Blue,Black & Splash a.k.a (BBS)

[Cesar Villegas]

Hi everyone, I noticed from Ameraucana Facebook groups or ads for Ameraucanas on other outlets, that the term BBS is used a lot when describing their "variety (singular)."  I said variety because thats what it sounds like when people use (BBS) it sounds like its one variety instead of three.

Each color is their own variety and I think breeders tend to forget that (BBS) is not one variety. 

That being said, Is keeping a mix breeding flock of Blue,Black & Splash a.k.a (BBS) irresponsible breeding?  I would assume you may not get consistent offspring by keeping a breeding flock of all three varieties. I know the genetics complement each other. I understand you might use one variety to improve another. However, Should mix breeding the three varieties on a consistent basis be discouraged? Or is it just not a big deal?

I would love to hear the opinions from everyone on this.

[John W Blehm]

Hi everyone, I noticed from Ameraucana Facebook groups or ads for Ameraucanas on other outlets, that the term BBS is used a lot when describing their "variety (singular)."  I said variety because thats what it sounds like when people use (BBS) it sounds like its one variety instead of three.

Each color is their own variety and I think breeders tend to forget that (BBS) is not one variety. 

That being said, Is keeping a mix breeding flock of Blue,Black & Splash a.k.a (BBS) irresponsible breeding?  I would assume you may not get consistent offspring by keeping a breeding flock of all three varieties. I know the genetics complement each other. I understand you might use one variety to improve another. However, Should mix breeding the three varieties on a consistent basis be discouraged? Or is it just not a big deal?

I would love to hear the opinions from everyone on this.

I pretty much agree with your opinion on it.  I don't know who started the "BBS", but saw it used many times before I figured out what they meant.  I bred blues and blacks to get blues and blacks, but years ago after studying the genetic makeup of blues more came to the conclusion that to get good/true/"standard" blues, blues should be mated to blues.  An occasional outcross to another variety for improvement is understandable as you said. 

[Mike Gilbert]

As far as I'm concerned, anybody advertising BBS is a good source to stay away from for blues.   They don't know how to breed them properly. 

[Suki]

I'm with Mike.

[Suki]

Hi Folks, Here's an article from Tom Kernan on breeding Blues

http://showbirdbid.proboards.com/thread/2031

[Harry Shaffer]

BBS was a marketing term to sell chicks really had nothing to do with quality.  I personally knew Basil Smith where Tom got his birds and he was a very well respected breeder in this area of Pa especially for game type breeds.  I was told he was the fellow to contact for quality sumatras.  I got some birds from him back in the 1970's or 1980's but can not recall what breed they were but visited his place several times.  Very nice fellow.

[Lee G]

Hi Folks, Here's an article from Tom Kernan on breeding Blues

http://showbirdbid.proboards.com/thread/2031

Nice!