Ameraucana/Plymouth Rock Cross? Will the Children's Eggs Be Blue?

[rivers2011]

I have six Columbia Rock chicks (one month old) and want to get a rooster for them after they start laying.
I'd really like blue and green eggs but am wondering if an Ameraucana rooster will pass on those genes...

 

[wren]

If the Plymouth rocks earlobes are red (I think they are) the hens from your cross will lay light olive colored eggs.

 

[PaleMelanesian]

There are two basic egg colors - blue and white. When you crack open an egg you see this color on the inside of the shell.
Then there are various shades of brown that get painted on top of that - all the way from none (white or blue) to dark chocolate brown (marans).

This cross will give you a blue egg with light brown over the top. That makes green.

no color over white base = white egg
no color over blue = blue
light brown over white = regular brown eggs
light brown over blue = green
dark brown over white = dark brown (marans)
dark brown over blue = olive

 

[rivers2011]

Quote:
So basically, almost any breed crossed with an Ameraucana, whether it be hen or rooster, will produce green or blue eggs? (the exception being a cross with the chocolate brown egg layers)

 

[PaleMelanesian]

Yes, assuming the blue-laying parent is a true ameraucana. That is, they carry two copies of the blue-egg genetics. If they only have one copy, only half of the offspring will have any shade of green or blue. The others will lay white or brown eggs.

Many chicks sold as "Ameraucana" are cross-breeds and may only have one blue-egg gene. You can't know this until you see what color eggs their offspring lay.

 

[rivers2011]

Quote:
The gene stuff is fascinating...and thanks for the part about the Ameraucana crosses - I'm hoping that a very honest breeder who's been very diligent about his/her research will tell me if it's a cross or purebred when I ask.