EExEE=EE?

[CHIC]

I have an EE hen and would love to have some more. I don't however, have an EE roo. Can I mix her with any old rooster or does it have to be EE?

 

[M To The Maxx]

If you want a pure EE than you need a EE roo.

 

[CityClucks]

Check out this thread on the subject: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=2737058

EE is not a breed - not "pure" - so you CAN get an EE by breeding to a roo of another breed and the resulting chicks will be EE (mutts). It's when you're breeding for egg color that you must pay attention to the eggs the parents came from.

Here's an enlightening treatise from Kev (from the link above) that you may find helpful:

"EE isn't a breed so there is zero standard so they can look like anything. However so many EE have a beard and green legs a lot of people just expect EE to have beard and green legs, as if that's a "breed trait".. but the again, EE are not a breed.

You CAN cross some of your EE with whatever breed or mixed roo that strikes your fancy and still sell the chicks as EE anyways. Remember, no standard on 'em..

....based on the fact EE gene pool is so wide and mixed that there are a lot of EE that lay tan eggs, meaning they do not have the blue egg gene. So, even if an EE hen lays blue or green eggs does not mean she is automatically pure for the blue eggshell gene. In other words, do not be surprised if some daughters out of EE, however you bred them, lay tan or brown eggs instead of blue or green."

I suppose in a lot fewer words, anything goes with EE.. lol.. Just breed them however you like.. EE roo, another breed, or a mixed roo over the EE hens will all just be fine. But, if your goal is more blue/green egg laying daughters it is better to use the EE roo as roosters can have the blue egg gene too. So if your EE roo happens to have it or even is pure for the blue egg gene, then you will get a lot more blue/green egg laying pullets out of him and these hens."

Good luck!

 

[VA from WV]

What happens (in anyone's experience) when an EE hen is taken back to an Ameraucana Roo? One of my projects for over the winter is to build chicken digs that will let me put my Ameraucana Roo with 2 Ameraucana hens, and whatever EE hens from the peeps I got today who achieve lay.

Folly? Mixed bag? Comments?

 

[halo]

Thats a great plan, thats what Im doing right now.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

Quote:
You get some really funky looking chickens

We did that this year--crossed Murry McMurray EEs with a pure black Ameraucana roo. I have no idea how they lay, though--my first batch was all roos. I have another batch, but they are too young to lay yet.

I figure that all the moms lay blue or green eggs, and the roo should be homozygous for the blue egg gene, so I should be guaranteed blue or green egg layers.

 

[speckledhen]

I breed my true Ameraucana hens (BBS colors) back to my Barred Rock rooster to get Barred EEs. The resulting daughters lay green eggs.

 

[JamesA]

Quote:
How dark are the eggs. I am getting a few of your EE x Barred rocks from Karen tommorow for a olive egger project.I am going to breed them to either a cuckoo marans or black copper marans roo to try to get dark green colored eggs.

 

[sonew123]

Quote:
How dark are the eggs. I am getting a few of your EE x Barred rocks from Karen tommorow for a olive egger project.I am going to breed them to either a cuckoo marans or black copper marans roo to try to get dark green colored eggs.

I got a few hens from that mix-true ameraucauna's x french balck copper marans-gorgeos birds-they should lay dark olive green eggs cant wait to that day arrives. Im thinking another month or so??