EE x Black copper marans

[JamesA]

I have seen pictures of some deep green eggs and read that they come from the offspring of EE pullets that lay blue eggs and a dark egg roo's like a marans.What should I look for from the offspring to get these eggs.Should I only use the offspring pullets with pea combs or will it matter.This is going to be my project for the year and any help would be appeciated.Would you suggest using a Black copper marans, cuckoo Marans or even a welsummer?Any help or advised would be appreciated.

 

[onthespot]

Hi James, that is my project for the year too. I am working on building a barred olive laying EE flock, all from one hen I bought that was a barred, pea combed, khaki laying hen that had been in a pen with a bunch of marans when I bought her. From what I have read on here, pea combs have a strong correlation, but not absolute, with blue/green egg genes. From what i have read, a single comb bird from a pea comb parent has only a three percent chance of producing a blue egg, and I would cull them from my breeding program. I am keeping some right now, just because I am specifically looking for barred, which is a sex-linked trait and I have a couple barred, bearded single comb boys coming along that I can use on the offspring that are non-barred, but pea combed and/or bearded as well. So far my oldest babies are only not quite two months old, so I have a ways to go. Do post pics of your project birds. I'd be interested to see how your efforts are producing. There are several people on here working with marans cross olive eggers.

 

[JamesA]

I can not decide to use a cuckoo roo or a BCM.My hens are laying great looking blue eggs.They are Americanas(Easter eggers from MM hatchery).They may not be true americanas but they are great looking and I could not have ask for prettier eggs plus they all lay a egg a day even so far through the first part of winter.I will keep you posted.

 

[JamesA]

Onthespot I just looked at you website and seen your olive green eggs.That is exactly what I am shooting for.Wish me luck!

 

[Pumpkinpup]

Morning, James! I don't know how much of a difference it will make in what color eggs you end up with but the last little Cuckoo roo you got from me came out of a VERY dark egg. He might be a super nice choice for that project. I have not done this as I don't ave any EE's but keep me posted how it goes as it's very interesting to me

Good Luck!

 

[JamesA]

That little cuckoo is growing up to be awesome.He is absoltely one of my favorites of all my chickies.He walks around like he owns the place.He is going to make a awesome breeder roo.He is very heavy feathered on his legs.I am going to breed him to the cuckoo girls I got from you earlier plus a couple of others I found with good lines.I will try to send you a picture of him.

 

[onthespot]

The big advantage of barred/cuckoo is once you get the color really well estabished, you can sex them as day olds and not spend twice as much feeding twice as many birds up until laying/crowing time. Plus, they look great!

 

[JamesA]

The cuckoo idea sounds good.I have a couple of nice cuckoo's that would do well with this project.I have wanted to order some of your eggs but I have a bad feeling about eggs traveling from California to Georgia.I have been tempted though.

 

[onthespot]

that's okay, there are no eggs right now. I changed where she was, and changed her rooster and she quit on me. He was too mean of a breeder and she just avoided him, and quit laying. I gave her a very nice rooster yesterday, not cuckoo though... hopefully she will start to lay again. Good luck and keep us posted!