Easter Eggers or Ameraucana?

[oregonkat]

Actually, most hatcheries are breeding from lines that predate the Ameraucana breed, as we know it. They don't have a bunch of true Ameraucana that are being crossbred. They are breeding the types of birds that the Ameraucana breed was derived from. It's the Ameraucana breed that has Easter Egger in the lines, not the other way around.

Can you tell me whether my hen is an EE or and Ameraucana. She seems to have the same coloring as the one in this thread but with a full beard. I have been ignorantly calling her an Araucana which she is not. She has slate grey legs. Thanks for setting me straight once and for all. Please excuse the missing feathers in her neck, one of my Wellsummers has been picking on her.

 

[junebuggena]

Can you tell me whether my hen is an EE or and Ameraucana. She seems to have the same coloring as the one in this thread but with a full beard. I have been ignorantly calling her an Araucana which she is not. She has slate grey legs. Thanks for setting me straight once and for all. Please excuse the missing feathers in her neck, one of my Wellsummers has been picking on her.

Easter Egger.

 

[summerb123]

x2

 

[oregonkat]

x2

Thank you. She lays a lovely pale blue egg and I crossed her with my Black Copper Marans roo, is it safe to assume that if this chick is a pullet that she will lay an olive egg?

 

[junebuggena]

Maybe. She may only have one copy of the blue eggshell gene. That would mean only a 50/50 shot at olive.

 

[oregonkat]

Maybe. She may only have one copy of the blue eggshell gene. That would mean only a 50/50 shot at olive.

So if only 50/50, what color might the egg be other than green?

 

[junebuggena]

So if only 50/50, what color might the egg be other than green?

Brown

 

[lomine]

Maybe. She may only have one copy of the blue eggshell gene. That would mean only a 50/50 shot at olive.

Not looking to argue but just want some clarification on what I've read. If the hen lays blue eggs doesn't that mean she carries two blue genes (blue coating over blue shell )? In order to lay a brown egg wouldn't the offspring have to carry a gene for a white egg? Since the gene for blue shells (from mom) is dominate over white (from dad) she should lay a green egg (brown coating over blue shell). Right or am I not understanding something correctly?

 

[junebuggena]

Not looking to argue but just want some clarification on what I've read. If the hen lays blue eggs doesn't that mean she carries two blue genes (blue coating over blue shell )? In order to lay a brown egg wouldn't the offspring have to carry a gene for a white egg? Since the gene for blue shells (from mom) is dominate over white (from dad) she should lay a green egg (brown coating over blue shell). Right or am I not understanding something correctly?

Just because a hen lays blue eggs does not mean she has two copies of the blue egg shell gene. It means she has at least ONE. It's a dominant gene that only requires one copy to express. She may also be 'carrying' a gene for white egg shells. If that's the case, then she may produce 50% green layers and 50% brown layers. This is assuming that all the chicks inherit the genes for the brown coating, as well. There is a small chance that a few won't get those brown coating genes at all, and thus, they will lay blue or white.

 

[lomine]

Just because a hen lays blue eggs does not mean she has two copies of the blue egg shell gene. It means she has at least ONE. It's a dominant gene that only requires one copy to express. She may also be 'carrying' a gene for white egg shells. If that's the case, then she may produce 50% green layers and 50% brown layers. This is assuming that all the chicks inherit the genes for the brown coating, as well. There is a small chance that a few won't get those brown coating genes at all, and thus, they will lay blue or white.

Oh, I see. Thanks for clarifying.