Decisions. Decisions. EE eggs or Welsummer eggs?

[Pineywoods Peepers]

So I have a broody Silkie, and I'm trying to decide what kind of eggs to put under her. I have 2 EE cockerels and an assortment of hens, but the two eggs I'm considering letting the Silkie raise are either my EE eggs or some Welsummer/EE cross eggs.

What can I expect from an EE/Welsummer cross? Will the male offspring have Welsummer or EE combs? Any chance I'd get Olive Eggers?

I don't know what the offspring of the EE cockerels throw as their only offspring are just a few weeks old. My EE pullet obtained from the same hatchery as the cockerels lays nice pale green eggs. And she's my only green egg layer right now. So I can't decide if I should gamble on the EE/Welsummer crosses laying olive eggs, or just go with the EE hen, so I'll hopefully get more green eggs layers.

Anyone have any thoughts or comments? I'm not sure why I'm being so indecisive on this matter.

Here is a picture of EE cockerel #1:

Here is a picture of EE cockerel #2:

 

[Illia]

You should get at LEAST a 50% chance of olive eggers from cockerel #1 - Plus, my goodness, he's gorgeous! Such a wonderous rich red on that blue-golden duckwing body. He's so small though, he looks part gamefowl.

The second cockerel has way too powdered white of earlobes and too tall of a comb to risk it, you're likely to get light green or light brown eggs from him.

 

[Pineywoods Peepers]

Quote:
Thanks! I think he's a pretty boy too, and he's got loads of personality. He used to hop up in my lap when he was little and eat out of my hand (that's him in my profile pic.) Now when I go out to watch the peeps free range I'll sit down on a fallen tree in our backyard and watch them, and he always comes and hops up on the tree beside me. Or maybe he's just trying to be dominant, and I'm too wet behind the ears to realize it, but I think it's neat.

 

[Dray67]

YES! do the welsummer EE cross! Speckled olive egg would be so pretty! It is a gamble but what fun to find a fun surprise. If you hatch 8 eggs and just keep the hens with the smallest pea like comb you should have a pretty good chance.

 

[EweSheep]

Voted roo #1, he is goreous and got some of the Welsummer colorings to him.

Roo #2, yes, he has alot of white going on, his white earlobes, I don't think he will produce any olive eggers, probably mostly on the light side of greens.

 

[Pineywoods Peepers]

Can I put 8 eggs under a broody Silkie? This would be her first time to hatch eggs. I put 4 eggs apiece under her Silkie sisters and only got a hatch rate of 50%.