Blue Bird GeneticsUpdated 4 months ago

Depending on which chicken breed and color you order at My Pet Chicken, some will be guaranteed to be all Blue, Black, or Splash. At the same time, others will be hatched and sold as mixed flock colors including blue, black, and splash. 

How do Chickens get Blue Feathers?

When a blue rooster and a blue hen reproduce, even though they're both blue, they only pass the blue gene to about half of their offspring. About 25% of their offspring will be black... and the last 25% or so will be splash.

• Blue: The genes for "blue" are actually more like diluting genes. They are genes that dilute black feather color. One copy of the gene makes any black feathers "blue," which in chickens is more of a pretty bluish grey.
• Splash: Two copies of the diluting gene result in "splash" plumage. In chickens, splash is a very light color, pale grey or white with "splashes" of black and darker grey in the feathers, especially in the wings and tail.
• Black: When a chicken receives NO copies of the blue diluting gene, that means any black feathers remain black.

For a deeper look at which birds we offer with these genetics you can Click Here.