Do EE cross hens ever lay blue eggs?

[The YardFarmers]

We have 2 new EE hens and both are laying beautiful light blue eggs. They were in with a flock that had quite a few roosters, so I saved the first 5 eggs they laid after we got them and put the eggs in a borrowed incubator. If we end up with any hen chicks, is it possible that they will also lay blue eggs? Or will they lay an egg the color from the rooster side of things? Or does it depend on the breed of rooster?

Thanks for the help. Have read about EE on BYC; still confused about them, but LOVE THOSE EGGS!

YardFarmer Julie

 

[lovinlife]

Good question. I'd imagine that they would pass the blue egg gene, but I'd like to know what the "experts" say.

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

My little blue EE hen Julia just started laying last week and she only lays green eggs with lil' white spots on it. So I don't guess she'll ever lay blue or pink eggs ...

 

[pips&peeps]

Depends on what they are crossed with....

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Depending upon the egg color of the roo - your girls' chicks could lay - green tint or blue tint eggs.

A roo from a brown egg will help tint the egg green -ish.

A roo from a white egg will keep the color blue, but might lighten the color.

Of course a roo from blue will pass on blue.

Your own, homelaid easter basket.

Do the pullets have pea combs?

 

[sgtmom52]

I have 3 EE mix hens that my broody BO hatched out of some pretty blue eggs I bought for her. Their mother(s) were EE and the father was a Spangled Russian Orloff ~ which I believe that breed lays light brown eggs. Two of my girls lay green eggs and one lays a pale brown/ivory colored egg.

 

[newchickmom09]

My three EE all lay different colors. they lay a pink, light brown, and mint green. The green egg sometimes has a little tint of blue but still is dominately mint green.

So just like pips&peep said it all depends on what it is crossed with. I think it can just not very often.

 

[The YardFarmers]

Both the hens have the small pea combs.

The "main macho rooster" was a Rhode Island Red, but there were other roosters in the flock we got these 2 from. They were both kind of torn up on their backs from too much rooster riding; they're looking a bit better now.

I couldn't decide whether to try to incubate the eggs or not. We don't have a rooster, so it was a good opportunity for us to practice incubating for when we do obtain fertile eggs. From what you have all shared, it could be really interesting!

This is day 21 in the incubator for the EE cross eggs- no pips so far.

Thanks for the info; EE and Amerauca's are an interesting topic and project.

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

My EE hen came from 2 standard EE roos and I also have abunch of Bo chickens in there and bantams. So do you think the EE roos produce green egg off-spring?

 

[Akane]

Anytime you cross a hen laying blue/green eggs or a rooster from blue/green eggs (that is carrying at least one of the gene) you have a 50% or better chance of all offspring laying blue/green eggs irregardless of mixing with another breed or not. The blue gene is dominant. If they get the gene they lay colored eggs. Whether they are blue or green just depends on whether you are mixing in brown genes. Brown is dominant and there are lots of brown genes so if you mix any breed that lays brown odds are you will not get blue eggs. You will get some shade of green or sometimes very odd shades. I've got greyish blue eggs and dark beige eggs. When you start mixing browns and blue you can get some interesting results.