Easter Egger club!

[jerryse]

And this is where most will begin to disagree with me. I don't consider hatchery sourced Easter Eggers to be mixed breeds, regardless of the egg they lay.

I agree . These are basically the same as what they were selling in the early 70's . The mixing myth has been overdone . It is true some mixing has been done by a few hatcheries but not much .

 

[Chicken5555]

@suchcutenails

Not a stupid question at all.

An easter egger rooster (assuming he has the genes for green eggs) crossed with an easter egger that lays green eggs = half green layers, a quarter blue layers and a quarter brown layers.

Same easter egger rooster crossed with a brown layer = half green layers and half brown layers

Assuming the rooster has genes for green eggs and the hens both lay green eggs and taking into account that the other two hens are brown layers, half the chicks should lay green eggs, 3/8 brown eggs and 1/8 should lay blue eggs.

These are the statistical results, but real life doesn't always work out like the numbers predict. And without test breeding the rooster we really can't know for sure. Even then there is some degree of variability.

 

[pioneerchick816]

What a sweet story! Nice reward - shows she is happy there.

She really MUST be happy! She has laid me an egg five days in a row

Hoping she'll go for six

 

[Catandherchicks]

She really MUST be happy! She has laid me an egg five days in a row

Hoping she'll go for six

Excellent! My one EE girl is an egg laying machine too. She has only been laying about a month and a half and has only skipped a few days. She is the sweetest, friendliest, most inquisitive of the bunch.

 

[Catandherchicks]

I love my Easter Eggers. They are the sweetest hens in my flock. I have two ginger, who is a little lighter in color and pumpkin. They both lay beautiful green eggs and even with winter kicking in they both still lay an egg every day while the other 5 hens lay 1 egg between them. Pumpkins first egg. Ginger Pumpkin Suck cute little chicks.

Congrats! Ummmmm, are the chickies hanging out with a feather duster?

 

[summerb123]

Hen Contest #2

 

[suchcutenails]

Thanks for all the great info! I'm anxious to know what my babies are...boy or girl

They all had the same black and white easter egger daddy. He had a pink comb and pathetic first crow at 4 weeks!

My babies are 5 weeks. This little guy is Fabio. He has been obvious since hatch. His mama is a Golden Comet. He has BIG feet and legs, and he's huge compared to the others. Plus, he has the posture and the pinking comb

This little girl had two EE parents. She's petite and walks and stands like a girl.

But these two...I'm just going to have to keep guessing. I thought their coloring was saying boy. Especially the black and white one. The other one has the orange color splotches all throughout, and other than the light patch on the chest, seemed to maybe have a female type pattern in her markings. Neither one have any pink on their faces...yet. The black and white one came from either a SLW or Barred Rock hen, and the other was from my EE hen.

 

[Sylvester017]

@suchcutenails

Not a stupid question at all.

An easter egger rooster (assuming he has the genes for green eggs) crossed with an easter egger that lays green eggs = half green layers, a quarter blue layers and a quarter brown layers.

Same easter egger rooster crossed with a brown layer = half green layers and half brown layers

Assuming the rooster has genes for green eggs and the hens both lay green eggs and taking into account that the other two hens are brown layers, half the chicks should lay green eggs, 3/8 brown eggs and 1/8 should lay blue eggs.

These are the statistical results, but real life doesn't always work out like the numbers predict. And without test breeding the rooster we really can't know for sure. Even then there is some degree of variability.

So, if I understand correctly re EEs about their genetics -- an EE hen that lays brown/pink eggs can still be carrying the blue gene and doesn't necessarily need a blue gene from an EE roo to still produce offspring that can possibly be blue/green egg layers themselves if they inherit a blue gene from her?
Probably a low probability but the offspring of at least one blue-gene parent can still grow up to be blue/green layers themselves and pass along the blue gene to their offspring too, albeit probably quite a diluted possibility?
Or is the blue gene a dominant gene and always comes thru as either a blue, green, or olive egg?
I tried to follow the genetics of blue, white, brown egg layers on the Marans club website but I can't follow the +/o, allele, etc descriptors in figuring out what's going on. I never covered genetics in Biology in the '50's.

http://maranschickenclubusa.com/ A Review of Egg Color in the middle of the web page.

 

[junebuggena]

So, if I understand correctly re EEs about their genetics -- an EE hen that lays brown/pink eggs can still be carrying the blue gene and doesn't necessarily need a blue gene from an EE roo to still produce offspring that can possibly be blue/green egg layers themselves if they inherit a blue gene from her?
No. The gene for the blue shell is dominant over the genes for white shells. The brown 'coating' genes operate and inherit independently from the shell color genes. Brown/pink layers have no blue shell gene to pass on.
Probably a low probability but the offspring of at least one blue-gene parent can still grow up to be blue/green layers themselves and pass along the blue gene to their offspring too, albeit probably quite a diluted possibility?
The blue of the blue shell gene does not dilute over several generations. Birds with one copy of the blue shell gene can lay eggs that are just as blue as birds with two copies.
Or is the blue gene a dominant gene and always comes thru as either a blue, green, or olive egg?
Yes, it's a dominant gene. There are only two options for shell color genes, white or blue. Brown eggs have a coating applied to a white shell. Green eggs are the same coating, but applied to blue shell. There are over 9 different genes for the coating, and birds can have many of them at once. This is why there are so many shades of browns, from cream to dark chocolate.
I tried to follow the genetics of blue, white, brown egg layers on the Marans club website but I can't follow the +/o, allele, etc descriptors in figuring out what's going on. I never covered genetics in Biology in the '50's.

http://maranschickenclubusa.com/ A Review of Egg Color in the middle of the web page.

 

[Sylvester017]

TY! @junebuggena