Genetic clan — e^Wh · S/–

Salmon Brahma

The salmon clan is defined by the wheaten e-locus allele (e^Wh), which produces one of the most strongly sex-linked color expressions in domestic poultry. Hens and roosters of the same genotype look almost like different varieties — a defining feature of the clan. All birds carry the silver gene (S). At Wolfhoeve we breed blue salmon and splash salmon; plain salmon is not maintained as a standalone variety.

How the Salmon clan works

The wheaten allele (e^Wh) at the MC1R-linked e-locus produces a strongly sex-linked phenotype. In hens, it permits phaeomelanin (red/gold) expression across much of the body, producing the characteristic salmon-red breast and flanks. In roosters, it suppresses phaeomelanin expression in most areas, producing an ivory-yellow hackle, black body and breast, and a reddish-brown back — an entirely different visual profile from the hen of the same genotype.

All salmon clan birds at Wolfhoeve carry the silver gene (S), which further modifies the ivory-yellow areas of the rooster to a pure white-silver, and slightly cools the salmon-red of the hen toward a cleaner tone.

The blue dilution series (Bl gene, chromosome 11) acts specifically on the eumelanin (black) zones: the rooster's black body becomes slate-blue in the blue genotype (Bl/bl+), and irregular splash in the homozygous genotype (Bl/Bl). The hen's salmon-red areas are unaffected by Bl — only the dark feathers change.

Salmon is new to giant Brahma. It is well established in Faverolles and several other breeds, and recognized in European standards for those breeds. We are developing it for the Brahma specifically because the sex-linked drama of the pattern is amplified by the scale and presence of the giant Brahma frame.

Clan foundation

e^Wh/e^Whwheaten e-locus — strong sex-linked expression

S/–silver gene — all birds in this clan carry S

Blue dilution series

bl+/bl+no blue — plain salmon (not bred at Wolfhoeve)

Bl/bl+one copy — black zones dilute to slate-blue

Bl/Bltwo copies — black zones become irregular splash

Breeding ratios from blue × blue

50%Blue Salmon (Bl/bl+)

25%Splash Salmon (Bl/Bl)

25%Plain Salmon (bl+/bl+)

Full breeding analysis at chickencolorstandards.com.

Varieties we breed

We breed blue salmon and splash salmon. Plain salmon is not maintained as a standalone variety at Wolfhoeve — our pen management is structured around the blue series, which produces all three genotypes in known ratios.

Blue Salmon

New to Brahma

e^Wh/e^Wh · S/– · Bl/bl+ Standard: Recognized in Faverolles and several European breeds; new to giant Brahma

Blue Salmon carries one copy of the blue dilution gene (Bl/bl+). In the rooster, the black body and breast — which in plain salmon would be solid glossy black — become a deep, even slate-blue. The hackle and back retain their ivory-silver and reddish-brown tones. In the hen, the salmon-red areas are completely unaffected; only the dark areas of the hackle fringe shift from black to blue. The combination produces one of the most complex and painterly Brahma varieties: warm salmon-red on cool slate-blue, with ivory-silver on the rooster's neck.

Sexual dimorphism: Extreme dimorphism: rooster has ivory-silver hackle, reddish-brown back, deep slate-blue body and breast. Hen is salmon-red on breast and flanks with dark blue-grey hackle fringe and wing flights.

At Wolfhoeve: Blue Salmon is the primary variety in our salmon pen. We use splash roosters and blue hens to maximize the proportion of blue offspring in each hatch while also producing splash for selection.

View genotype on chicken-colors.info →

Splash Salmon

New to Brahma

e^Wh/e^Wh · S/– · Bl/Bl Standard: Recognized in Faverolles and several European breeds; new to giant Brahma

Homozygous blue (Bl/Bl) produces the splash phenotype: the even slate-blue of the blue genotype becomes irregular, with large white areas interspersed with blue-grey patches and streaks. No two splash birds look quite alike. In the salmon clan, the effect is applied only to the dark eumelanin zones: the rooster's body and breast become irregularly splashed white and blue, while the salmon-red hen remains essentially unchanged except for the hackle fringe, which shows the same white-and-blue irregular pattern. The combination of salmon-red body and white-splash dark zones on the hen produces a particularly striking bird.

Sexual dimorphism: Rooster: ivory-silver hackle, brown back, white-and-blue splashed body and breast. Hen: salmon-red body with white-and-blue irregular hackle fringe and flight feathers.

At Wolfhoeve: Splash salmon is produced from our blue-series pen. A cross of two blue salmon produces 25% splash. We retain the best splash birds for selection and use splash roosters over blue hens to produce predominantly blue offspring.

View genotype on chicken-colors.info →

Breeding the Salmon clan

Because blue (Bl/bl+) is a single-dose dilution that segregates 1:2:1 (splash:blue:plain) from a blue × blue cross, pen management in the salmon clan is about managing the ratio of genotypes in each hatch. We use splash roosters crossed with blue hens as our standard approach: this produces 50% blue and 50% splash offspring, eliminating plain salmon from the hatch entirely. Plain salmon birds that appear from other crosses are evaluated for type but not maintained in the core breeding program.

The wheaten e-locus allele is critical to get right before introducing blue. If the e-locus is not confirmed as homozygous e^Wh/e^Wh, the sex-linked expression will be incomplete or absent. We confirm e-locus status through progeny testing before adding any new bird to the salmon program.

Salmon is new to Brahma, which means type is the primary selection pressure in every generation. We accept color imprecision — including plain salmon segregants and imperfect blue evenness — in order to maintain the correct Brahma frame, cushion, and feathered feet. Color will stabilize; type, once lost, takes much longer to recover.