Egg color genetics

[LadiesAndJane]

So, I have an ameraucana (not EE)/silkie cross that I expect will lay aqua or light green eggs. Her mother is a purebred Ameraucana and I understand the mother would then have 2 copies of the blue egg gene. Her father is a silkie, and hatched from the usual light tan silkie egg. So my pullet from these two should be carrying one copy of the blue egg gene and one copy of the brown egg gene? Am I correct in my assumptions of my hybrids expected egg color?
I am asking as I have a new layer that I thought was my polish/silkie cross (both birds are 6 months old) as I found a light tan egg in the nest box, but twice I have found the ameraucana/silkie cross leaving the nest box and found this little brown egg. I have seen the polish cross in there as well. Are they faking me out? I assumed this egg came from the polish/silkie cross, color made sense, but they are making me wonder? I checked the vents on both girls, hard for me to tell, looks like they both may be laying, but identical eggs? I am only getting one egg a day from this group (all the others are too young to lay yet).
I even cracked open the egg to see if there was blue underneath. Nope.

 

[Quaen]

So, I have an ameraucana (not EE)/silkie cross that I expect will lay aqua or light green eggs. Her mother is a purebred Ameraucana and I understand the mother would then have 2 copies of the blue egg gene. Her father is a silkie, and hatched from the usual light tan silkie egg. So my pullet from these two should be carrying one copy of the blue egg gene and one copy of the brown egg gene? Am I correct in my assumptions of my hybrids expected egg color?
I am asking as I have a new layer that I thought was my polish/silkie cross (both birds are 6 months old) as I found a light tan egg in the nest box, but twice I have found the ameraucana/silkie cross leaving the nest box and found this little brown egg. I have seen the polish cross in there as well. Are they faking me out? I assumed this egg came from the polish/silkie cross, color made sense, but they are making me wonder? I checked the vents on both girls, hard for me to tell, looks like they both may be laying, but identical eggs? I am only getting one egg a day from this group (all the others are too young to lay yet).
I even cracked open the egg to see if there was blue underneath. Nope.View attachment 2808817

That sounds about right. Crossing a hen with 1 blue egg gene with a brown egg layer (not really a layer in this case), will have offspring that includes about 50% brown egg layers. Your pullet being one of them.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

That sounds about right. Crossing a hen with 1 blue egg gene with a brown egg layer (not really a layer in this case), will have offspring that includes about 50% brown egg layers. Your pullet being one of them.

I thought that would only be in an F2 that you would get 50% brown layers, not in an F1 as the blue egg gene is dominant?

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Her mother was a purebred Ameraucana so she had 2 copies of the blue egg gene as I stated in my post.

 

[Quaen]

Her mother was a purebred Ameraucana so she had 2 copies of the blue egg gene as I stated in my post.

Must have missed that the ameraucana was the mother, then she is either not pure, or something got in the mix, the offspring should definitely not lay brown. The pullet should lay green or blue.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Must have missed that she was the mother, then she is either not pure, or something got in the mix, the offspring should definitely not lay brown.

So I am right in assuming it is the polish cross! I knew it did not make sense genetically, but I wanted some verification. Guess the Ameraucana/silkie cross is faking me out, still just in the preparation stage, and has not laid yet.
I am sure of her parentage, I bred and hatched her myself from my own birds.
Thanks!

 

[Quaen]

So I am right in assuming it is the polish cross! I new it did not make sense genetically, but I wanted some verification. Guess the Ameraucana/silkie cross is faking me out, still just in the preparation stage, and has not laid yet.
I am sure of her parentage, I bred and hatched her myself from my own birds.
Thanks!

Yep, she is close though!

I hate to ask this, but you are certain she is a she, right? Cockerels sometimes can get in nesting boxes. Sorry for misreading your post

 

[Quaen]

So I am right in assuming it is the polish cross! I knew it did not make sense genetically, but I wanted some verification. Guess the Ameraucana/silkie cross is faking me out, still just in the preparation stage, and has not laid yet.
I am sure of her parentage, I bred and hatched her myself from my own birds.
Thanks!

That would make sense, especially since you got one egg a day. However, I edited to add that she may lay blue or green.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Yep, she is close though!

I hate to ask this, but you are certain she is a she, right? Cockerels sometimes can get in nesting boxes. Sorry for misreading your post

No worries. Yes I am quite proficient in sexing chickens. See my many posts under the "what gender or breed is this" forum.

 

[Quaen]

No worries. Yes I am quite proficient in sexing chickens. See my many posts under the "what gender or breed is this" forum.

I am new here, but sounds like you are on track! I would love to see an update on your girl. I haven't bred the cross myself (yet), but would love to know one thing. I have heard that F1 crosses of the cross are smooth feathered and F2 crosses look like the silkie. I can't genetically back that up, but is your pullet smooth?