Determining egg color by feather color

[Wisher1000]

Don't laugh and no, I'm not saying it's possible....

I just bought 14 EE chicks from a feedstore that got them from Ideal. I bought them in hopes of getting some blue egg layers. I have to provide 8 of them to a friend at eight weeks of age and will be keeping 6. Here's my question. Is there any way to select from the ones I have, which are more likely to lay blue eggs? I was hoping some of you can remember from past experience with Ideal chicks which ones you picked that turned out to have blue eggs. I know, I know, it's probably not possible. Just wanted a better system of choosing than eenie meenie miney mo...
If nothing else, I am interested in what percentage of blue egg layers you got from Ideal from their "Ameraucana pullets" selection.

 

[Illia]

If you want good chances of blue egg laying EE's, go with Cackle. But if you want blue egg layers, what is so wrong with getting Ameraucanas? Chances are you may have a breeder at least 80 miles from you.

As for choosing by feather color, don't do it. It doesn't really work.

 

[sevenbabychicks]

Here's something really interesting that the above poster said on a thread I started yesterday about MPC's EE egg color:


Quote:

 

[mystus808]

look at their ear lobes. This may not work for blue vs. green but for brown vs. blue/green it works surprisingly

 

[Wisher1000]

Okay, now we're getting somewhere!

Illia - I would LOVE to have some Ameraucana hens! I have been looking for a good source nearby but there doesn't seem to be any. The feed store I have been buying from is locally owned and the owners are friends. I am interested in the comb idea, (thank you, Sevenbabychicks!) do you think I can tell enough at 7-8 weeks to help?

Mystus808 - Could you elaborate on the earlobe color thing? Is the earlobe on a blue egg layer usually white? I ask because I have one EE roo with white earlobes and another with red ones but have not hatched any of their offspring (currently all of my hens are brown egg layers.)

Has ANYONE gotten a nice blue egg from an Ideal pullet?

 

[dsqard]

If you go on the "Where am I? Where are you?" section and find the Alabama thread you should be able to find members that have Ameraucanas. I did a quick snoop and saw that huntinwidow has them but I have no idea if s/he is near you. You can also get day old chicks from Pips and Peeps shipped to you.