game x ee cockeral, will hee throw good layers with color????

Bejammie · Oct 14, 2015

My EE cockerel is EE hen X Game roo....it was a free chick from a friend, bred from free ranging EE and Game roo. He has a three row pea comb. Does this mean he LIKELY inherited the blue laying gene? I have two ee hens nd I'm wondering if it would be worth it to breed him to her and see what she throws color laying wise? Or would the game in him make the chicks not-so-great layers and not worth anything anyway? Pretty much, if I'm wanting to breed GOOD LAYERS with COLOR, is it worth it for me to breed him or should his next stop be the stew pot? I have NO experience with game chickens, so I don't know if the game in him means he will throw white layers, or small egg layers, or poor layers, or whatever.... Thanks

QueenMisha · Oct 14, 2015

It's pretty hard to say for sure. Both EEs and most games have a lot of variance in their egg-laying ability, as they are both mutts to various extents. EEs can lay anywhere from 3-4 eggs a week to 5-6, and gamefowl are really all over the spectrum. Orientals like Shamo or Asil are usually very low production, whereas Old English tend to be OK, and American Pits are usually low/decent but will sometimes throw a high production. (I have a Wheaten Pit hen who gives me 5-6 large, white eggs each week - and she's 3 years old). Although as I recall, pea combs are linked closely to the blue/green-egging gene, so there's a pretty decent chance he carries a blue/green egg gene.

donrae · Oct 14, 2015

Can you post a pic of the rooster?

I believe some strains of game birds can be pea combed, and not linked to the blue egg gene. Not a big game bird person, so someone correct me it that's not right.

If he's a nice bird for you, good temperament, respectful of you, good to his hens, pleasing to look at, I'd say go ahead and test breed him. yep, it will take 6 months or so to see how his pullet offspring lay, but that's really not that long.

Or, if you want a sure thing for egg color, look for something like a crested cream Legbar rooster. Cull cockerels are getting easier to find, and since you're not breeding them for autosexing a cull would be perfect for you. He would have the blue egg gene so all his offspring should lay blue or green eggs, depending on momma's genetics. CCL are also Leghorn based, so they're a higher production layer and will churn out the eggs for you.

Bejammie · Oct 15, 2015

I am getting my blue ameraucana this weekend, but I really wanted to try and use him too, just to give him a bit longer life I guess lol. Ill post a photo, I own his mom and she lays regularly.