Blue egg genetics?

[Rootball]

A little of the confusion comes in because there are more than one gene that control brown egg coloring, in fact there are 12.

Blue egg is a dominant gene meaning that the bird will lay blue eggs with onyl one of the blue egg genes, So if one of the parents is Homozygous(having 2 blue egg genes) meaning that they come from a long line of blue egg layers that breed true, then all of the f1s will lay blue eggs or carry 1 of the genes.

However if there are brown egg genes in one of the parents the brown will be deposited on top of the blue causing any number of shades of green.


So your best bet for a blue egg cross is with a white egg layer, and then you have to keep careful records and make sure to mate the F1s to more blue egg layers because they only have one gene and so if they are mated to birds with out the blue gene they will only produce 25% blue egg layers. Once you get your line homozygous they will breed true.

Araucanas, although the standard calls for a blue egg will lay a varying degree of colors possibly because they have brown egg layers in their lines. The Araucana was originally made as a cross between the Colloncas(rumpless blue egger) and the Quetero(tufted brown egger)

 

[Rootball]

Quote:
Its not an either/or thing

It will most likely be both which are green

Think of it this way.....Eggs can be 1 of 2 colors White or Blue THEN they can have varying amounts of brown added to the outside.

So White eggs are white through and through

Brown eggs are white eggs with brown on them

Blue eggs are blue through and through

Green eggs are Blue eggs with brown on them

Brown eggs vary in shade because there are 12 or 13 genes which control the amount of brown on the egg.

 

[Joyryder]

Do I need a white egg layer to know if the roo is carrying a blue, green or brown gene?

 

[milleryardchx]

Well rather than being confused about all this genetics just test the eggs and wait 6 months see what you get for fun.

I just hatched 5 chicks which roo is an Americana but I think is just an EE and mama are barred rock, buff brahma, leghorn, and RIR so to me this sounds like I will not have any green eggs but all brown and one white egg layer from these chicks if they are pullets? My buff brahma/ee mix came out with green legs like daddy but feathered feet like mama.

 

[Frenchy chick]

 

[stuckinthecity]

Okay, I have a question though.
I hatched a dozen eggs from a friend a LONG time ago with my silkie X game hen. Only 1 of those eggs was a colored egg, the rest were brown-but they came from EE/2 RIR hens and a Buff Orp Rooster. The egg was green. Well, from 11 eggs 10 hatched. but 1 died. So out of 9 chicks, I had 2 muffed ee hens. Well one was sold and he kept the other... lol sorry for the long story- the point is she started laying and she lays light green eggs...??? her dad was a BO and her mom was an EE that laid a green egg? so brown + green= green sometimes??? right, right... genetics... but still isnt that wierd? I didnt believe him at 1st, but I saw the eggs.

 

[Kansaseq]

Quote:
Could you post pics of the eggs from the EExLeghorn?

Thanks

 

[Kiwi Chicky]

I will have to keep up with this thread

I have three EE of whom I have no idea what crosses they are. 1 lays brown eggs, 1 lays olive green and the third lays a light blue green colour.

I am hoping to get some of their eggs into the bator soon crossed with my barred rock roo.

So I will post about my babies if I get any pullets, so prob in about 7-8 months time

 

[Organics North]

Hi,
Any updates? On true Ameracuana X White Leghorn cross? Nice blue eggs the first generation? Better production? What color chicken would I get with a Blue, black or splash Ameracuana Roo, crossed with a white Leghorn? (I can not seem to find blue leghorns anywhere in the USA.) Does anyone think the dominant white in the white leghorn will make the blue egg less blue? Should I use a colored Leghorn so the white is not so dominant and will not lighten my egg?

Also was considering a blue Ameracuana roo, crossed with a blue Hamburg.

Way I see it, so what if it only the offspring that lay a blue egg. Just like a sex link, you have to go back to the original crossing
ON

 

[they'reHISchickens]

With all this egg discussion, can I also assume that if you have an EE roo with unknown genes X white Leghorn, that each one of her eggs could yield a different colored egg? I'm about to start a hatch and was only going to set a couple of the white eggs, but now an thinking: set a bunch because there will likely be some blue egg layers resulting?