Blue Egg Layers from University of Arkansas

[melodyrg]

Hey everyone! Sorry to invade your thread but I'm really interested in trying to breed my own mix of Americauna and leghorns to produce a large blue egg, and a healthy animal that lays decently. Any tips? And what breeds would I even use to start this? Thanks!

 

[Hangtown Farms]

Hey everyone! Sorry to invade your thread but I'm really interested in trying to breed my own mix of Americauna and leghorns to produce a large blue egg, and a healthy animal that lays decently. Any tips? And what breeds would I even use to start this? Thanks!

you can try DMRippy she sells the cross as well.

 

[mschlumb]

Hey everyone! Sorry to invade your thread but I'm really interested in trying to breed my own mix of Americauna and leghorns to produce a large blue egg, and a healthy animal that lays decently. Any tips? And what breeds would I even use to start this? Thanks!

I would try a true Aracauna on a leghorn. If you want blue egg shells DO NOT cross with a brown egg breed because you will get offspring that lay green eggs and not blue. You could create a similar bird to these Arkansas blue egg layers by crossing a black Aracauna on some commercial white Leghorns.

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Quote:
Use a non-tufted Black if you can find it. Cull all single combs the first year (F1). You also want to only set blue or blueish eggs from the first generation pullets. It may be difficult to know which are laying blue and which is laying white eggs. But you only set the blue eggs, you will eliminate the non-blue egg layers. After your F2 are laying, sell your entire F1 flock at a swap etc. Continue to cull for the pea comb, blue feathers (blue, black, splash) and of course the blue egg.

Or, just be patient and we will have eggs available from ours.

 

[melodyrg]

Non tufted black are Americaunas right? And what if cant find a breeder will hatchery stock be ok?

 

[caj1985]

Non tufted black are Americaunas right? And what if cant find a breeder will hatchery stock be ok?

Non-tufted black Araucana, not Americaunas. Tufted only applies to the Araucana.

 

[mschlumb]

Non tufted black are Americaunas right? And what if cant find a breeder will hatchery stock be ok?

Hatchery stock will not work. You will need to find True Rumpless Aracauna. Tufts will not matter, the crossing you will do will most likely eliminate them. A lot of the time pure Aracaunas will throw tuftless offspring, I wouldnt worry if the particular bird you use if tufted or not as long as it true Aracauna that lays blue eggs.

From there you can select for whatever traits you like.
Pea comb is dominate but will alwyas throw some single comb offspring because some individuals will be heterozygous for pea and if the right two birds are crossed they will produce single comb. If you went with single comb, you will not throw any other comb but single. Becasue the offspring that are single combed are homozygous for single comb and will only produce single combed offspring.
So its entirely up to you if want single comb or pea comb.
for that matter you can cross any variety of Aracauna with Leghorn if you want a color besides blue.

 

[OSUman]

One thing you should remember though is that the Blue Egg gene and the Pea Comb gene are linked genes so it would be easier to keep the Blue eggs if you would keep the pea combed birds, though you can get a SC bird laying blue eggs. Also, it might be easier and cheaper if you find a tailed Araucana to use.

Hatchery stock will not work. You will need to find True Rumpless Aracauna. Tufts will not matter, the crossing you will do will most likely eliminate them. A lot of the time pure Aracaunas will throw tuftless offspring, I wouldnt worry if the particular bird you use if tufted or not as long as it true Aracauna that lays blue eggs.

From there you can select for whatever traits you like.
Pea comb is dominate but will alwyas throw some single comb offspring because some individuals will be heterozygous for pea and if the right two birds are crossed they will produce single comb. If you went with single comb, you will not throw any other comb but single. Becasue the offspring that are single combed are homozygous for single comb and will only produce single combed offspring.
So its entirely up to you if want single comb or pea comb.
for that matter you can cross any variety of Aracauna with Leghorn if you want a color besides blue.

 

[mschlumb]

One thing you should remember though is that the Blue Egg gene and the Pea Comb gene are linked genes so it would be easier to keep the Blue eggs if you would keep the pea combed birds, though you can get a SC bird laying blue eggs. Also, it might be easier and cheaper if you find a tailed Araucana to use.

The Brown Leghorn Line the University still has are all SC birds and all lay blue eggs. Once the blue egg gene is introduced comb type has no relevance. The only reason I say rumpless Aracauna is so that you know they are pure, but you're right a tailed bird might be cheaper.

 

[OSUman]

It is possible to get a SC laying blue eggs, but the pea comb gene and the blue egg gene are linked so they are not irrelevant to each other.

The Brown Leghorn Line the University still has are all SC birds and all lay blue eggs. Once the blue egg gene is introduced comb type has no relevance. The only reason I say rumpless Aracauna is so that you know they are pure, but you're right a tailed bird might be cheaper.