Egg color question

[The Moonshiner]

Egg shell color is either blue or non blue (white) that's one set of genes and it's not sex linked.
The brown coating is a whole different set of genes. It's said there's at least 13 genes for that. A few are sex linked so in theory when making green to olive eggers using the brown layer breed rooster over the blue layer breed hens can up the odds of producing darker green eggs..
In my experience though it didn't make a notable difference.

 

[kelseyk]

Egg shell color is either blue or non blue (white) that's one set of genes and it's not sex linked.
The brown coating is a whole different set of genes. It's said there's at least 13 genes for that. A few are sex linked so in theory when making green to olive eggers using the brown layer breed rooster over the blue layer breed hens can up the odds of producing darker green eggs..
In my experience though it didn't make a notable difference.

Thanks!

 

[ChicKittyHouse]

I have olive eggs from crossing my EE hen to my Welsummer rooster. Will the hens from the olive eggs lay blue eggs?

 

[aart]

Is there a green egg chart (I have seen charts for blue and brown)?

No, there is not......too subjective.

 

[aart]

I have olive eggs from crossing my EE hen to my Welsummer rooster. Will the hens from the olive eggs lay blue eggs?

Depends on who the daddy is.......the Wellie again?
I think it would be a 50-50% chance a blue shell gene will pass down.
At least that's about what it was when I used that cross.

 

[AusHen]

It doesnt matter which parent is blue or brown but people tend to use brown laying hens since you can actually see how dark her genes are via the egg she lays plus the possibility of sex-links. With brown genetics roosters you wont know if he has dark genetics or not unless you know the line or test breed

 

[kelseyk]

It doesnt matter which parent is blue or brown but people tend to use brown laying hens since you can actually see how dark her genes are via the egg she lays plus the possibility of sex-links. With brown genetics roosters you wont know if he has dark genetics or not unless you know the line or test breed

Thanks!

 

[Ridgerunner]

does it matter which (hen or rooster) lay a certain color to achieve the color egg wanted?

That's been answered but no. Both the hen and rooster contribute equally to egg shell color except for that sex-linked brown gene Moonshiner mentioned. The problem is that a rooster does not lay eggs so you don't always know what he is contributing, but it helps to know what color egg his mother and both grandmothers laid.

If I wanted olive eggs but a lighter color chicken...could I cross my Wheaten Marans hen with my really light CCL rooster and get olive eggs?

It will be interesting to see what actual shades and colors you get with that cross. Since the CCL is barred all chicks should show barring.

Still trying to figure out a lot of the breed crossing stuff).

If you want to figure that out you are a glutton for punishment. I've been trying for years and the more I learn the more I realize how little I know. You might read the first post in this thread about sex links, it might help. It's a long post and you will probably need to read it a few times, really study it. Just read the first post, you don't have to read the entire thread.

Tadkerson’s Sex Link Thread

http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=261208

Then you might want to play around with this calculator. It's actually pretty basic but doesn't seem that way to start. To me the hardest part is knowing what genetics to start with. There is a learning curve in how to use it too. It does not cover egg shell color.

Cross Calculator

http://kippenjungle.nl/Overzicht.htm#kipcalculator

If you have questions on either of these ask and I'll try.

Is there a green egg chart (I have seen charts for blue and brown)? I know there is Olive, Moss, Sage, and Mint....but not sure which order they go in or what darkness each is.

No chart that I'm aware of. I'm kind of surprised I haven't seen one.

And then a black barred CCL with no brownish red at all that I want to cross with my Barred Rock hen to see if I get barred green eggers.

That should work. The pullets will get their baring from the father, that explanation is in the sex linked thread I mentioned. The hen will contribute black which should make the barring easier to see.

Barred doesn't require black. I once accidentally made these barred chicks several years ago. The yellow one was a male or I'd have kept it. These did not lay blue or green eggs.

These did lay blue and green eggs but that is mottling and not barring. You can make blue and green egg layers to look like anything you wish. Just have fun with it.

 

[kelseyk]

That's been answered but no. Both the hen and rooster contribute equally to egg shell color except for that sex-linked brown gene Moonshiner mentioned. The problem is that a rooster does not lay eggs so you don't always know what he is contributing, but it helps to know what color egg his mother and both grandmothers laid.



It will be interesting to see what actual shades and colors you get with that cross. Since the CCL is barred all chicks should show barring.


If you want to figure that out you are a glutton for punishment. I've been trying for years and the more I learn the more I realize how little I know. You might read the first post in this thread about sex links, it might help. It's a long post and you will probably need to read it a few times, really study it. Just read the first post, you don't have to read the entire thread.

Tadkerson’s Sex Link Thread

http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=261208

Then you might want to play around with this calculator. It's actually pretty basic but doesn't seem that way to start. To me the hardest part is knowing what genetics to start with. There is a learning curve in how to use it too. It does not cover egg shell color.

Cross Calculator

http://kippenjungle.nl/Overzicht.htm#kipcalculator

If you have questions on either of these ask and I'll try.


No chart that I'm aware of. I'm kind of surprised I haven't seen one.



That should work. The pullets will get their baring from the father, that explanation is in the sex linked thread I mentioned. The hen will contribute black which should make the barring easier to see.

Barred doesn't require black. I once accidentally made these barred chicks several years ago. The yellow one was a male or I'd have kept it. These did not lay blue or green eggs.

View attachment 2546072

These did lay blue and green eggs but that is mottling and not barring. You can make blue and green egg layers to look like anything you wish. Just have fun with it.

View attachment 2546078

Thanks for all the answers! I have looked at that calculator before and found it very intimidating. Lol! I think I would be happy just understanding the basics. As long as I can tell people the cross and what color eggs they will produce I should be fine. I am super excited to try some of these crosses! I will definitely go read that article. Absolutely love that yellow barred chick! Bummer that it was a rooster.

 

[ChicKittyHouse]

I have 3 Sapphire Gem hens. My understanding is that they are a cross of a blue Plymouth Rock rooster and a Barred Rock hen. If that is true and I breed my girls with a Barred Rock rooster. What would the resulting chicks look like? Would the males be blue barred and the females blue?