EE crossbred questions--pics of cockerel p. 3

[michickenwrangler]

We have an EE cockerel in with 7 hybrid layers. He has no problem fertilizing eggs and I thought rather than get hatchery stock hybrids to replace them, hatch some of his offspring. The hybrids are gold comets and black stars

So

1. He has a pea comb which I kinda like in our cold winters, will that pass onto the offspring? Is it sex-linked? SInce the moms will have single combs, I was curious if it might be a sex-linked thing

2. WOuld it be possible for him to sire blue/green egg layers?

3. Laying ability? He's a hatchery EE from Townline so he is production bred. Hens lay well to. I understand that 2nd generation performance may not be consistent, but that's why we can cull. If i get 3-4 eggs a week from the female offspring, I'll be happy.

I'll try to post a pic of him and the hens soon so we can start speculating on color.

Thanks!

 

[Illia]

Pea combs are dominant over single combs. No, it is not sex linked, yes, all the offspring will get pea combs.

Yes, it is completely possible for him to sire green egg layers. If he's got blue or green egg laying genes, and with the sex-links - That will produce either green egg layers or greenish brown egg layers.

Laying ability should be just fine, I'd say about as good as any other hatchery-stock purebred or mutt alike.

 

[michickenwrangler]

Thanks

The cochins plan to be our breeding project for quality/appearance/hardiness but I just want replacement layers to make eggs to sell and help pay for the cochins!

I know how you feel about hatchery stock, Illia and I have no presumptions about my hybrid layers or my EE being quality. I don't even know what color to call him: kinda Columbian/silver-laced/golden duckwing/who knows?

BUT, even though my husband can't stand him, he is a nice rooster personality wise and he isn't aggressive or mean at all. DD can go into the run and gather eggs without fear of him. It took him quite a long time to fill out so I know he'd be worthless to perpetuate a meat bloodline. I'll probably take all culls and excess cockerels to the processor and just use them for dog food or sell them to coyote hunters.

 

[sourland]

If he is homozygous for pea comb, all of the chicks sired by him will have pea combs. If he is heterozygous, 50/50. If he carries the blue egg gene, his daughters will most likely produce olive drab eggs. Egg production should be OK. Not as good as your hybrid egg layers which have been selected for production. EE are really not "production" birds regardless of their source. If produced by crossing an Ameraucana or Araucana rooster on production birds they should be somewhat above average egg producers. Many people wonder why their EE can be somewhat sporadic in egg production- they are selected for probable egg color- not primarily for egg production.

 

[michickenwrangler]

No idea if he's homozygous or hetero. Even if the offspring lay brown eggs that's fine by me. Again, mainly breeding as experiment and for temperament and egg production. Again, I plan to cull to keep the best layers.

Now if I did eventually manage to get a strain of birds that lay green-ish eggs, would I call them Easter Eggers or just backyard mixes? I know EEs are not pure or standard in anyway.

Out of curiosity, what are hatchery EEs made up of? Do they mix in some faverolle or RIR or leghorn or what?

 

[Illia]

Easter Eggers are anything that has the blue egg gene (or a hatchery bird whose parents did) but does not qualify as an Ameraucana or Araucana, so yes, they'd be EE's. People breed them all the time.

As for what is behind them - There's little to no knowing the production breeds they're crossed to, but originally most hatcheries started out with the original "Quechua" that was brought to the US, then worked from there. Such bird looked almost identical to today's common brown and black Easter Eggers, but now we have things like the blue gene added, yellow legs added, brown egg layers added, and so on. . .

I do believe Ideal Hatchery also had true Blue Wheaten Ameraucanas in the beginning though, but otherwise, most hatcheries offer EE's that don't have any actual Ameraucana behind them . . . The original Quechua was what started Ameraucanas, so technically grabbing one then crossing it does not make it part Ameraucana. That's like saying Great Danes are behind Dogo Argentinos, but if you have a Great Dane cross, it certainly doesn't make it part Dogo.

 

[michickenwrangler]

I'm certified to teach Spanish and history so I know Quechua was the language of the Incas

Still an official language in Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.

Our boy has the trademark greenish-blue legs which visitors always comment on as most people around here have red sex links or RIRs. TSC had Wyandottes, EEs and BSL last year yet I don't KNOW of anyone who actually has these birds

But many people are really taken by surprise looking at his legs, especially since all summer he was a typical "teenager" all legs and neck and going through a voice change. He had such an awful crow this summer, I'm glad he sounds normal now!

He's also rumpless, although we do have a few obnoxious hens so that may be the reason he doesn't have any tail feathers!

 

[draye]

Pea combs are dominant over single combs. No, it is not sex linked, yes, all the offspring will get pea combs.

Yes, it is completely possible for him to sire green egg layers. If he's got blue or green egg laying genes, and with the sex-links - That will produce either green egg layers or greenish brown egg layers.

Laying ability should be just fine, I'd say about as good as any other hatchery-stock purebred or mutt alike.

Although the peacomb is dominant, most of the time you can and will still get single combed individuals. It's happen to me before, so I do know what I'm talking about.

Easter Eggers are anything that has the blue egg gene (or a hatchery bird whose parents did) but does not qualify as an Ameraucana or Araucana, so yes, they'd be EE's. People breed them all the time

IMO: This is not really true to call all mixed chickens Easter Eggers, many do and I really do not throw a stink over it because there is no standard. An Easter Egger should IMO always carry the "winter face" beard and or tufts, and have willow (greenish color) or slate (bluish) colored legs. There is more to my definition but you get the hint. There are so many people breeding so many different breeds into these lovely chickens and ruining (diluting) the good genes that they were orginialy breed from. I think people aught to take care of what is left of the good stock and breed them a little truier to their heritage.

Just my rant, no offence meant to anyone.​

 

[Illia]

Quote:
If you read earlier, someone else explained to you why one would get single comes from a peacomb x single comb breeding.

The only incident I could imagine otherwise would be in Olive Eggers, using a true homozygous pea comb Ameraucana x single comb Marans often throws a small percent chance of single combed offspring. Otherwise, a homozygous pea combed breeding outside that scenario I have never seen throw single combs. Course, in Easter Eggers, anything can happen, as for example the green egg is a result of brown egg layers (single comb) being crossed into the genepool.

As for the Easter Egger part - Willow and Green are two different colors. An Araucana has willow legs, a nice dusted, rather pale greenish yellow color. The traditional Easter Egger, on the other hand, has a very vibrant green with yellow soles, and no ashy or pale tone to it at all.

To me, using the words heritage and/or "diluting" and Easter Egger in the same sentence should only be referring to keeping the old strains - the Quechua based or pure Quechua lines. Otherwise, if you want to complain about people ruining Easter Eggers - blame the hatcheries that did it in the first place.

Beyond that, the only diluting of an Easter Egger would be getting rid of its colored egg, which of course would get rid of its name anyway.

Oh and of course there's the very different Olive Egger, which technically is an Easter Egger, but we give it a separate name anyway.

Just throwin' some points out there.

 

[draye]

To me, using the words heritage and/or "diluting" and Easter Egger in the same sentence should only be referring to keeping the old strains - the Quechua based or pure Quechua lines. Otherwise, if you want to complain about people ruining Easter Eggers - blame the hatcheries that did it in the first place. Beyond that, the only diluting of an Easter Egger would be getting rid of its colored egg, which of course would get rid of its name anyway

I never said that they were pure. Really what chicken bred is pure anyway? None except the jungle fowl. They have all been mixed with other breeds to create each induividual breed.
I would not be opposed to bring back line to the pure Quechua or Collonca (Not sure on the spelling), to bring these EE's back to their best potencial. I just don't know where to find any right now.

Anyway that as I said was my opinion. You state yours the way you want and are really offensive to alot of people, and I think most don't give a rip what your opinion is anyway because your are rude.


I have sent my apology to Illia for attacking her here.​