Wow. Used to be a regular here back when this site was tiny. Looks like a whole new shebang now!
So I'm going to be getting back into chickens in the next year. Most of my time at work lately has been spent thinking about a project I want to work on, and creating ways for keeping records and tracing lineage.
Back when I had a huge flock and was selling eggs and hatching out chicks every week, I had some weird layers. One chicken laid a pastel yellow egg. Another laid peach. And yet another laid a cream egg with purple flecks (seriously - purple). I had tons of rare breeds, and about 50 mutts. No clue who was laying those weird eggs.
I REALLY want to start an egg color project. I was wondering if any studies on the genetics had been done. I know that we know that blue to brown makes green, and green to brown makes olive. But outside of that, have the knowledge on egg colors been explored at all??
I would LOVE to figure out what made those "funny" egg colors in my last flock, to see if I can reproduce them. Who wouldn't love a flock of rainbow layers??
Of particular interest to me right off the bat are the Araucanas who lay off-color (pinkish tan) eggs. Seems most purebred Araucana breeders have these peculiar pinkish layers pop up from time to time, and I know most of them don't breed those girls, but I'm very interested in acquiring some of them to use in my project.
So please tell me what you know! Any cool studies been done while I was away?? Are you guys seeing any weird colors pop up?
Thanks!
Angela
So I'm going to be getting back into chickens in the next year. Most of my time at work lately has been spent thinking about a project I want to work on, and creating ways for keeping records and tracing lineage.
Back when I had a huge flock and was selling eggs and hatching out chicks every week, I had some weird layers. One chicken laid a pastel yellow egg. Another laid peach. And yet another laid a cream egg with purple flecks (seriously - purple). I had tons of rare breeds, and about 50 mutts. No clue who was laying those weird eggs.
I REALLY want to start an egg color project. I was wondering if any studies on the genetics had been done. I know that we know that blue to brown makes green, and green to brown makes olive. But outside of that, have the knowledge on egg colors been explored at all??
I would LOVE to figure out what made those "funny" egg colors in my last flock, to see if I can reproduce them. Who wouldn't love a flock of rainbow layers??
Of particular interest to me right off the bat are the Araucanas who lay off-color (pinkish tan) eggs. Seems most purebred Araucana breeders have these peculiar pinkish layers pop up from time to time, and I know most of them don't breed those girls, but I'm very interested in acquiring some of them to use in my project.
So please tell me what you know! Any cool studies been done while I was away?? Are you guys seeing any weird colors pop up?
Thanks!
Angela
