Egg production genetics

[Joeschooks]

Im adding a purebred Araucana cockerel (hatched myself) to my mixed flock. He of course has the blue egg gene which being dominant should mean all pullets I hatch should lay blue or green eggs. But I can’t find much information on egg production... the roosters parents lay about 200 per year so if I put him to my leghorn hen who lays about 300 per year, should the offspring lay 250 a year?

 

[jane s chickens]

Im adding a purebred Araucana cockerel (hatched myself) to my mixed flock. He of course has the blue egg gene which being dominant should mean all pullets I hatch should lay blue or green eggs. But I can’t find much information on egg production... the roosters parents lay about 200 per year so if I put him to my leghorn hen who lays about 300 per year, should the offspring lay 250 a year?

I wish chicken/egg math was that easy.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

I wish chicken/egg math was that easy.

 

[lazy gardener]

Is it a true Araucana? Rumpless?

 

[Joeschooks]

Is it a true Araucana? Rumpless?

I’m in UK so he’s not rumpless, but a true pure breed stock from a member of the uk Araucana club. I don’t have a recent photo but this is him at 12 weeks in the grow out pen (at the drinker)

 

[lazy gardener]

Your breed standards are different than ours. Just looking for clarification. thanks. He's a pretty bird. I love the lavender or blue coloring. I have a self blue Ameraucana and she's the friendliest bird in my flock. When I'm out in the yard, she's always under foot. She knows that usually, where ever I go there are worms or other creepy crawlies to be had.

 

[Sydney Acres]

In all likelihood, the daughter of a white egg layer plus a blue egg layer will not lay a typical blue egg, but a very light blue egg. The colors are more likely to mix than be a simple dominant/recessive pattern. That is the whole principle behind breeding "olive eggers." Here is a link to images: https://images.search.yahoo.com/sea....com/2012/06/egg-color-chart.jpg&action=click

The number of eggs the daughters are likely to lay is less predictable. It will likely be closer to the 200 than 300 mark, as it takes significant genetics from both sides to get hens to lay more than 180-220 eggs per year typical of most breeds. When you dilute out the production genetics of the Leghorn, I suspect that the daughters will revert back to the average production of most dual purpose hens.

 

[Joeschooks]

In all likelihood, the daughter of a white egg layer plus a blue egg layer will not lay a typical blue egg, but a very light blue egg. The colors are more likely to mix than be a simple dominant/recessive pattern. That is the whole principle behind breeding "olive eggers." Here is a link to images: https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=blue+egg+color+genetics&fr=yset_ff_syc_hp&imgurl=http://scratchcradle.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/egg-color-chart.jpg#id=0&iurl=http://scratchcradle.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/egg-color-chart.jpg&action=click

The number of eggs the daughters are likely to lay is less predictable. It will likely be closer to the 200 than 300 mark, as it takes significant genetics from both sides to get hens to lay more than 180-220 eggs per year typical of most breeds. When you dilute out the production genetics of the Leghorn, I suspect that the daughters will revert back to the average production of most dual purpose hens.

What a fabulous piece of information. Thank you. Yes, I too expect a light blue egg from this cross. It’s handy to be able to tell anyone who buys the chicks what to expect in terms of productivity too

 

[Joeschooks]

Your breed standards are different than ours. Just looking for clarification. thanks. He's a pretty bird. I love the lavender or blue coloring. I have a self blue Ameraucana and she's the friendliest bird in my flock. When I'm out in the yard, she's always under foot. She knows that usually, where ever I go there are worms or other creepy crawlies to be had.

Are Ameraucanas generally flighty? Our Lavender Araucanas tend to be, but I have a Lavender pullet (in my avatar) that will sit on me and come to me for cuddles and never wants to get off! She’s my favourite girl

 

[CCUK]

Hi Joe. It's good to see your hens are doing well. I'm not sure on whether crossing the leghorn with a Araucana cockeral will increase egg production. I have some whitestar hens that are leghorn hybrids and they lay alot. I'm not sure how many but lay most days. A beautiful big white egg. And I had two Araucana hens (one died not so long back) and they layed most days aswell. If you cross them I'm not sure it would increase the egg production much but you could end up with a big pale blue egg most days. I have 8 Araucana eggs in my incubator now. I'm not sure what colours but I'm hoping for two wheaton hens. My Araucanas are the friendliest hens in my run. They both would come running up to me and one will jump up me if I'm standing still! The whitestars are very flighty but I think because I bought them as older pullets they hadn't been handled much and never let me get close enough to do so.