2nd Generation EEs?

[LinzeeBrie]

Or you could put the EE male with the Ameraucana hens, so all those chicks will be Easter Eggers. And the Ameraucana males with the other hens, also giving all Easter Eggers & Olive Eggers. (But that would leave you with no pure Ameraucanas.)

Oooh! I don't mind that idea! There are a fair bit of Ameraucana breeders in my area; so they're not priced exceptionally higher than EEs....

 

[3KillerBs]

You could say that it will be a mix of brown-eggers and green-eggers. That way people might be thinking "what color will this one lay?" instead of "I'm waiting for a blue egg..."

This is an excellent idea.

 

[LinzeeBrie]

If you know both parents, that's much easier.
He cannot have two blue egg genes (none from his mother), but probably does have one (from his father).

So about half of his chicks should lay blue or green eggs, and the other half will lay brown eggs (or possibly white, depending on the mother.)

But him plus a blue layer would pretty confidently result in blue/green layers? Would that be F2 EE?

 

[NatJ]

But him plus a blue layer would pretty confidently result in blue/green layers? Would that be F2 EE?

Sounds about right to me!

If one parent has 2 copies of the blue egg gene, then every chick is guaranteed 1 copy of that gene, and every female will lay blue/green eggs. So blue layer for mother can guarantee chicks that lay blue/green eggs, if she herself is pure for the blue egg gene.

If each parent has 1 copy of the blue egg gene and 1 copy of the not-blue gene, then about 1/4 of the daughters will lay not-blue eggs. The other 3/4 will lay blue or green eggs.

 

[LinzeeBrie]

Sounds about right to me!

If one parent has 2 copies of the blue egg gene, then every chick is guaranteed 1 copy of that gene, and every female will lay blue/green eggs. So blue layer for mother can guarantee chicks that lay blue/green eggs, if she herself is pure for the blue egg gene.

If each parent has 1 copy of the blue egg gene and 1 copy of the not-blue gene, then about 1/4 of the daughters will lay not-blue eggs. The other 3/4 will lay blue or green eggs.

You're the best, thank you! The particular mom that I have in mind lays blue, but hatched from white. So she only has 1 blue gene, and the 3/4 concept applies. Funny to think that green + blue can = brown!