Geneteics question about the blue egg gene.

[Kev]

It's fine, I deal with bluntness well. Honestly, I read that in the ameraucana thread. I knew that they were on close to each other on the same chromosome, and that they were often inherited together. I knew most of the information that you stated. Though not in as much detail. However, I had always read that it was possible to get a pure ameraucana that layed pink eggs. I seem to stand corrected

Glad my basic intent came across and not too harshly.

It's a very mixed statement and answer for sure.

It is possible for otherwise pure looking ameraucana stock to throw non colored egg layers.

If the stock threw 100% pea combs, it would mean there was a cross with a pea combed bird that did not have the O gene somewhere in the past. It can float for some generations undetected because the O gene is dominant so a hen with just one copy will still lay a colored egg and all of her daughters will also if the rooster happens to be pure for O gene, giving the illusion the mother is pure for it.

The same problem with the hen(s) being pure for O but the rooster is not.. because all the daughters will lay colored eggs. This and the above is how it can float down undetected.

It only will show up real well if the not pure rooster or hen is bred to either a different breed, with only half of the daughters laying colored eggs.

It will also show up if it happens both the rooster and hen are not pure for O, but only a very low percentage of the pullets would lay the non-colored eggs.

Many people do not really grasp this idea and often they come up with ideas such as 'throwbacks' 'mutants' etc. One possible good example of this are the silky feathered ameraucanas- some people are saying it is a totally new mutation that simply popped up in pure ameraucanas. I happened to see someone did a cross of silky feathered ameraucana with a silkie and the result was all silky feathered birds. Silky feathering is recessive so this is extremely strong suggestion it is the very same gene and is also the same reason it was possible for it to float down from an cross with silkie for more than a few generations- particularly if there was no inbreeding of any sort.

 

[lizzychick]

My apologies for jumping in with a similar but not the same question. I did several searches but have not found the info I am looking for. I have a pullet that is a cross of a pure bred Black Ameraucana hen (blue eggs) and an Iowa Blue rooster (light brown eggs). The pullet is a black chick with white splotches on it and it is growing in some cutie chubby cheeks of the ameraucana. Is there a reference or an approximation of the likelyhood she will lay colored eggs instead of brown eggs? I really am hoping for green eggs.
Thank you for any insight you have!!

 

[junebuggena]

How old? If it is a pullet, then she will probably lay green eggs. The pea comb and the blue egg gene are both dominant and are usually inherited together. That comb looks a bit too pink and developed for a pullet though.

 

[lizzychick]

How old? If it is a pullet, then she will probably lay green eggs. The pea comb and the blue egg gene are both dominant and are usually inherited together. That comb looks a bit too pink and developed for a pullet though.

I know, the comb has me worried too, but her manners are like all the other girls, her tail looks like the other girls, and her neck feathers are rounded, not pointy...so I thought pullet. She is about 6-7 weeks old, I think.

 

[junebuggena]

The pointy male feathers don't start developing until after 10 weeks old and often aren't visible until after 12 weeks. There won't be much difference in behavior until about 8 to 10 weeks old. That comb is just too pink for 7 weeks old.

 

[Johnny Kool]

Ameraucanas can lay pink eggs its just not desirable. I know breeders that have won shows and their birds occassionally throw shades of green and pink. And while the comb and egg color may go hand and hand it doesnt always ring true. I've spent years trying to create an isbar type bird (i couldnt find any in the us back then) About 12 years now. Anyway, i crossed rir, sumatra, ameraucana and another single comb bird i dont wanna name. By the fourth year i had single comb green egg layers.

 

[saltandpepper2]

Ameraucanas can lay pink eggs its just not desirable. I know breeders that have won shows and their birds occassionally throw shades of green and pink. And while the comb and egg color may go hand and hand it doesnt always ring true. I've spent years trying to create an isbar type bird (i couldnt find any in the us back then) About 12 years now. Anyway, i crossed rir, sumatra, ameraucana and another single comb bird i dont wanna name. By the fourth year i had single comb green egg layers.

Thank you! That makes sense