Egg color genetics

[DrakeMaiden]

How reliably is egg color passed on? I heard in EE's green is dominant?

I'm wondering about ducks though. Is it worth it to incubate colored duck eggs, if I want to get ducks that will lay colored eggs?

Thanks in advance to anyone with any info!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

There are a number of egg colour genes (12+). Green is the result of blue eggshell covered by a brown coating.

Blue is dominant. so even one copy of a blue eggshell gene will give blue eggshells, however the chances of that bird passing on the gene is reduced from 100% to 50%. Also, teh colour may be darker with two copies of the gene.

You'll have to ask about duck eggs in the waterfowl area.

 

[Krys109uk]

Interesting thing about the green chicken eggs.....if you pull off the membrane from the inside of the egg you will see what colour the egg would have been had the brown layer not been coated over the outside surface.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

OK, thanks you guys, that at least gives me an idea. I figure there is more info on chicken genetics, and it is potentially similar to duck genetics. Or potentially very different.