The Blue Gene (Bl)

Black, Blue, and Splash are all expressions of the same gene — Blue (Bl) — working in an incomplete dominance pattern. A bird with no copies (bl/bl) is Black. One copy (Bl/bl) is Blue. Two copies (Bl/Bl) is Splash.

This means Blue × Blue gives you roughly 25% Black, 50% Blue, and 25% Splash. It’s predictable Mendelian genetics, and it’s why these three colors are often bred together.

Paint Genetics

Paint Silkies carry the dominant white gene (I) in a heterozygous state. A Paint bird is essentially a black bird with one copy of dominant white that creates random white patterning.

Paint × Paint yields roughly 25% Black, 50% Paint, and 25% dominant white (which appears mostly white). The challenge is producing Paints with clean, high-contrast patterning — that’s where selection comes in.

Why Genetics Matters for Buyers

When you buy from a breeder who understands color genetics, you know what you’re getting and what your birds will produce. Random pairings create random results. Informed pairings create predictable outcomes. We can tell you the expected color ratios from any cross in our program because we track the genetics behind every bird.