getting more blue/green layers and olive eggers...

[whatthecluck]

This is my first flock...12 chickens...I have 7 laying now and two that should lay by mid July or August. I ended up with 3 roosters.
Of my 2 EE hens only one has the blue/green egg so I was thinking of breeding her at some point and incubating (next spring when I have more time)...so I have a few more blue/green layers. Also maybe a few more dark chocolate or olive layers.
I have one BCM pullet, one Welsummer pullet, and 1 EE pullet that I would be interested in breeding.
The 3 roos consist of two EEs with different traits...both are crossed with 1/2 Ameraucana, and 1/2 Maran or Welsummer. Both of those would carry the blue/green gene correct? SO ...I was thinking of keeping them or at least one of them for the future. Then I have a roo who is Wheaten maran or BCM roo over cuckoo marans hen. He would be a dark egger. SO was thinking to keep him around? If I want the olive eggers and have a dark BCM layer would I simply cross her with the EE roo? He has the 1/2 Ameraucana 1/2 maran line. Or go about it the other way and use the EE blue green layers eggs with the dark layer over her?
I am just learning all of this.
I guess I am wondering what troubles I am going to have with 3 roos down the road? Should I only keep one of the EE roos? Should I get rid of the cuckoo X...and get a BCM roo so if I want BCMs in the future I would be able to sell some and only keep the egg layers I want vs. using a cuckoo cross for the dark eggs and having a bunch of chicken mutts that others may not be interested in?
What are your thoughts. We arent too interested in butchering ourselves in small quantity.

 

[onthespot]

if you want blue/green/olive eggs, make sure anything you keep has a pea comb. Last year when I started I didn't know that and grew out some birds I didn't need to. Now that I have the right birds together I get almost everything i want every time.

And yes, the more marans blood, (if you still have a pea comb) the more likely your eggs will get darker olive.

 

[whatthecluck]

Quote:
OK..well here is the EE roo with the pea comb (doesnt it look like a strawberry comb? sheesh!)....

and heres the muffed/bearded guy with the single comb. Hes my favorite though ;(.

and heres the roo thats the cuckoo cross:

so who goes if any? and can I use the cuckoo over the blue/green layer to get olive? or the pea comb over the blue/green because their is marans in the blood might not throw blue/green layers combined with the blue/green hen?

 

[AHappychick]

if he is your favorite and has a good personality I say keep him egg color is important but so is personality

 

[Mahonri]

All of your roos should give hens with the Olive-egg colored genes?

 

[whatthecluck]

Quote:
ah...so no combination of those roos will give more blue/green layers? The marans muddies it up and makes olive most times when mixed with a blue/green layer? I am guessing darker blue/green then what she currently lays? So then if I want olive I am in great shape lol. If I want blue green I need to get an Ameraucana pure roo to mate with my blue/green layer?
Am I in trouble with 3 roos hanging with 9 hens or no? I rather like them but if they are going to start jumping me and one another I may have to break out the moves on them

 

[rancher hicks]

I'm new at this too. So allow me to ask. How can anyone call an ee + cuckoo marans and EE? It seems that most of these birds have something other than EE in them. So how can they be called EE's? My concern is that I'm just starting and I don't want someone misrepresenting what they're selling. If I buy an EE, and I expect to. I don't want an ee+anything else. If I'm buying a specific breed I don't want it crossed with any other breed. So my point again, how can these birds be called EE's?

 

[whatthecluck]

Quote:
My assumption that EEs were Ameraucana or Araucana crosses, am I incorrect? EE standing for Easter Egger describing a variety of beautiful chickens that lay multi colored eggs...pinks, olives, and blue/greens? If you are looking for the blue green only you need a pure Ameraucana or Araucana. Isn't this so?
Oh and my cuckoo cross is not an EE hes a maran wheaten or BCM over cuckoo not Ameraucana. The other two roos that I have are half Ameraucana which is why I thought they were EEs but they both have the marans legcolor.
~best

 

[whatthecluck]

ah but on eastereggers.com I see also that they have to have a pea comb....as well so then marans in the ameraucana blood giving white legs is a disqualifier too as they need green slate or willow legs? Ah....I find this so confusing. Dont you need a dark breed with a blue green layer to get the olive eggers? So not all olive eggers are considered EEs?

 

[rancher hicks]

Ya know, your really a nice person for not getting upset with me. I like you already. It's just that some people would get a chip on their shoulder for questioning this. Thanks.