Blue Egg Layers from University of Arkansas

[HallFamilyFarm]

Like Jim said though, he and others here will have U of A Blue Egg Layers hatching eggs available in a month or sooner. The work has already been done!

I just placed an auction here on BYC. Link is in my signature. End time is listed in the listing. We have some chicks hatched and more hatching this weekend from lovely blue eggs!

 

[Hangtown Farms]

I was just stating that there is a linkage there, which will mess up the projected results of the cross.

Ok sorry I must of misunderstood.

 

[mschlumb]

Jim, the majority of the leghorns from the hatcheries are commercial leghorns...

These birds were crossed using parent stock of commercial layers. What is available at the hatcheries are the "hybrid" cross. which is usually nothing more than a cross between two inbred lines.

 

[nicalandia]

These birds were crossed using parent stock of commercial layers. What is available at the hatcheries are the "hybrid" cross. which is usually nothing more than a cross between two inbred lines.

yet the outcome is the same. Highly productive birds, egg laying trait is not a single gene thing, is a Polygenic trait, so even if these birds are "Hybrids" most of their egg laying genes are in a homozygous state.

 

[mschlumb]

yet the outcome is the same. Highly productive birds, egg laying trait is not a single gene thing, is a Polygenic trait, so even if these birds are "Hybrids" most of their egg laying genes are in a homozygous state.

You're right. Pretty much anyone could make a similar bird to these blue egg layers. Its just a lot selection after the first cross is made for a deeper shade of blue eggs.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

just because the cross does not have a pea comb does not mean it will not lay a blue or blueish tinted egg.
Meaning it may be worth waiting to see if they do lay a blue egg if you are only after the egg color and not breeding for the pea comb specifically . Just my opinion.
I have had numerous olive eggers with straight combs that where not supposed to lay olive eggs but they did. Seen Leghorn x Ameraucana crosses with straight combs that laid a blue tinted egg. That is all.

Personally speaking, frostbite is a HUGE concern with the mediterranean class as a whole. Since Leghorn was used to being this, I do not want to have to worry about a single-combed bird walking around with a nasty frost-bitten comb. This whole project entices me as a pea-combed bird would do much better in a colder climate than a bird with a large single comb would. I can kill a Silkie in a month flat so the bird with the least amount of maintenance is what I will be shooting for. And that, for me, is a pea-combed breed that I do not have to worry about frost-bite with.

 

[nicalandia]

Personally speaking, frostbite is a HUGE concern with the mediterranean class as a whole..

thats because most of them are single combed. pea comb will take care of that

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Exactly. So if breeding for a single-combed bird, you will have similar issues with frost-bite. If breeding for the pea-comb it will help prevent that. I think that breeding for the pea comb and egg color are an excellent idea and a good way to keep this project more towards what is sought after in a fairly self-sustaining bird.

 

[nicalandia]

Exactly. So if breeding for a single-combed bird, you will have similar issues with frost-bite. If breeding for the pea-comb it will help prevent that. I think that breeding for the pea comb and egg color are an excellent idea and a good way to keep this project more towards what is sought after in a fairly self-sustaining bird.

it helps that pea comb is a dominant gene, just worry about the egg color and keep the ones that have pea combs..

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Exactly. My worry is that people will only breed for the egg color though. That is a GREAT attribute but I don't think we should forget about the other attributes that are with this project.

The pea comb, the clean legs, the slimmer body built for production. We all remember what happened to the Marans. It would be a shame for these to be ruined in the same way before they even got off the ground.