California - Northern

[HighNDryFarm]

Quote:

Quote: I would think that cross would keep the color until end of season... I used a Blue Copper Marans hen covered by my Ameraucana Roo. We'll see if she stays laying this nice color, although I'm sure it will fade somewhat. Funny, one of my Easter Eggers that has a more olive colored egg just laid a really deep color again. If she wasn't in another pen I would have thought that was my OE laying! Guess that's why we separate if we want to know for sure, but I really wish they could all free range. I think someone mentioned that the Olive Eggers second generation won't keep the olive egg. I have her in with the Marans so I'm hoping that will keep the dark. Then stick that hen back in with the
The reason they say the second cross to an OE won't keep the olive eggs is that the hen and rooster from the OE cross have one blue and one white egg gene. Brown eggs are genes that coat over a white egg base. Crossing that would give you the possibility of green or brown eggs. I think its 50/50 - but because the brown eggs have more than one gene they may be lighter than the original cross if they loose some of those genes as they only have one copy of them too. If you cross to the Marans you will probably keep the dark, but you may loose the blue. Going back and forth will work for half the kids.

Oh....a white gene...OK! Wow, I won on the 50/50! Actually better because I only got one OE and she kept the white gene? If I don't go back and forth is the Olive egg lost? So I need to move the Olive girls, then their babies, then their babies back to the AM? And still get 50/50? Or....put the OE/BCM directly back in with the AM roo?

 

[lawatt]

Sounds like you have a great pair of surrogate mommies in those SPPRs! I have one chick I hatched out, hoping for a girl like your pair!
The sticky head one will clean itself off in time. They do look funny - but that is the white that wasn't used up when they were growing and it helps them move around in the egg - and it crystalizes and falls off when they start cleaning themselves. I believe mommy will help them too.

thanks thanks, i wasn't looking forward to trying to wash such a delicate-seeming chick -- i'll leave it alone. the vitamins (as usual) seemed to perk it up pretty quickly, so that's a good sign...

i'm definitely still new to the whole hatching-chicks thing, even with all the broodies! and i'm incredibly impressed by the SPPRs -- they're unquestionably at the top of the pecking order, and have been since they showed up (even though they were not the oldest nor the first to arrive), and hence they don't have to prove it by bullying others -- resulting in wonderfully benevolent, patient hens.

 

[1sttimr]

My others are not bantam EE's. I have a bantam white silkie, a buff orpington, a barred rock and an australorp

 

[lawatt]

and re: olive eggers, this is a photo of the first Amelia (CL x Pene) egg i got, back in april -- the one olive-green amongst all the brown and blue:

and this is what they look like now:


the lighting isn't the same, but the bottom egg in the lower picture is probably from the same chicken as the top picture, top row, either 3rd or 4th from left -- so, the green ones faded enormously over the season (and they stopped laying for a good chunk of the season, too) -- i like both shades, light & dark green, so no preference there, just will be very interested to see what color(s) they produce next spring!

 

[lawatt]

Oh....a white gene...OK! Wow, I won on the 50/50! Actually better because I only got one OE and she kept the white gene? If I don't go back and forth is the Olive egg lost? So I need to move the Olive girls, then their babies, then their babies back to the AM? And still get 50/50? Or....put the OE/BCM directly back in with the AM roo?

I think it means, blue shell is dominant if present, yes? but the dark-brown layers have a white egg with a very dark brown overlay -- hence the F1 crosses (olive) have one blue, one white, but expressing as blue -- WITH the dark brown overlay = olive. but the second generation might get blue + dark brown OR white + dark brown, of bred back to a dark-egg layer -- or, if bred to a blue-egg layer, would have a blue egg (dominant) but might or might not retain the dark brown overlay -- yes?

and this is so interesting -- I have two of Miss Molly's blue marans x isbar pullets (one black, one blue -- both have very slightly feathered legs and the faintest hint of color/lacing around their necks -- they are growing up to be truly beautiful birds), and can't wait to see what color eggs they lay -- but was also thinking through the feather colors and/or egg colors i might end up with if i mated them with either a black marans or a blue isbar roo -- this discussion helps to imagine the different directions they might go in!

 

[OR4-hmom]

Fair is over and it has taken me a day and a half to catch up.
Sorry for the bobcat losses and missing Anakin.
Cute chicks hatching - I missed mine hatching but only lost 1 in my absence.
We ended up with 137 4-H birds and I brought in some to bring the total up to 59 birds in open.
DD got the champion showmanship buckle, was named as reserve champion in master showmanship but they messed up the totals and she really finished 3rd. She is still pleased since she finished 5th in 2011. Her bbs orp bantam won best bantam. She got SCCL and reserve SCCL, RCCL, her quail, blrw hen and dutch got blues. The basques and her OEGB got reds. Not to bad, she is not happy about her photography results - first year she hasn't had them go to state - but 2 of 3 baked goods and her crocheting went.

I made the final moves today, getting everyone back where they belong. Our partridge rock bantam was the last to go since his girl had just hatched out chicks. I put him in with mom and babies this afternoon. He went over, got a quick drink and started in with the food call and was pointing out food for the chicks within 5 minutes! What a man!!!

 

[Hangtown Farms]

and re: olive eggers, this is a photo of the first Amelia (CL x Pene) egg i got, back in april -- the one olive-green amongst all the brown and blue:

and this is what they look like now:


the lighting isn't the same, but the bottom egg in the lower picture is probably from the same chicken as the top picture, top row, either 3rd or 4th from left -- so, the green ones faded enormously over the season (and they stopped laying for a good chunk of the season, too) -- i like both shades, light & dark green, so no preference there, just will be very interested to see what color(s) they produce next spring!

that is a change. My crele generally do not change much over the course of the year. Would be interested to see what happens after a molt. Interesting they laid less too as both breeds are good layers

 

[ronott1]

that is a change. My crele generally do not change much over the course of the year. Would be interested to see what happens after a molt. Interesting they laid less too as both breeds are good layers

Yes, I think they will molt this year(I have some that hatched with Lauras) They hatched early this season.

It will be interesting to see how they molt back too.

 

[lawatt]

that is a change. My crele generally do not change much over the course of the year. Would be interested to see what happens after a molt. Interesting they laid less too as both breeds are good layers

because they were both a lot younger than the rest of the flock, they are rather low on the pecking order, and when the other girls went broody the first time & there was a lot of commotion over nesting boxes and etc., both of my Amelias stopped laying, for over a month i think (i should have kept better records) -- and when they started again, their eggs were a lot lighter. now one is still laying quite regularly, the other is the one that just hatched a bunch of chicks, so no eggs. will definitely be watching to see if/when they molt & what the eggs look like after that...

and, for what it's worth, my CL's blue eggs also got a lot lighter from her first eggs in january -- so perhaps that's coming from the CL genetics, not the pene?

Ron, what are your Amelia eggs looking like these days?

 

[lawatt]

Fair is over and it has taken me a day and a half to catch up.
Sorry for the bobcat losses and missing Anakin.
Cute chicks hatching - I missed mine hatching but only lost 1 in my absence.
We ended up with 137 4-H birds and I brought in some to bring the total up to 59 birds in open.
DD got the champion showmanship buckle, was named as reserve champion in master showmanship but they messed up the totals and she really finished 3rd. She is still pleased since she finished 5th in 2011. Her bbs orp bantam won best bantam. She got SCCL and reserve SCCL, RCCL, her quail, blrw hen and dutch got blues. The basques and her OEGB got reds. Not to bad, she is not happy about her photography results - first year she hasn't had them go to state - but 2 of 3 baked goods and her crocheting went.

I made the final moves today, getting everyone back where they belong. Our partridge rock bantam was the last to go since his girl had just hatched out chicks. I put him in with mom and babies this afternoon. He went over, got a quick drink and started in with the food call and was pointing out food for the chicks within 5 minutes! What a man!!!

congratulations to your daughter!!