Egg color conundrum

[Kholts]

Ok I have a slight mystery.

I hatched out a mutt chicken in may from a blue egg. She just started laying but I’m a little stumped as her egg is a creamy brown egg. I’m pretty sure it’s hers unless I had a chicken double lay.

I was expecting a blue egg or perhaps a green egg as I know the coop she came from had rooster breeds that come from dark brown/brown lines.

Is it normal for the blue egg gene to just not show?

 

[MysteryChicken]

Yes, especially if the hen that laid the egg that hatched the other hen has a single dose of the blue egg gene.

 

[Kholts]

Yes, especially if the hen that laid the egg that hatched the other hen has a single dose of the blue egg gene.

Ok that makes sense! The egg charts don’t go that into detail.

She is just a mix so who knows what’s in there.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

If mama had 1 blue gene and a white/cream gene, then it's very likely daughter got the white/cream gene from her and whatever gene from dad.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Is it normal for the blue egg gene to just not show?

Yes, as you have just seen. With only one pullet that is not at all unusual.

She is just a mix so who knows what’s in there.

Since a pullet that lays brownish eggs hatched from her blue egg I can tell you. But you sure can't tell by looking.

The blue eggshell gene is dominant so if the hen has either one or two blue eggshell genes at that gene pair she will lay a blue of green egg. You can't tell by looking if it is one or two. The The alternate to blue is not blue, which defaults to base white. Brown or green is just brown on top of base white or base blue. It doesn't matter which parent has the blue or not-blue genes. Since a rooster doesn't lay eggs you can't always be sure what he has unless you know a lot about his ancestry.

If either parent has two blue genes the pullet will lay a blue or green egg. It doesn't matter what the other parent has, she will always get at least one blue eggshell gene.

If either parent has one blue eggshell gene and the other has all not-blue, about half of the pullets will lay a blue or green egg and about half will not. Graphically, if capital "O" stands for the dominant blue eggshell gene and small case "o" stands for the recessive not-blue gene

Oo +oo gives you:

50% Oo so your get a blue or green egg, and

50% oo so a brown or white egg

If both parents each have one blue and one not-blue

Oo + Oo gives you:

25% OO so a blue or green egg,

50% Oo so a blue or green egg, and

25% oo so a white or brown egg.

Since your pullet out of that blue egg is laying a brown egg she has one blue eggshell gene and one not-blue gene. That much is for sure. It's possible the father could have one blue gene but from what you said it's doubtful. So about half the pullets should lay a colored egg. But those odds are on each egg. You'd have to hatch enough for the odds to mean something.

 

[Kholts]

Yes, as you have just seen. With only one pullet that is not at all unusual.


Since a pullet that lays brownish eggs hatched from her blue egg I can tell you. But you sure can't tell by looking.

The blue eggshell gene is dominant so if the hen has either one or two blue eggshell genes at that gene pair she will lay a blue of green egg. You can't tell by looking if it is one or two. The The alternate to blue is not blue, which defaults to base white. Brown or green is just brown on top of base white or base blue. It doesn't matter which parent has the blue or not-blue genes. Since a rooster doesn't lay eggs you can't always be sure what he has unless you know a lot about his ancestry.

If either parent has two blue genes the pullet will lay a blue or green egg. It doesn't matter what the other parent has, she will always get at least one blue eggshell gene.

If either parent has one blue eggshell gene and the other has all not-blue, about half of the pullets will lay a blue or green egg and about half will not. Graphically, if capital "O" stands for the dominant blue eggshell gene and small case "o" stands for the recessive not-blue gene

Oo +oo gives you:

50% Oo so your get a blue or green egg, and

50% oo so a brown or white egg

If both parents each have one blue and one not-blue

Oo + Oo gives you:

25% OO so a blue or green egg,

50% Oo so a blue or green egg, and

25% oo so a white or brown egg.

Since your pullet out of that blue egg is laying a brown egg she has one blue eggshell gene and one not-blue gene. That much is for sure. It's possible the father could have one blue gene but from what you said it's doubtful. So about half the pullets should lay a colored egg. But those odds are on each egg. You'd have to hatch enough for the odds to mean something.

VERY informative! Thank you!

I like wrapping my head around stuff I’m curious about so thank you for aiding me