Jake Harper
The genotype for a splash-coloured chicken is bb. Splash coloration in chickens manifests as a white or very muted grey with irregular splotches of black or blue. Splash chickens are often in high demand because of their eye-catching appearance. Splash is one of three colours that make up the BBS (blue, black, splash) genotype, which is popular in the chicken community.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Genotype | bb |
| Phenotype | White or very muted grey with irregular splotches of black or blue |
| Inheritance | Co-dominant |
| Dilution | Blue dilute gene |
| Melanin | Eumelanin diluter |
| Phaeomelanin | Not greatly affected |
| Similar Colours | Blue, Black, Khaki, Dun Splash, Chocolate |
| BBS Percentage | 25% splash, 50% blue, 25% black |
| Blue-Black Percentage | 50% blue, 50% black |
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What You'll Learn
- Splash chickens are the result of breeding blue chickens, which have one copy of the Blue dilute gene
- Splash chickens are white or very muted grey with irregular splotches of black or blue
- Splash chickens are not sex-linked, unlike chocolate chickens
- Splash chickens are often in high demand because of their eye-catching appearance
- Splash chickens are one of three ornamental chicken breeds, the others being black and white
Splash chickens are the result of breeding blue chickens, which have one copy of the Blue dilute gene
The colour of a chicken is determined by its genes. In poultry genetics, black (BB) and white (WW) are dominant colours. Blue chickens have one copy of the Blue dilute gene (Bb), while black chickens have no dilute gene at all (BB). Splash chickens, on the other hand, have two copies of the Blue dilute gene (bb).
Splash chickens are the result of breeding blue chickens. When two blue chickens are bred together, they can produce offspring that are black, blue, or splash. The probability of each colour is 25% black, 50% blue, and 25% splash. This is because blue chickens carry two colour genes, one for black (B) and one for splash (b). When two blue chickens are bred, the laws of probability dictate that their offspring can inherit either the black gene, the splash gene, or a combination of both.
It's important to note that splash chickens are not a diluted version of blue chickens. Instead, they are the result of a different genetic combination. Splash chickens have two copies of the Blue dilute gene, which dilutes the black colour to splash or a white or very muted grey with irregular splotches of black or blue. This splash coloration is a beautiful and eye-catching feature of these birds, making them highly sought after.
To maintain the distinct splash colouring in future offspring, it is recommended to breed splash chickens with blue chickens. Breeding two splash chickens together can result in a lightening of the overall colouring, including the blue colour that their offspring would produce when bred with blue chickens. By introducing the black colour back into the mix, breeders can maintain the vibrant splash pattern while also preserving the blue colour in subsequent generations.
In summary, splash chickens are the result of breeding blue chickens, which carry one copy of the Blue dilute gene. The dilution of black to splash is a genetic trait governed by Mendel's Laws of Inheritance, which state that genes occur in pairs and that offspring inherit one gene from each parent. By understanding the genetics of chicken colours, breeders can plan for a beautiful variety of birds and produce specific chicks for sale.
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Splash chickens are white or very muted grey with irregular splotches of black or blue
Splash chickens, with the genetic code bb, are white or very muted grey with irregular splotches of black or blue. They are often in high demand and are considered beautiful, eye-catching birds. The splash colour is one of the three results of blue-to-blue breeding, the other two being blue and black. Blue birds, with the genetic code Bb, are a mix of black (BB) and splash (bb).
Blue is a heterozygous form of Splash. This means that Splash chickens are homozygous, and therefore purebred. Blue is a dilution of black, with a nice contrast of gold and red tints that does not affect the ground colour of the chicken. Blue tends to be uneven, dark-edged, or speckled with black, and can be darkened by melanizers to a flat black. It also tends to get rusty. Splash chickens, like Blue, can range from pure white to greyish with speckles.
The colour of Splash chickens can fade over generations if they are bred with other Splash chickens. To keep a good Splash colour, it is recommended to breed Splash chickens with Blue chickens. Blue to Splash breeding will produce 50% Splash and 50% Blue chickens. Splash to Black is the only pairing that will produce 100% Blue chickens. Blue to Black will produce 50% Blue and 50% Black chickens. Blue to Blue will produce 50% Blue, 25% Splash, and 25% Black chickens.
BBS (Blue, Black, Splash) genetics are some of the easiest genes to understand and are extremely popular in the chicken community. The Bl gene dilutes black to splash when homozygous and dilutes black to blue when heterozygous.
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Splash chickens are not sex-linked, unlike chocolate chickens
The genotype for a splash chicken is Bl/Bl. Splash chickens are heterozygotes that often show a grayish tint of white and speckles of coloured feathers. They are similar to heterozygote Dominant White chickens, which can range from pure white to grayish and speckled. Splash chickens are also known as blue chickens, which present two distinct forms. Blue chickens are the heterozygous form of Splash chickens.
Chocolate chickens, on the other hand, are sex-linked. Sex-linked chickens are those that can be sexed by their dominant feather colour on the day they hatch. Chocolate chickens are sex-linked recessive, meaning that they can be used to create a one-off batch where the chicks can be sexed immediately at hatch. This is useful in hard-to-sex breeds like silkies, where it would take half a year to be certain of the sex.
Sex-link chickens are a type of hybrid chicken breed that is the result of cross-breeding two or more heritage or purebred chicken breeds. Splash chickens, however, are not sex-linked. They are not hybrid chickens and therefore cannot be sexed by their feather colour at hatch. Splash chickens are purebred or homozygous chickens.
There are two types of chicken breeds that have physical characteristics when they hatch that help determine if they are hens or roosters: sex-link chickens and autosex chickens. Sex-link chickens are the result of mating two different chicken breeds, while autosex chickens are purebred or heritage chicken breeds that display sex-linked physical characteristics upon hatching. Splash chickens do not fall into either of these categories and therefore cannot be sexed by their feather colour at hatch.
In summary, splash chickens are not sex-linked like chocolate chickens. Splash chickens are purebred or homozygous chickens that cannot be sexed by their feather colour at hatch, while chocolate chickens are sex-linked recessive chickens that can be sexed immediately at hatch due to their dominant feather colour.
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Splash chickens are often in high demand because of their eye-catching appearance
The genotype for a Splash chicken is bb, which is short for Blue Black Splash. Splash chickens have two copies of the Blue dilute gene, whereas Blue chickens have only one copy, and Black chickens have no dilute gene. Splash coloration in chickens manifests as a white or very muted grey—or black—splashed with irregular splotches of black or blue. This coloration is eye-catching, and Splash chickens are often in high demand.
The genetics of Splash chickens are relatively simple and are probably some of the easiest genes to understand. In poultry genetics, black (BB) and white (WW) are dominant. So, breeding a black rooster with a white hen would result in a black-and-white chicken. The genetic code Bb represents blue, and the genetic code BB represents black. The 'b' comes from splash (genetic code bb). Blue is made up of two colour genes: black (BB) and splash (bb).
Blue birds (genetic code Bb) are mated together, they produce a percentage of 'off' colours in their offspring, with a probability of 25% black (BB), 25% blue splashed white (bb), and 50% blue (Bb). Blue to Splash will produce 50% Splash and 50% Blue. Blue to Black will give you 50% Blue and 50% Black. Splash to Black is the only pairing that will give you 100% Blue. Breeding Splash to Splash will lighten the overall colouring, and even lighten the Blues that those Splashes would produce when bred to Blue.
Blue, Black, Splash (BBS) genetics are extremely popular in the chicken community. There are multiple patterns that involve BBS, for example, Splash Orpingtons or BBS Ameraucanas. BBS is a category that involves the same set of genes, Bl and bl+. These genes are co-dominant, meaning one is not dominant over the other. When a bird has both genes, you get a sort of mix between the two. Bl means blue and is a dilute gene. When homozygous, it dilutes black to splash, and when heterozygous, it dilutes black to blue.
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Splash chickens are one of three ornamental chicken breeds, the others being black and white
Blue is made up of two colour genes: black (BB) and splash (bb). Splash chickens have two copies of the blue dilute gene, whereas black chickens have no dilute gene. Blue chickens, on the other hand, only have one copy of the dilute gene. When it comes to breeding blue-black-splash chickens, the colours of the parent birds determine the colour of the offspring. For example, breeding a black chicken with a blue chicken will result in 50% black chicks and 50% blue chicks. Breeding two blue chickens will result in 50% blue, 25% black, and 25% splash.
Splash chickens are eye-catching birds that are often in high demand. Their colour is a white or very muted grey with irregular splotches of black or blue. Breeding two splash chickens will result in 100% splash offspring, but it can also lighten the colouring of future offspring, causing the splashes of colour to fade.
In addition to splash, black, and white chickens, there are many other chicken colours and patterns. These include birchen, which causes the bird to have a black body with gold edging, and extended black, which is a base plumage found on the E locus that increases the amount of black pigment in chickens. Other colours include chocolate, a deep brown colour, and blue-splashed whites, which are homozygous like black chickens.
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Frequently asked questions
The genotype for a splash-coloured chicken is bb.
Splash chickens are white or very muted grey with irregular splotches of black or blue.
Blue is made up of two colour genes: black (BB) and splash (bb). Breeding blue (Bb) chickens together will result in 50% blue (Bb) offspring, 25% black (BB), and 25% splash (bb).
Blue chickens have one copy of the Blue dilute gene, while splash chickens have two copies.
Breeding splash chickens with black chickens will result in 100% blue offspring. Breeding blue chickens with black chickens will result in 50% blue and 50% black offspring. Breeding blue chickens together will result in 50% blue, 25% black, and 25% splash offspring.
![Splash [VHS]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71uhnLt52jL._AC_UL320_.jpg)
