Blue-Egg Laying Sex-Links

[enola]

If you want a barred breed with white eggs look at getting California grays. Sometimes they are called production blacks.

Great egg layers, pretty hens.

 

[Wishapup]

Yeah, any non-barred bird, thus any recognized color of Ameraucana over a barred hen will give sex links.

My understanding is some lighter colored birds may make it hard to see the white head spot that indicated males, but I think as long as your female is black barred the chick should be dark enough.

Oh yeah---any color but white, that is!

I tried it on the genetics calculator and it does look like most colours would work! Maybe a black Ameraucana over a Barred Holland hen to get for sure blue eggs. Though I doubt I would be able to get a Barred Holland.

 

[donrae]

I didn't think about you being in Canada--not sure what barred breeds are available there. I'm going to use barred Hollands from Ideal for my blue egg sex links--they should be here in May

 

[Wishapup]

I didn't think about you being in Canada--not sure what barred breeds are available there. I'm going to use barred Hollands from Ideal for my blue egg sex links--they should be here in May

Sounds like an interesting project!

In Canada - or Ontario at least, Frey's Hatchery is the only major poultry supplier. They have a limited number -- maybe 10? -- types of laying hybrids. They don't sell any heritage breeds. Mainly RSL, BSL, Cornish X, RIR, Leghorns, BR, and a couple others. I have ordered a dozen from them in case my hatching eggs don't yield good results!

I'm pretty sure Performance Poultry may have Barred Hollands.

I'm getting my hatching eggs from breeders so I can get the breeds I want (Ameraucana, Marans, etc.).

 

[Wishapup]

So an update on this:

I do know someone now who has a barred EE that lays green/blue eggs. I plan on crossing her to one of my BBS pure, homozygous for blue egg Ameraucana roosters to get sexlinked blue and blue-green layers. I look forward to trying to hatch these!

 

[Wishapup]

Actually, to get homozygous for blue egg sexlinks, could you do this?

1. Barred Plymouth Rock x Black Ameraucana ---> select barred cockerel with pea comb (indicating 1 brown egg gene, 1 blue egg gene)

2. Barred EE Rooster x Black Ameraucana hen ---> 50% of chicks should be homozygous for blue eggs, 50% should carry 1 blue egg gene & 1 brown egg gene from cockerel, laying green. Fairly easy to select a barred hen that lays true homozygous blue eggs.

3. Black/Blue Ameraucana Cockerel x Barred EE Hen --> Sexlinked chicks that are all homozygous for blue eggs! No green eggs!

If chickens got older, you could use a barred cockerel from the cross & repeat steps 2 & 3.

This would be the alternative to using a green egg laying barred EE, because half of the progeny would lay green-blue.

 

[Wishapup]

A year later, I just hatched my first EE Sexlink! And it's a female!

Hopefully more to come in the next few hours.

Black Ameraucana rooster x Barred Plymouth Rock hen = should-be green egg layer.

 

[donrae]

Congrats! I have my breeding stock all lined up, just need the health issues to resolve so I can go home and start incubating.....

 

[Wishapup]

Congrats! I have my breeding stock all lined up, just need the health issues to resolve so I can go home and start incubating.....

You're using the Hollands, right? They sound very nice

What rooster are you using? Sorry to hear about the health issues though!

I have a lot of blue egg layer "stuff" going on. I'm hatching Easter Eggers, Easter Egger Sexlinks, Blue/Black Ameraucanas, Leghorn/Ameraucanas (SBELs), and Bantam Easter Eggers [among other things].

Add: Too many projects, but I want more. That's just the blue egg layers.

 

[Wishapup]

I have at least 2 now. They both look female, solid black. I hope this is working, because I typically tend to hatch a very high percentage of roosters.