Splashes

[Guest]

Mike, John, Paul and all you others who are in the know....what is the game plan for getting the splashes accepted by the Standard?
  I\'m sure it\'s not a priority, and I ask just because I think that they are absolutely gorgeous.  I have a splash cock bird that\'s about four now.  A little crusty with age, but still my favorite.

[Mike Gilbert]

Hi Angela,
As near as I can remember, no one until now has expressed an interest in getting splash into the Standards.   I could possibly help with bantams, but don\'t keep blue large fowl.
Is anyone else out there interested now?   It takes at least five breeders who are willing to certify they have raised them at least five years.   And then at least 50 birds in all classes (C, H, K, & P) must be shown at a qualifying meet.

Mike

[John]

I\'ve always felt splash is a very attractive variety, but since they weren\'t recognized I haven\'t breed for them or from them.  I have had a few over the years that were sports from my blues.
I too don\'t remember hearing anyone express an interest in having them recognized, I don\'t know of any game plan.  I have enough breeding projects going on, but producing splash doesn\'t require a separate breeding pen so I could help if there is enough interest.  If the interest is there, is it for both large fowl and/or bantams?    

[Guest]

We are interested in working with the splash ameracaunas. We have blacks and blues from Paul Smith. We can work on the splash. We would appreciate any input and help on developing the splash.  Thanks P & R Poultry, Paul and Ronda Caruso

[bantamhill]

I have bantam splash and could create large fowl splash easily in 2006. My suggestion would be to gather some documentation on who has splash. I would then suggest to put the splash and black gold on the same qualification track with the ABA and APA.

I would think the club needs to create a verification form for qualifying new varieties that the board of directors agrees to pursuing a qualification meet on that way we know who has had what for how long!!!!

I would be willing to help with paperwork and logistics (as well as breeding).

As an after thought - those of us interested in self blue could also get on the schedule . . . however that would put us on fall 2009 qualifying meet schedule. I think it would be best to qualify the large fowl and bantam with the APA and ABA at the same time. Location of meets might impact this decision also.

Michael

[Paul]

  I\'m interested in helping with the splash project.  We have worked with splashes for several years now.  I\'d have to check back records for a date.  The best blues that we have ever produced have been out of splash and black matings.  Our blue cockerel which was BV blue at the Sedalia national is out of a splash pullet mated to a black cockerel.  Our # 10-05 Ameraucanas, are out of black pullets and a splash cockerel.  They are some of our best blues from 2005 hatch.  One of our 2006 breeding pens contains black and splash sisters (blues sisters have been sold) mated to a splash cockerel.  This will be our first time to mate two splash which will produce only splash.  The blue pullets were sold out of these so I would know that the splash chicks which hatch from this pen will be out of the 2 splash pullets that are in the pen.  Blue mated with splash will produce both blue and splash.
  I hope others will help with this splash project.  Beth Collier raises splash also.  Both showed one at the Lucasville, Ohio national meet in 2003.  Lisa Cree is also working with splash.

[Guest]

I am woefully ignorant of procedures for any of this, but if someone is willing to babysit me, I\'m in.
   

[Blue Egg Acres]

I\'ve always felt splash is a very attractive variety, but since they weren\'t recognized I haven\'t breed for them  

Same here. I don\'t have the black/blue splashes, but do have the large fowl splash wheaten and have used them on a limited basis to produce blue wheaten. I\'ve wondered why they aren\'t recognized. Any chance we might have them recognized at the same time as the blue splash?

[John]

Any chance we might have them recognized at the same time as the blue splash?

Not that there is anything wrong with splash wheaten, but I don\'t think there would be enough breeders interested in breeding them.  If the breeders are interested then there is nothing to stop you.  There aren\'t any real development programs needed for either variety since they can be bred from show quality blues and blue wheatens.  Again I would help if you find enough interest.
I\'m personally leery of getting new varieties recognized just to have a bunch of them and then not have enough interested individuals in continuing to breed and show them in the future.
I\'ve never liked the fact that blues don\'t breed true and that is one reason I prefer lavenders to blues and have started to breed them.  I\'ve joined in on the black gold project for two reasons.  First to help the members get them recognized that want them recognized and second is to push thru the LF version at the same time, just because I would like to see the same varieties in both Ameraucana breeds.  
Just some of my thought,

[Guest]

I would be very interested in working to get the Splash Blue Wheatens accepted. I realize it would take five years, and since this is my first year I might not be able to help (are there others out there who are working with them?)

I have a lovely SBW pullet I hatched from eggs from Barbara, she\'d be fabulous to show, and I\'ve heard from long-time Dutch breeders (where we also work with the Andalusian blue genetics) that some of the best blue birds come out of Splash hens.

So, count me in!

[bantamhill]

Words of caution are appropriate given the loss of silvers in the bantam and the time it takes to recreate a variety. I suspect the splash and splash wheaten would be safe over the long term. Self blue and black gold need folks to committ to them long term.

Michael

[Guest]

I don\'t know about taking on a new variety, but if you really need help with the black golds & lavenders, I\'ll step up.  You guys tell me what you need.  I have the luxury of vacant time right now.

[Guest]

We are truly interested in the blue splash and the wheaton splash. As we already have these varieties. We feel that we can concentrate on these. If anyone has any eggs available or breeding stock or chicks later, feel free to contact us.
Paul and Ronda Caruso
 P & R Poultry

[Guest]

Words of caution are appropriate given the loss of silvers in the bantam and the time it takes to recreate a variety.
Michael

Well, since at present my Wheatens, Blue Wheatens, and Splash bird are all in the same pen, and I was planning on breeding some Splashes anyway (I have liked them since I got my first Blue Cochins), it won\'t require any additional effort for me. I am very familiar with how the genetics works (using it in my Dutch too) so it shouldn\'t be a problem. And it\'s not like W and BW are rare, right?

[Guest]

Doing the splash, for me is a no-brainer....I\'m already doing it.....I just need someone to line me out on what we need to do.
   Bantamhill...... let me know what you need.  I\'m close enough to you to become an extension of your breeding program.