Egg Colour Genetics Question

[skullgrrrl]

Its been a long wait but one of my pullets born April 26th laid her first egg today - minty green.

She comes from a SS Appenzeller Spitzhauben x SL Polish-EE rooster and EE hen - her dad came from an white egg (his father came from an olive egg) and her mum lays an olive egg.

He was bred to a variety of hens and I've been waiting to see what colour eggs his daughters from PB white egg laying hen will lay. So far, only one (Spitzhauben) has laid and it was white.

If he carries a blue egg gene I would have expected this pullet to lay either blue or olive. If white, then blue or brown. This egg (on the right) is quite green compared to the usual olive egg (left). Can I make any assumptions as to what egg colour genes he is carrying or do I have to wait till the daughters from white egg laying hens start laying?

Photos: pullet, followed by her parents.

 

[black_dove2]

I don't know anything about egg color so I'm no help. The egg color is pretty. My RIR brown eggs beame a richer color as months passes. I wonder if yours will do same?

I'm interested in reading responses from the much more knowledgeable members.

 

[skullgrrrl]

I don't know anything about egg color so I'm no help. The egg color is pretty. My RIR brown eggs beame a richer color as months passes. I wonder if yours will do same?

I'm interested in reading responses from the much more knowledgeable members.

Here's a little egg genetics 101: each bird has many chromosomes and each chromosome is associated with 2 genes - one received from each parent. So the parent birds each have two egg genes, but will only pass on one gene to each of their offspring, who in turn, ends up with 2 egg genes (one from each parent).

If a bird is a purebred (not hatchery) it should have two of the same egg colour genes (i.e. two blue, two white or two brown). Easter or Olive Eggers are crosses. The hen that lays the olive or green egg carries one brown and one blue gene. You won't know what colour egg gene the rooster carries unless you breed him to either pure white gene or pure blue gene hens.

If his daughters lay either brown or olive eggs then you know he carries a brown egg gene. If the daughters from the white gene hens lay blue then you know he carries at least one blue egg gene. Its a time consuming process and a process of elimination. He may carry two different colour egg genes and pass different ones on to his offspring.

 

[black_dove2]

Here's a little egg genetics 101: each bird has many chromosomes and each chromosome is associated with 2 genes - one received from each parent. So the parent birds each have two egg genes, but will only pass on one gene to each of their offspring, who in turn, ends up with 2 egg genes (one from each parent).

If a bird is a purebred (not hatchery) it should have two of the same egg colour genes (i.e. two blue, two white or two brown). Easter or Olive Eggers are crosses. The hen that lays the olive or green egg carries one brown and one blue gene. You won't know what colour egg gene the rooster carries unless you breed him to either pure white gene or pure blue gene hens.

If his daughters lay either brown or olive eggs then you know he carries a brown egg gene. If the daughters from the white gene hens lay blue then you know he carries at least one blue egg gene. Its a time consuming process and a process of elimination. He may carry two different colour egg genes and pass different ones on to his offspring.

Now that makes it sound so easy to understand.

So in your case keeping a spreadsheet would help tremendously

 

[skullgrrrl]

Now that makes it sound so easy to understand.

So in your case keeping a spreadsheet would help tremendously

If you are concerned about egg colour and are breeding crosses (Easter Eggers) you do need to keep a family tree

 

[The Moonshiner]

Your egg genetics 101 is a bit off.
Chickens only carry genes for two egg shell colors, blue or white. Blue is dominate so you can have two white genes, two blue genes or one blue and one white. In the latter case they will lay blue eggs but can pass on either a blue or white gene to their offspring.
Brown is a whole different situation. Brown eggs are actually white eggs with the brown "painted" on. I do not know everything about the brown genes. Idk if anyone does. Its said there's something like 13 genes that can come into play with creating the brown color.
The brown "paint" comes with the white egg gene and depending on which genes come with the brown will effect the shade of brown.
So now you can have two blue egg genes and have blue eggs, two white genes and have white eggs, one blue gene and one white gene. They will lay blue eggs since blue is dominate over white.
Now you can bring in brown. Remember brown is really a white egg. So you can have two white genes with one or both parents have the genes to paint it brown. That gives you varies shades of brown.
Or you can bring in a brown with a blue. Now you have one blue gene and one white gene. Blue is dominate so it will show blue but the brown "paint" will cover the blue and result in green. Like brown on white brown on blue can result in many shades of green.
When crossing breeds for green or olive eggs you have to keep the blue egg gene but every time you cross in the brown you're bringing a white egg gene in too.
When you cross the green egg layers youre taking the chance of getting blue or white egg genes or on of each to the offspring. The genes that paint the brown will also vary on which and how many get passed along to.
When you look at olive eggs you see why they never breed true. You bring in one blue gene and one set of genes for the brown paint. Along with the brown comes the white egg gene so the olive eggs always carry the white gene sight unseen. The more you back cross for darker green the more you bring in more white egg genes. The resulting offspring always have the chance of getting a white egg gene from each parent and producing white eggs which in most every case would also have the brown paint so you end up with olive eggs that lay brown eggs.
Same goes with Easter eggers and why they can end up with any color eggs.

For the OP
When you're getting green eggs you have got blue egg genes, white egg genes and the genes to paint on the brown. A lot of combinations can occur in the offspring.
Usually when mixing like you're doing you will end up with the majority laying green eggs or brown. Its hard to get rid of the brown paint once its brought in so harder but not impossible by no means to get offspring that can lay blue or white eggs.

 

[skullgrrrl]

Your egg genetics 101 is a bit off.
Chickens only carry genes for two egg shell colors, blue or white. Blue is dominate so you can have two white genes, two blue genes or one blue and one white. In the latter case they will lay blue eggs but can pass on either a blue or white gene to their offspring.
Brown is a whole different situation. Brown eggs are actually white eggs with the brown "painted" on. I do not know everything about the brown genes. Idk if anyone does. Its said there's something like 13 genes that can come into play with creating the brown color.
The brown "paint" comes with the white egg gene and depending on which genes come with the brown will effect the shade of brown.
So now you can have two blue egg genes and have blue eggs, two white genes and have white eggs, one blue gene and one white gene. They will lay blue eggs since blue is dominate over white.
Now you can bring in brown. Remember brown is really a white egg. So you can have two white genes with one or both parents have the genes to paint it brown. That gives you varies shades of brown.
Or you can bring in a brown with a blue. Now you have one blue gene and one white gene. Blue is dominate so it will show blue but the brown "paint" will cover the blue and result in green. Like brown on white brown on blue can result in many shades of green.
When crossing breeds for green or olive eggs you have to keep the blue egg gene but every time you cross in the brown you're bringing a white egg gene in too.
When you cross the green egg layers youre taking the chance of getting blue or white egg genes or on of each to the offspring. The genes that paint the brown will also vary on which and how many get passed along to.
When you look at olive eggs you see why they never breed true. You bring in one blue gene and one set of genes for the brown paint. Along with the brown comes the white egg gene so the olive eggs always carry the white gene sight unseen. The more you back cross for darker green the more you bring in more white egg genes. The resulting offspring always have the chance of getting a white egg gene from each parent and producing white eggs which in most every case would also have the brown paint so you end up with olive eggs that lay brown eggs.
Same goes with Easter eggers and why they can end up with any color eggs.

For the OP
When you're getting green eggs you have got blue egg genes, white egg genes and the genes to paint on the brown. A lot of combinations can occur in the offspring.
Usually when mixing like you're doing you will end up with the majority laying green eggs or brown. Its hard to get rid of the brown paint once its brought in so harder but not impossible by no means to get offspring that can lay blue or white eggs.

Thanks for the detailed explanation!

 

[gojira]

That is still not quite right. At one locus, you have blue or not blue (not necessarily white). At another locus, you have white or brown, and that is incompletely dominant (so, it can be white, tinted, or brown). That works with the other locus, and if it codes for blue, it can range from blue to green to olive. At other loci, you have modifiers for intensity of brown, if brown is coded for already. If that does not make sense, i can try to explain it better.

 

[Ravynscroft]

Your egg genetics 101 is a bit off.
Chickens only carry genes for two egg shell colors, blue or white. Blue is dominate so you can have two white genes, two blue genes or one blue and one white. In the latter case they will lay blue eggs but can pass on either a blue or white gene to their offspring.
Brown is a whole different situation. Brown eggs are actually white eggs with the brown "painted" on. I do not know everything about the brown genes. Idk if anyone does. Its said there's something like 13 genes that can come into play with creating the brown color.
The brown "paint" comes with the white egg gene and depending on which genes come with the brown will effect the shade of brown.
So now you can have two blue egg genes and have blue eggs, two white genes and have white eggs, one blue gene and one white gene. They will lay blue eggs since blue is dominate over white.
Now you can bring in brown. Remember brown is really a white egg. So you can have two white genes with one or both parents have the genes to paint it brown. That gives you varies shades of brown.
Or you can bring in a brown with a blue. Now you have one blue gene and one white gene. Blue is dominate so it will show blue but the brown "paint" will cover the blue and result in green. Like brown on white brown on blue can result in many shades of green.
When crossing breeds for green or olive eggs you have to keep the blue egg gene but every time you cross in the brown you're bringing a white egg gene in too.
When you cross the green egg layers youre taking the chance of getting blue or white egg genes or on of each to the offspring. The genes that paint the brown will also vary on which and how many get passed along to.
When you look at olive eggs you see why they never breed true. You bring in one blue gene and one set of genes for the brown paint. Along with the brown comes the white egg gene so the olive eggs always carry the white gene sight unseen. The more you back cross for darker green the more you bring in more white egg genes. The resulting offspring always have the chance of getting a white egg gene from each parent and producing white eggs which in most every case would also have the brown paint so you end up with olive eggs that lay brown eggs.
Same goes with Easter eggers and why they can end up with any color eggs.

For the OP
When you're getting green eggs you have got blue egg genes, white egg genes and the genes to paint on the brown. A lot of combinations can occur in the offspring.
Usually when mixing like you're doing you will end up with the majority laying green eggs or brown. Its hard to get rid of the brown paint once its brought in so harder but not impossible by no means to get offspring that can lay blue or white eggs.

Agreed...

Only 2 color genes for the shell, white and blue... brown genes are modifiers...

You can get 2 blue egg genes with varying shades of brown, but takes back crossing, test mating, etc...

 

[Better Than Rubies]

I'm a bit too confused (as it seems too much for my brain to comprehend about the egg colors from your chickens you mentioned; though to understand, I probably need to pay full attention and reread slowly what you originally post ) to help, so I'm just going to say, skullgrrrl, the pullet is beautiful. And I got to looking at the rooster's comb, and it's so unique! It partially has the SSAS's 'horn' like comb, with a pea-ish-like comb at the base. And he has a swept-down fancy crest, lol. Also, I think I see the EE in his build[/size (?)], and possibly in his color.