Self Blue and Andalusian
Blue
by Inga Ladd
article © Inga Ladd
March 27, 2003
Oh yes. You can have both on the same bird. Breeders who are dealing
this mess call the blues Andalusian Blues and the Splashes Andalusian
Splash. Lavender is another term for Self Blue.
The notation for these genes is:
A Silkie that is lav/lav (Homozygous Self Blue) and Bl/Bl (Splash)
can be called Self Blue Splash.
I've been dealing with these colors for about two or three years now.
What I'm getting ready to describe is not based on detailed research
but are my impressions - which are shared by several other breeders
dealing with the same genetic base.
Self Blue Splash
On males Self Blue Splash is an odd splotchy color that is neither
Self Blue nor Splash. You'll have a nice shade of light blue as the
background color and a few dark blue feathers at irregular intervals
on the coat. The Self Blue Splash females are a little prettier. They
are less irregular looking than the Andalusian Splash females and
almost look speckled. Again, on the Self Blue Splash females, the
background color is light blue with darker spots.
Andalusian Splash
With Andalusian Splash males and females, the background color is
near white with black and very dark blue feathers at irregular intervals
in the coat.
Self Blue
A Self Blue male and female should be an even shade of light blue
all over.
It is a long story but I believe that most show quality Blue flocks
in the United States and many show quality Black flocks now carry
the Self Blue gene. I actually own a small handful of Splashes that
I am almost certain do not carry Self Blue. They are old birds and
I hope to increase their numbers this year.
