NZ Araucana - Colour Check Please

[The Kooky Kiwi]

Good Morning Everyone! I recently purchased some Araucana eggs for hatching (in NZ we have rumps/tails, crests & muffs so pls forgive if this is different to your Araucana standard) - the breeding stock were listed as black. I had 15 babies hatch - all black except one which looks to me to be blue?. When I popped a message back to the breeder he replied that one hen is "split for blue" and "produces the odd blue chick". Now my understanding of blue is that you don't get a "split for blue" bird - it either IS blue or it isn't. One blue gene = blue bird, two blue genes would be a splash bird, and no blue genes should be a black bird (assuming there are no other colors in play).

Sooo... here are some pics of one of the black babies - is it normal for black birds to have those white wing feathers? Some of my black babies have the white pins and some do not. And also here are some pics of the baby blue - for confirmation that this IS actually blue? It's a lot darker than the lavenders which I hatched last year.

Your comments on the colors & genetics here would be awesome!!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Sooo... here are some pics of one of the black babies - is it normal for black birds to have those white wing feathers?

Yes completely! Chicks are juveniles and will come into their mature plumage with time. These white wing tips are NOT relative to eventual possible leakage Imo.. and can be seen in many breeds.. Notice the white underbelly as well.. blending more with the sky from underneath and more with the ground from above.. predator evasion built in naturally used across many species!

Now my understanding of blue is that you don't get a "split for blue" bird - it either IS blue or it isn't. One blue gene = blue bird, two blue genes would be a splash bird, and no blue genes should be a black bird (assuming there are no other colors in play).

Yes, I agree with the first part I put in bold!

However thereafter I think you've got some slight mix up when it comes to 2 copies.. so let me share a simple Black/blue/splash breeding chart that lays it out pretty clearly.. Both taken from Google the bottom one is showing a variation in shade (lighter/darker) when splash is bred to splash.. but it happens when interbreeding any of them in my experience.. creating the biggest challenge.. and a wide array of lovely shades

Yes, I agree your second baby is likely blue. Sometimes splash babies might be easy to confuse with lavender.. What a couple little cuties!

Great job starting out with the difference in location and standards.

Helps avoid a lot of drama trying to figure who lied and what breed blah blah.. from right doers like myself who wanna educate everyone and also protect them.. good intentions but often misdirected.

I see you're a kooky Kiwi.. but consider adding your general location to your profile.. it may help some folks make appropriate suggestions at a glance.

ETA: due to the variation in shade I had blue Silkies and didn't know it until seeing them side by side with black a whole year later.. blue often gets darker on top near the head.

 

[The Kooky Kiwi]

Yes, I agree your second baby is likely blue. Sometimes splash babies might be easy to confuse with lavender.. What a couple little cuties!

ETA: due to the variation in shade I had blue Silkies and didn't know it until seeing them side by side with black a whole year later.. blue often gets darker on top near the head.

Thanks! For an excellent reply That does make a lot of sense! Especially your last comment about the blues looking a lot like blacks. That has been my chief confusion - how could the breeder assume he had all blacks and not realise he had a blue? For me to get one blue chick amongst many black ones - he surely must have a very dark hen in his black flock? Either way I'm VERY happy with this outcome. I'd love to have a mixed black/blue/splash flock

 

[The Kooky Kiwi]

Here's all of them (plus a few of my banty babies in there for good measure) - enjoying a rest after hooning around earlier in the new shavings LOL.