Egg color genetics, punnet square question

HomesteadNowhere

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Dec 2, 2020
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Ohio USA
I can't tell if I've been staring at this too long or not quite enough :lau

When using the punnet square is the sides meaning to genders?
So in breeding egg color, two birds that are believed to be single blue egg gene. O/o.
Oo x Oo=
OO, Oo
Oo, oo

Does that mean the left side is male offspring and the right side is female offspring? As in I'd get males that half are OO and half Oo then females half will be Oo and half oo.
Meaning the females will lay blue (single gene) or lay white (no gene) and could easily cull the white layers soon as they lay. I would not need to test breed the females to see which are possibly double gene blue (OO).
The males would get me farther to test breed to see who is single gene or double gene for blue eggs.

Is that right or did my brain make that up wishful thinking and 25% that would be OO would be of half male and half female?

:confused:
 
Ya it used to mean test breeding but now you can have them tested to see if they carry one or two blue shell genes.
I thought the test was a bit pricey but others feel with time and money spent to raise the offspring from test breeding to point of lay is more pricey.
@DarJones Has the info for testing I believe.
 
I was thinking of using EEs because freedom ranger hatchery is somewhat close to me and the chicks from there this year did terrifically. And their EEs are really economical priced.

My goal would be to cross them with Bielefelder and work toward auto sexing and breeding true for blue/green eggs. After really considering all the test breeding needed I'm now thinking that it would make more sense to get blue ameraucana from mcmurray. Then I'd know blue eggs, I'd know blue chickens (with splash, black, white). The blues and splash would be some for a pure flock and some to breed to Bielefelder for my auto sexing project.

I already have a Bielefelder cockerel and was thinking to get the ameraucanas in early spring.
Bielefelder roo x blue ameraucana pullet/hen should give blue and black in self and barred.
A barred blue daughter bred back to the Bielefelder should give blue, black, partridge/blue, and partridge/brown in self and barred.
The Bielefelder are "black patterned red partridge/brown barred". But it seems like as long as the chicks colors are right to show the auto sexing then it works.

So I know I'd need to get B/B males and B/- females to keep the auto sexing going. Then from there I could select for egg color.

Does that make sense? Is there anything I missed?
 
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I was thinking of using EEs because freedom ranger hatchery is somewhat close to me and the chicks from there this year did terrifically. And their EEs are really economical priced.

My goal would be to cross them with Bielefelder and work toward auto sexing and breeding true for blue/green eggs. After really considering all the test breeding needed I'm now thinking that it would make more sense to get blue ameraucana from mcmurray. Then I'd know blue eggs, I'd know blue chickens (with splash, black, white). The blues and splash would be some for a pure flock and some to breed to Bielefelder for my auto sexing project.

I already have a Bielefelder cockerel and was thinking to get the ameraucanas in early spring.
Bielefelder roo x blue ameraucana pullet/hen should give blue and black in self and barred.
A barred blue daughter bred back to the Bielefelder should give blue, black, partridge/blue, and partridge/brown in self and barred.
The Bielefelder are "black patterned red partridge/brown barred". But it seems like as long as the chicks colors are right to show the auto sexing then it works.

So I know I'd need to get B/B males and B/- females to keep the auto sexing going. Then from there I could select for egg color.

Does that make sense? Is there anything I missed?
Yep, that makes sense.
 
The Silverudds group arranged for a researcher in Germany to run the gene test for blue eggs. They don't show the researchers name or the mailing address. I had to dig deep to find out who it is and how to contact them via email and snail mail. Short answer, if anyone is interested in sending feather samples to be tested for the blue egg gene, send me a message and I will put you in touch with him. He is also working on a test for comb type which will verify straight/pea/other on chromosome 1 and for the rose comb inversion on chromosome 7.
 

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