. It's like paint colors; gotta make it sound better than it actually is.

I have several "calico" chickens, but let's be honest... they're cecal colored.

 

[The Moonshiner]

IMO my "blue" chickens have looked more blue then Grey. And besides "Grey" was already taken as the name for silver duckwing which isn't Grey nor Silver so.....

 

[Bigdumogre]

A Lavender Orpington will sell much quicker than a Grey Orpington. Just like in reptile morphs, they come up with crazy names to sell them. IMO Zombie chicken is still the best name out there!

 

[redinator]

IMO my "blue" chickens have looked more blue then Grey. And besides "Grey" was already taken as the name for silver duckwing which isn't Grey nor Silver so.....

Fair point. I'll just start calling mine names like Sherbert, Cookies and Cream, Rocky Road . . . .

I think I need some ice cream this heat is too much.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

In the front on the left is a lavender chicken. Her color is even all over. Now compare her to the blue chicken facing her on the other side of the Speckled Sussex. The blue hen is a Sapphire Gem and ifyou look closely you'll notice, first, she's darker than the lavender EE, and second, that her feathers are lightly outlined in a darker ("grey"). Look at that flock and you'll see both blues and greys. I can't explain "Self Blue" because I don't know anything about it.

 

[The Moonshiner]

View attachment 4185194

In the front on the left is a lavender chicken. Her color is even all over. Now compare her to the blue chicken facing her on the other side of the Speckled Sussex. The blue hen is a Sapphire Gem and ifyou look closely you'll notice, first, she's darker than the lavender EE, and second, that her feathers are lightly outlined in a darker ("grey"). Look at that flock and you'll see both blues and greys. I can't explain "Self Blue" because I don't know anything about it.

Self Blue is what the APA calls Lavender.

 

[redinator]

View attachment 4185194

In the front on the left is a lavender chicken. Her color is even all over. Now compare her to the blue chicken facing her on the other side of the Speckled Sussex. The blue hen is a Sapphire Gem and ifyou look closely you'll notice, first, she's darker than the lavender EE, and second, that her feathers are lightly outlined in a darker ("grey"). Look at that flock and you'll see both blues and greys. I can't explain "Self Blue" because I don't know anything about it.

So it the 'grey' is uneven then it's called a 'blue', but if the color is even it's a 'lavender'? What if it's dark grey all over?

 

[ChickenChick46]

A Lavender Orpington will sell much quicker than a Grey Orpington. Just like in reptile morphs, they come up with crazy names to sell them. IMO Zombie chicken is still the best name out there!

Agreed! My neighbor bought one, and I'd never heard of it. When she texted me that she had a zombie chicken, I asked if that was something she needed help with!