What is the difference between a self blue silkie and a blue silkie?

Question

I want some different color silkies and was trying to figure out which blues to get.Could someone tell me what the differenc is between the self blue and the blue.

Answer 1

Yea! Something I really know!

Ok, I'm going to answer this skipping the lesson on basic genetics and assume you will understand me. If not, email me.

Self blue first, it's simpler

Self Blue is a dilution of black pigment, the dilution being caused by a autosomal (on a regular chromosome, not s*x-linked) recessive gene called "lavender." The total effect of this gene is to dilute (lighten) both gold and black to straw and silver gray. In a Mille Fleur, two copies of this gene gives you a Porcelain. In a Black Silkie, two copies of this gene gives you a self-blue. I love Self Blue. It doesn't fade to a brownish blue in the sun. So pretty. Anyway. Because lavender is a simple recessive gene, just like white (colorless), a bird can have one copy of it and not show the effect.

Just to be sure we are on the same page, and to clear up something that makes me crazy, when a bird has only one lavender gene, the other one is not black. Extended Black is at a different locus. A bird can have one lavender gene and still have two Black (E) genes. In fact, even if a bird has TWO lavender genes, it can still have two Black genes. But if it only has one, the other one of the pair is non-lavender. Boring but true.

So, a self-blue silkie is EEll or Eell. A bird that carries the lavender gene but is black is EElL or EelL. A bird that does not carry the lavender gene at all but is black is EELL or EeLL.

Okie dokie

The other Blue, also called Andalusian Blue. Andalusian Blue is an incompletely dominant autosomal gene. The effect of this gene is to dilute black and only black to a grey color with a darker gray edge (not seen in Silkies because of their hairy feathers) Again, Extended Black is not at the same locus as Blue, so a bird with one or two Blue genes can still have two Black genes. A Black Bird (EE or Ee) with one copy of Blue (and one copy of not-blue) shows up as blue. A Black Bird with two copies of blue shows up as Splash, because the "potency" of the effect has been doubled. Now imagine a Mille Fleur again. With one blue gene it's a Blue Mille Fleur, the black is diluted, the gold is uneffected. With two copies, it looks like a leaky golden neck, the black spots diluted to splash, but again the gold is not diluted.

There is no way that a bird that shows up as completely black is carrying a blue gene. It can not hide in a black bird. Even having one copy would give you a blue bird. It can, however, hide in a buff bird *waggles eyebrows* because, like I said, it has no effect on any color but black. A white bird can also have one or two copies of it and it wouldn't show.

Now, let me make it more complicated. Some breeders breed Self-Blues to Blues thinking it helps things. I am not sure it does anything other than complicate matters when trying to figure out if you have Self-Blue.

So, how can you tell the difference. Self Blue is always about the same color, a lighter silvery-gray. Andalusian Blue might be a medium gray or a dark gray or a light gray. Sometimes the outer edges of the feathers are a little darker. Of course, a Self-Blue might also have an Andalusian Blue gene (only one, with two it would still be splash) because it looks the same, or an Andalusian Blue Bird could have one lavender gene because it's recessive.

*sighs* ok, I'm wiped out. If you have any more questions, email me.