Blue egg genetics?

[alohachickens]

Hi, just joined this forum so I can (hopefully) get an answer to this question!

I've read about the "blue egg gene" - some sites say it is carried by the rooster.

But when I googled it, one site (a science fair project by a student, no less, LOL!) said it was a dominant gene regardless of the parent. When they crossed a barred rooster with Ameracuana hens, the babies laid green eggs? Which would mean it is *also* carried by the hen!

I'm getting ready to put some eggs in the incubator for the first time, and am wondering if I should bother putting the green ones in - my friend has "Easter Egg" hens and a red mixed-breed roo. Would the hens of this cross, you think, lay green eggs? Hmmm!

Your thoughts, anyone?

Thanks!

 

[urbanagrarian]

Quote:
Actually, because the blue egg gene is dominant only one of the parents need to carry the gene for some off springs eggs to be blue. Each parent can have zero, one, or two blue eggs genes.

A chick gets one copy of the gene from each parent. If the chick has 1 or 2 blue egg genes, their eggs will be blue. If the chick receives a non blue egg gene from both parents the eggs will not be blue.

Green eggs are blue eggs that are covered with brown. The blue is underneath. So if a brown egg layer also has the gene for blue eggs the eggs will look green or khaki.

O - blue egg o-non blue egg
one parent other parent
OO oo = all blue egg layers
Oo oo = 50 percent blue egg layers
oo oo = no blue egg layers
OO OO = all blue egg layers

I hope my explanation is not too confusing, but I think it is so you can google Punnet square and get a better explanation of inheritance of a dominate trait

Maybe someone else can explain this better

 

[alohachickens]

I dialed in my friend's incubator that she loaned me yesterday and put the eggs in! Yay!

I included three large olive green eggs of hers, and three nice, bright clear blue ones from my "Easter Egger" Ameracauna hen.

The "Easter Egg" Ameracuana was purchased from Ideal hatchery, and is the most awesome bright, clear, vivid orange color, with blue on her tail. So curious to see what she creates with the Speckled Sussex rooster, if it works. Would they possibly be orange, with the Sussex's black barring and white speckles? That would make them "Candy Corn Chickens!"

Some of the others will be a cross between my black and white speckled Exchequer Leghorns and the Speckled Sussex rooster.

The next batch will have those same Exchequer girls, crossed with a really WILD looking Ameracuana rooster who is mostly light gold, with patches of red and orange on his back/shoulders, and black tipping on his neck feathers and tail.

I'm hoping to get super-colorful chickens from these crosses. I plan on calling my home-made mutts "Aloha Chickens" if it works, (hence my name on here, LOL) because I'm hoping they look like they're wearing bright Hawaiian shirts!

I'll start a new post around day 10 after I candle them and see if it's working . . .

Even if all the blue ones hatch, it will be a while before I see if I get candy corn chickens who lay green eggs, lol. (But, you gotta admit that sounds fun!)

 

[JJSmith]

Hi Everyone,
I just wanted to let you know my results on crossing EE with other breeds. I have EE X Leghorn with the most beautiful sky blue egg, I have EE X RIR that layed brown eggs with blue dots on them, and I have EE X Columbian's that lay brown eggs. Sometimes you never know what you will get, especially with different hatcheries you don't know what they used to make the EE'ers so you could get almost anything. Out of the 3 EE's I got 3 years ago none of them layed the nice sky blue egg, more of an olive color, but cross them with the leghorns and voila sky blue eggs and pretty nice little birds as well.
Jayme

 

[hinkjc]

In order to get blue eggs from offspring, the rooster has to carry a blue egg gene and be matched to a hen that carries the same.

Otherwise, anything goes..but if one is brown egg you will only ever get brown or green eggs - no blue eggs. I think that is where the rooster conversation comes up.

Jody

 

[justusnak]

Hmmm, this is interesting....I thought....if you cross a blue egg layer, with a brown egg layer, you would get the Olive drab green layers?? I say, go ahead and set them, andse what ya get, then kep records....let us know! Oh, and welcome to BYC!! As you might have noticed...there are many opinions...but mostly friendly!!

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

Hi!
It is such an interesting discussion.
Urbanag' explains (with a chart, even) it well.
(as Jody said before, but different)
If you ponder it enough, it makes sense.

How to understand a Punnett Square --- I just don't get it.
Is there a tutorial somewhere?

edit: But you don't need a blue egg roo and a blue egg hen to get blue eggs.
A blue egg roo and a white egg hen make blue egg layers, too.
An EE roo (outcrossed and from a green egg) and a white layer can make blue eggers.
The color is not as intense as Ameraucana eggs, but still blue.

Hapy Holidays!
Lisa

 

[Ole Mule]

The color of eggshells is the result of pigments being deposited during egg formation within the oviduct. The type of pigment depends upon the breed and is genetically determined.

In 1933, Professor Punnett demonstrated that the blue egg factor is a dominant gene (genetic symbol O).

All eggs are initially white, and shell color is the result of the pigments called porphyrins being deposited while the eggs are in the process of formation. In the case of the Rhode Island Red, the brown pigment protoporphyrin, derived from haemoglobin in the blood, is what gives the shell its light brown color.

The Araucana produces a pigment called oocyanin, which is a product of bile formation, and results in blue or bluish-green eggs. Interestingly, the color goes right through the shell, making the eggs difficult to candle during incubation.

This factor is also an indication of the relative purity of the stock in relation to original Araucanas. The original shell color of Araucana eggs is blue, but a variety of colors have been produced by crossing Araucanas with other breeds.

It is known that the color is sex linked - i.e. that the cock is the most important determinant for the color of the eggs in the next generation.

Therefore your cockerel is the most important bird in controlling and improving your egg color in the future.

 

[earthnut]

The blue egg gene is on chromosome 1, not chromosome Z. Therefore it is not sex-linked (chromosomes Z and W are the sex chromosomes in chickens). Other than that, Ole Mule is correct.

"It is known that the color is sex linked - i.e. that the cock is the most important determinant for the color of the eggs in the next generation." is lifted directly off a website on chicken genetics, but they don't give a source for it. All the scientific papers I found talked about it being on chromosome 1.

Locations of a bunch of genes in chickens: http://home.ezweb.com.au/~kazballea/genetics/linkages.html

 

[earthnut]

Good luck with your calico chickens! They sound lovely.

If I get into chicken breeding (don't have the space right now), I have this crazy idea of making a blue-egg-laying, blue-feathered, black-skinned, black-boned, blue-eyed, single-combed strain. I just think that would be so crazy and cool - an all-blue chicken!