EGG COLOR question

[Minky]

If I breed my CLB roo to my brown layers (BO, Barnevelder, Maran) and I end up with say 10 pullets-will all end up laying green(light shades/darker shades)? or will it be a mixture, some laying brown, some laying blue/green?

Thanks.

Likewise, if I breed same CLB roo to a white layer- will pullets be a split of white egg layers and blue/green egg layers? or will the 2 colors combine and all layers will lay lighter green/blue.

Thanks!!

 

[IamRainey]

Just so you know, I have a Barnvelder and her eggs are a very conventional brown. I was disappointed to discover that and someone here told me that the beautiful chocolate color has mostly been bred out of the breed.

Too bad the literature doesn't reflect that. But if you're specifically bent on egg color I thought you'd like to know in advance.

 

[Minky]

Yes, my barnevelder is also laying a very medium brown. Not even as dark as the store!! But she is a nice hen... her eggs arent huge either, but large and nice and round and shiny.


But do you know the answer to my question??? about egg color?

 

[FowlStuff]

Here is what I wrote pertaining to Ameraucana egg shell color and it may help answer your question.

What about egg color?
"Egg shell color doesn’t affect the nutritional value of eggs, but blue is prettier.

Ameraucana chickens should lay eggs with very light blue shells. You will know the blue egg shell color is the proper blue when the inside and outside egg shell colors are the same.

Many varieties and strains still carry modifying (brown egg) genes that cause their eggs to appear greenish (blue + brown = green). This is a common fault that Ameraucana breeders are trying to correct thru selective breeding programs, although it is not an easy task. These brown egg genes were introduced when blue egg laying chickens were crossed with brown egg laying chickens. There is a lot about shell color that is still a mystery and some of what we think we know today may be better understood in the future, as with all genetics.

One way to better understand egg shell color is to think of the shell as if it were vinyl siding on buildings. Imagine you have two chicken coops…one with white vinyl siding and the other with light blue vinyl siding. The material for making siding (and egg shells) starts out white (the base color). If light blue is desired, then a little blue dye is mixed in before the siding is formed. Just as white siding is white on the outside, inside and throughout; blue siding will have the blue color throughout. Now you decide you want both coops to be the same color so you buy some cheap brown paint and paint both coops, but they don’t look the same color after the paint dries. The brown paint was only applied to the exterior of the siding and didn’t penetrate into the siding. It even comes off when you brush up against the painted surface. Depending on the shade of brown paint used on the white coop the exterior now looks that shade of brown. But, on the coop that was light blue the cheap paint didn’t do a good job of covering and as some of the blue vinyl color “bleeds” thru the brown paint the coop appears to be some shade of yucky green."

 

[Minky]

But im not using Ameracaunas or EE-

Im sorry, maybe Im a bit slow this morning...How does this information help me?
I know about the white egg /blue egg and layers of color.
I'm wondering if some chicks will lay one color and the other a diff color, or if the genetics get mixed together to make a blend.???

 

[Rocky Rhodes]

You will get 10 olive layers, and yes the eggs may be different shades of green.

 

[Minky]

@Rocky Rhodes -Ok, thanks--- so if I have brown and blue egg layers NOW, but only breed them to my double blue gene ROOster- i will eventually not have any more brown layers???

 

[FowlStuff]

But im not using Ameracaunas or EE-

Im sorry, maybe Im a bit slow this morning...How does this information help me?
I know about the white egg /blue egg and layers of color.
I'm wondering if some chicks will lay one color and the other a diff color, or if the genetics get mixed together to make a blend.???

It doesn't matter what breed your chickens are or even if they aren't a breed...egg color genetics and all others are common to all chickens.
The short answer is "mixed together" as my answer implied, but there are exceptions to rules and not every sibling inherits the same gene from each parent for every trait.

 

[Rocky Rhodes]

When a brown egg layer crosses with blue/green egg layer you get olive eggers only. It is my understanding that the breed does not matter. I could be wrong, but if I am someone will surely correct me.

 

[The Moonshiner]

If I breed my CLB roo to my brown layers (BO, Barnevelder, Maran) and I end up with say 10 pullets-will all end up laying green(light shades/darker shades)?
CORRECT

Thanks.

Likewise, if I breed same CLB roo to a white layer- the 2 colors combine and all layers will lay lighter blue. THIS (no green eggs)

Thanks!!

@Rocky Rhodes -Ok, thanks--- so if I have brown and blue egg layers NOW, but only breed them to my double blue gene ROOster- i will eventually not have any more brown layers???
If only ever breeding to a double gene blue egg breed you will never produce brown egg layers.