Genetics and Egg Color?

[GlicksChicks]

I was wondering if a mix breed pullet's eggs are determined by the genetics of her mother or her father, or if it is random.

For example, I have some chicks that are a mix of a Buckeye (Father) and a Black Copper Maran (Mother) so I was wondering if the hens would lay light brown eggs like a Buckeye or dark brown eggs like a Black Copper Maran, or if the pullets will lay random colored eggs with some laying light and some laying dark.

 

[wrathsfarm]

Not a wizard at color genetics but your roo should lighten up your hens darker eggs. If your roo came from a dark egg and you breed him to a dark layer he should darken her eggs. Or the same as breeding a Black Copper Marans roo over a green egger will make Olive eggs...

So to speak without all the big technical words.

 

[GlicksChicks]

Not a wizard at color genetics but your roo should lighten up your hens darker eggs. If your roo came from a dark egg and you breed him to a dark layer he should darken her eggs. Or the same as breeding a Black Copper Marans roo over a green egger will make Olive eggs...

So to speak without all the big technical words.

Okay, so I should get some eggs that aren't so chocolate brown but not a super light brown either?

 

[wrathsfarm]

Okay, so I should get some eggs that aren't so chocolate brown but not a super light brown either?

You may get a varying mixture of both depending on your hens egg color genetics. What I was trying to say was if the mother was a dark brown layer, more than likely all chicks will lay lighter colored eggs than the mother because the roo came from a lighter egg.
There's always variables of course just a generalized answer.
Like I said I'm no genetics expert. Wait for others to chime in with their thoughts.

 

[wrathsfarm]

Okay, so I should get some eggs that aren't so chocolate brown but not a super light brown either?

I would think you'd get somewhere in the middle with most eggs, possibly speckled also which are lovely...

 

[wrathsfarm]

Example of what you might get for eggs to help boost ya for the day... these are from a couple of my Marans that have lightened up in their laying cycle but throwing speckles....

 

[Chicken_tiger_catt]

I was wondering if a mix breed pullet's eggs are determined by the genetics of her mother or her father, or if it is random.

For example, I have some chicks that are a mix of a Buckeye (Father) and a Black Copper Maran (Mother) so I was wondering if the hens would lay light brown eggs like a Buckeye or dark brown eggs like a Black Copper Maran, or if the pullets will lay random colored eggs with some laying light and some laying dark.

in theory, the brown coloration comes from the bloom that they lay the egg with. since the bloom is only the top layer, I would say the two genes will mix, and you will have lighter brown. I don't know though.

 

[GlicksChicks]

I would think you'd get somewhere in the middle with most eggs, possibly speckled also which are lovely...

That would be pretty!

 

[NatJ]

I was wondering if a mix breed pullet's eggs are determined by the genetics of her mother or her father, or if it is random.

The pullet's egg color is determined by genes from both parents.

For example, I have some chicks that are a mix of a Buckeye (Father) and a Black Copper Maran (Mother) so I was wondering if the hens would lay light brown eggs like a Buckeye or dark brown eggs like a Black Copper Maran, or if the pullets will lay random colored eggs with some laying light and some laying dark.

Daughters will most likely lay eggs of an in-between brown shade.

in theory, the brown coloration comes from the bloom that they lay the egg with. since the bloom is only the top layer, I would say the two genes will mix, and you will have lighter brown. I don't know though.

Wrong word. The "bloom" is not the brown part. The bloom is the slippery wet thing that goes over top of the brown as the egg is being laid, and then dries to a whitish or clear color.

The brown is a layer of color on the outside of the egg, but it goes on before the bloom does.