Ameraucana leg color or ear lobe color to determine egg shell color?

[WalkingOnSunshine]

If I mix a lavender (true) ameraucana rooster with a lavender orpington what will this make if anything. They both are beautiful color of lavender one is darker and one is lighter lavender.

Thank you for your help.

You'll get 100% lavender EEs.
Here's the lavender phenotype chart: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/basic-chicken-color-genetics

 

[chickenbusiness]

Thank you very much. As far as the color of eggs they would lay could they be olive, blue, and or brown?

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

Thank you very much. As far as the color of eggs they would lay could they be olive, blue, and or brown?

None of the above. 100% of the offspring carry one blue egg gene and one brown coating gene, and would lay some shade of green, but not olive.

 

[Ridgerunner]

A pure Ameraucana rooster will be pure for the blue egg gene. He will give a copy of that dominant OO gene to each of his offspring. A pure Orpington hen will be pure for the white egg gene. She will give a copy of that recessive oo gene to each of her offspring. So each offspring will have Oo and pullets will lay a base blue egg.

A pure Ameraucana rooster will not contribute any brown shell color to any of his offspring. A pure Orpington hen will contribute brown shell color to all her offspring. So all offspring will receive some brown shell color to put on top of the base blue egg shell. That means a green egg. Exactly what shade of “green” is unknown. It could be pretty close to blue, maybe olive green, maybe minty green, or some other shade. It’s highly possible different pullets from that cross will lay different shades of green. It depends on what “brown” the Orpington contributes.

 

[chickenbusiness]

WOW!
These posts are awesome thank you both for your superior help. Awesome - knowledge is power
Thank you

 

[MyLittleRedCoop]

Sounds to me like you're doing it right. If I lived near you, I'd buy EEs from you!

I think YOU'RE becoming the breeder that you're looking for.

As far as separating your hens, you're right. Separate for 2-3 weeks before introducing your favored roo. Doesn't matter if you remove the roos or separate the hens.

Also, three things come to mind for your EE problem.
First, where in the world are you? I just hatched a batch of blue and black Ameraucanas simply to get the roosters I wanted for my breeding program. I have six, and will be selling at least four. If you're close, or you are coming to the Ohio National Poultry Show (it's in my backyard, practically) I will sell you one cheap.

Secondly, do you ever get any broody hens? I've found that I get really great hatches from shipped eggs under a broody hen. You can talk to Ameraucana breeders on the Ameraucana thread here on BYC, and many will be willing to ship you out some eggs quickly after a lady goes broody for you. I paid $35/dozen including shipping, which was a good price. Then, you have your reliable source of blue egg genetics and you can take it from there.

Finally, you can search out an Ameraucana breeder near you. One of the best ways to identify a "real" Ameraucana breeder is if they tell you the color of the birds up front. In other words, "Americana chickens lay blue and green eggs" are likely to be Easter Eggers. "Wheaten Ameraucanas" are much more likely to be purebred. Then, ask the breeder what lines he/she used in their breeding program. They should know, and if they mention a feed store or a hatchery you'll know they really have EEs.

If you can get actual Ameraucana roosters, it simplifies your breeding program immensely because anything you breed to them will throw a green or blue egg.

Thanks for the vote of confidence! Hopefully I can get to where I'd like to be with it! And you and Ridgerunner have both given me a lot of good info. Thank you both so much!!

We live in Central Mn. I *wish* you were closer, as that would definitely make things easier! My DH grinned (or possibly gritted his teeth, it's hard to say...) when I asked if we could go on a little 2-hour road trip to get some fertile eggs this summer. I don't anticipate him humoring me for a road trip much longer than that. (Ohio is about 12 hours away, not including stops) At least not in the near future, when we still have all 4 kids at home and active in sports and/or scouts... sigh.

I just had my first broody hen experience this summer, and I am a HUGE fan of doing it this way, at least from the experience of letting the hen "do the work" and from the "fun/cool" part, too, getting to watch the eggs grow and all that. When she first went broody, I tried ordering some eggs online (nothing fancy, just mixed brown layers, as I'd never done it before, and wasn't sure of what my results would be). They arrived, and looked well-packaged, but the entire lot of them ended up being scrambled, with the exception of maybe 2-3, and those had detached air sacs. (After 10 days of no growth, I carefully cracked them open in baggies to see what was going on, and they were literally all scrambled; it looked just like it I had dumped them in a glass and given a few whirls with a fork) I think that even if a breeder is good about packaging the eggs (these were individually bubble-wrapped, and boxed in more bubble wrap, and had a little heating pad taped to the inside... clearly a lot of care was taken in packaging them), and you do all the stuff you should do to let them rest, etc, you really have no control over the USPS or even general road conditions. I'm a little nervous about trying the shipped egg route again.

After that, my gal was still setting diligently, so I hurried to find something to put under her and found a local(ish) dealer who sold me some black copper marans and blue orpington eggs. This was when we went on our little road trip. That turned out well. Got 5 of 12 eggs, so not too bad for a newbie. I would be all over finding local Ameraucana eggs. I'll just have to keep looking... I will definitely keep your tips in mind, about looking for a breeder selling the color of the bird, not the eggs.

I guess all this is kind of a moot point right now, anyway, as I still have my broody-butt raising the chicks that hatched, as well as an additional 8 that I had ordered back in the spring, before she went broody... (She's a real gem. They arrived 2 weeks after the others hatched and she took them under her wings, too.) And all 3 of my roos are happily co-existing, haven't given me an inkling of disrespect, and the neighbor's dogs seem to be doing well with their new "invisible fence", so haven't had any recent acts of valor... Sigh. But I got that first blue egg from my gal and started wondering about how I could get more! (and if my other two would also lay such pretty eggs) They're mesmerizingly pretty!

Hopefully this upcoming spring I will be able to give this stuff a try. Maybe I'll get brave and try shipped eggs again...

 

[Ridgerunner]

Minnesota? You might try posting on this thread to see if anyone near you has true Ameraucanas.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/72771/minnesota/1800

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

When she first went broody, I tried ordering some eggs online (nothing fancy, just mixed brown layers, as I'd never done it before, and wasn't sure of what my results would be). They arrived, and looked well-packaged, but the entire lot of them ended up being scrambled, with the exception of maybe 2-3, and those had detached air sacs. (After 10 days of no growth, I carefully cracked them open in baggies to see what was going on, and they were literally all scrambled; it looked just like it I had dumped them in a glass and given a few whirls with a fork) I think that even if a breeder is good about packaging the eggs (these were individually bubble-wrapped, and boxed in more bubble wrap, and had a little heating pad taped to the inside... clearly a lot of care was taken in packaging them), and you do all the stuff you should do to let them rest, etc, you really have no control over the USPS or even general road conditions. I'm a little nervous about trying the shipped egg route again.

Sorry you had such a bad experience with shipped eggs. When my last batch arrived, they were so twisted around inside that you could see the twists when we candled them, and they all had detached air cells. We let the sit undisturbed for 49 hours point-down, then stuck them under a chicken. We had 9 of 12 hatch, which I thought was outstanding for scrambled eggs. I do think my hatch would have been FAR lower if I'd tried to put them in my incubator instead of under a hen.

One tip that I have heard that might help you is to always order eggs from nearly the same latitude and height above sea level as you are located. In other words, I wouldn't order eggs from southern Florida or northern Washington State. I'm trying to remember the whys and wherefores, but it had to do with pressure and humidity, and shipped eggs doing better if they didn't have huge changes in either.

Don't honestly know if it matters or not, but I do try to pay attention to where the eggs are coming from. Other than that--there are many horror stories of postal workers shaking egg boxes on purpose, so it's always a gamble.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I tried ordering some eggs online (nothing fancy, just mixed brown layers, as I'd never done it before, and wasn't sure of what my results would be). They arrived, and looked well-packaged, but the entire lot of them ended up being scrambled, with the exception of maybe 2-3, and those had detached air sacs. (After 10 days of no growth, I carefully cracked them open in baggies to see what was going on, and they were literally all scrambled; it looked just like it I had dumped them in a glass and given a few whirls with a fork)

JVeith
I'm sorry your shipped hatch went poorly...Most claim the standing hatch rate for shipped eggs is 50%.

BTW...Not to say your shipped eggs weren't totally mishandled by the gorilla at the USPS, but if you crack open most any undeveloped egg after 10 days of sitting warm under a hen, the decomposition will make it looked scrambled as the yolk membrane has broken down. If you shake the decomposed egg, it will give a clear "thud-a-thud" and feel just like a water balloon sloshing. (Wait longer to pull it and it will look like a green water balloon swelled tight in the outer membrane...and explodes with high velocity...both smell and speed of gook. )

I've not tried shipped eggs yet, but I too want to get some specific breeds that I may not find locally, so I'm taking notes of letting them sit with points down for 48 hours so the air sacs can reattach. I've heard that before...being such a nube, when asked how long you let your eggs sit before incubating...I said I put them in immediately...but I've only used eggs that I've personally gathered locally...no jostling there.


Quote:

Walking On Sunshine...when you candled your shipped eggs...what were you looking for in the undeveloped egg? I never noticed much on my undeveloped eggs on day 1, just transparent egg...I only can see something if it develops...the beginning of the embryo and blood vessels, etc. What/how should I look for detached air sacs and twisted chalazea?

Of course I am only using a small but bright LED flashlight in dark of night. What do you use?

Thanks
Lady of McCamley

 

[MyLittleRedCoop]

Ridge Runner - Thanks so much! I will definitely check that link out!

Walking On Sunshine - That was exactly what I was wondering, was if there was a mean little box-shaker somewhere between Ohio, where the eggs were shipped from and my PO in Mn. My home PO is fantastic, even letting me come in at 6 am when the shipment arrives. It's the only way they could have gotten that mixed up. Seriously, just a homogenous golden yellow, with no yolk/whites difference at all. I can't believe you got 9 out of 12!! Wow, what a hatch!
Interesting about the latitude and sea level height. It makes sense, though. Especially to something like a porous egg shell. The humidity could cause bacterial infiltration, maybe? I know "they" say you can't leave eggs out once you have refrigerated them, as the condensation on the outside can push the bacteria into the egg...

And... Happy dance! My buff EE that had the red ear lobes just laid a beautiful blue egg today, same shade as my other EE. Now I really want to get going on this next spring, while these guys are still young and laying regularly.