A Random Thought...Marans x Ameraucana Cross?

[Draconargentum]

I was just flipping through the threads here, when I got a strange notion...What do you think would happen if someone crossed a quality-laying Marans with an Ameraucana? Dark brown eggs? More strongly colored blue or green eggs? Has anyone ever tried this? Just me being random, curious, and ignorant of chicken genetics. If anyone has tried this though, I'd love to see pictures. ^_^

 

[Chickndaddy]

I don't have any pictures but my crosses layed a deep army green egg with spots that showed up a violet or wine color. Very pretty.

 

[ODS-n-ENS FARM]

I am not 100% positive,but I thought I had read if the rooster is a maran you would get what is called a "olive egg". Do a search for "olive eggers" and you may find your answer.

 

[ParkerVA]

I crossed a Marans roo on EE hens and got brown egg layers.

Bred those pullets back to an Ameraucana and got some cool deep sage green colored eggs.

I crossed an Ameraucana roo to Marans hens and got some nice dark olive colored eggs.

I had some pullets that were a Barred Rock roo crossed to Ameraucana and they laid olive green eggs.

 

[klf73]

search maransguy- I think his avatar has an olive egg there which is a result of this cross

 

[TerriLaChicks]

I have a cuckoo Marans pullet and 2 EE's and my splash Andalusian roo Gumbo, so come next spring (they are only 4 months old) I plan to "experiement" and see what kind of cool colors result! in both chickens AND eggs!

 

[drom]

They're called Olive Eggers and quite a few people are crossing them and have posted pics of their eggs on this site.

 

[drom]

This web page on this site has pictures of the crosses and the olive colored eggs


https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=4600-Olive_Eggers

 

[Jashdon]

Ok, couple questions about this. Does it have to be a Marans rooster with an Ameraucana hen or can it be the other way around and still get the olive egg? If you bred two Marans x Ameraucana crosses together would the egg color hold true in the offspring? This is all very facinating. Maybe I'll go back to school for genetics when I retire...

 

[kingchick]

I have this mix, 2nd generation, both being Marian rooster and the hens lay deep olive eggs