Black color question

[Guest]

My Black Ameraucanas, all 3, when in the sun have an almost royal blue sheen to them, not green which the standard says is required.

I did a double take when I first noticed this, and now wonder if they should not be used for breeding.  Honestly, the blue tint is very pretty, but if its not right, I need to know.

Thanks for your input.
Sue

[Guest]

Sue,

Very little is known about the genetics of iridescence.
Iridescence is a structural color produced by the reflection of light. What happens is that the black pigment absorbs the light and inside the feather are small hollow spheres that reflect the light to your eye. In your case the only light that is reflected is the blue light. The rest of the colors of light are absorbed by the feathers. Another example of how it works is that the black pigment traps the other colors of light while the microscopic spheres in the feathers act like mirrors and reflect the blue light to your eye.

Wish I could help but I have not bred chickens for iridesence.

Tim

[Mike Gilbert]

Sue, sorry to say what you are describing is not correct, and your birds should probably not be used for breeding, at least not for blacks.    There are a number of good strains of blacks available that have the green sheen per the standard description.    May I suggest you obtain a breeders list through John, our club secretary?   Thanks for asking, and don\'t give up.

[Guest]

My blacks have a green sheen all over them, except for a few, on their body. What are the rules for the sheen in the standard. Will one or two on a bird be an issue?