Genetics of White Eggs

[RainbowHen]

I have a project in mind for the future but I could use some guidance. How do I breed specific chickens to get birds that lay white eggs? I've tried researching this topic myself, but with the colored egg obsession these days all I can find is what happens when you mix birds to get green, olive, blue, dark brown, etc eggs. Not white eggs. I want white eggs. What if one parent is a brown or colored egg layer? How do I get back to a white egg? I'm hoping to create a friendly, colorful, heavy, cold hardy white egg layer. Just for fun. Just for me. This project will be FAR in the future but I like to research and learn and plan. It is fun for me. I have raised and bred and culled many, many birds over the years. This is not an issue for me. Thank you in advance for any help!

 

[R2elk]

I have a project in mind for the future but I could use some guidance. How do I breed specific chickens to get birds that lay white eggs? I've tried researching this topic myself, but with the colored egg obsession these days all I can find is what happens when you mix birds to get green, olive, blue, dark brown, etc eggs. Not white eggs. I want white eggs. What if one parent is a brown or colored egg layer? How do I get back to a white egg? I'm hoping to create a friendly, colorful, heavy, cold hardy white egg layer. Just for fun. Just for me. This project will be FAR in the future but I like to research and learn and plan. It is fun for me. I have raised and bred and culled many, many birds over the years. This is not an issue for me. Thank you in advance for any help!

If you want white egg layers, breed white egg layers to white egg layers. Both the multiple brown egg genes and the blue egg gene need only one gene present to cause the color to show up.

 

[RainbowHen]

If you want white egg layers, breed white egg layers to white egg layers. Both the multiple brown egg genes and the blue egg gene need only one gene present to cause the color to show up.

That's what I was worried about. Thank you. I am having a hard time finding white egg layers that are not light, flighty birds with huge single combs. Would prefer a heavier bird with a smaller comb which I would have to outcross to brown egg layers to achieve.

 

[R2elk]

That's what I was worried about. Thank you. I am having a hard time finding white egg layers that are not light, flighty birds with huge single combs. Would prefer a heavier bird with a smaller comb which I would have to outcross to brown egg layers to achieve.

You can get the rose comb by crossing with rose comb brown leghorns. They are white egg layers. They aren't a huge bird but are a tad bigger than white leghorns.

 

[RainbowHen]

You can get the rose comb by crossing with rose comb brown leghorns. They are white egg layers. They aren't a huge bird but are a tad bigger than white leghorns.

I considered that also. I have found leghorns to be pretty hardy. Definitely not lap chickens but friendly enough. Some colors lay tinted eggs. Don't really want that. Considered Holland's for the body size. My breed selection for white eggs is pretty limited, unfortunately. Hoping to end up with a nice dual purpose type bird, cold hardier for Wisconsin, that lays white eggs. Seeming almost impossible without crossing to a brown egg layer.

 

[R2elk]

I considered that also. I have found leghorns to be pretty hardy. Definitely not lap chickens but friendly enough. Some colors lay tinted eggs. Don't really want that. Considered Holland's for the body size. My breed selection for white eggs is pretty limited, unfortunately. Hoping to end up with a nice dual purpose type bird, cold hardier for Wisconsin, that lays white eggs. Seeming almost impossible without crossing to a brown egg layer.

My Rose Comb Brown Leghorns were a good hardy breed for me. Unlike the White Leghorn, they were a decent size. They were not as large an egg layer or as prolific as White Leghorns.

I used them to bring the rose comb to Cream Legbars,

 

[R2elk]

Hoping to end up with a nice dual purpose type bird, cold hardier for Wisconsin, that lays white eggs. Seeming almost impossible without crossing to a brown egg layer.

Crossing to a brown egg layer will make it very difficult to get back to a white egg layer. There are just too many different genes involved with the brown egg color.

 

[RainbowHen]

That's all good info for me. I guess I'll just have to get my hands on some birds and see what I can come up with

 

[RainbowHen]

Thank you so much for your help!

 

[R2elk]

Thank you so much for your help!

You are welcome.