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

[whatthecluck]

Quote:
oh no troubles...it takes a lot to upset me lol. I am posting to learn more. I have no intention of getting into major selling, I want multicolored eggs from my own flock...and happen to have the roos I have shown. If I get too many when I am playing around I want to be able to get rid of some of them...and want to make sure ahead of time that it wont be impossible to do lol.
Not to mention I just read this thread above and see any color legs can be acceptable on an EE?
Where are the police when we need them

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=128806

 

[Kev]

The reason for onthespot's comment is because there is a strong linkage between pea and the O gene(that's the gene that makes the blue/green eggshells). It's an excellent indicator when using birds that are pure for both O and pea combs bred/mixed with single combed birds. It's very reliable this way- pea combed- has O, single combed- does not have O..

There's a big but. EE are so freely mixed up genetically that it's not a strong guarantee that a randomly selected pea combed EE will have the O gene- pea combed EE laying tinted eggs are not uncommon for example. EE with only one O gene but may be pure for pea comb are extremely common too which can complicate matters. That said.. as a general rule it is a "very good idea" to go with a pea combed rooster rather than a single combed rooster by the fact that single combed blue/green eggs are very uncommon(they exist though.. my flock is one).

The only real guarantee of getting blue/green(or olive in your case) egg laying daughters is to set blue/green eggs.

Pretty much any other breeding method is "wait and see what color eggs the daughters lay..." for example EE roo over Welsumer.. you will have to wait for the daughters to start laying to find out if that particular EE roo had the O gene.. or not. If some of the daughters lay blue/green eggs, that is proof he had the O gene and you can use him over any hens you want. (no need to do this if you get a rooster proven by test mating or from stock either pure for O or all/nearly all hens lay colored eggs)

That one rooster has a strange comb, kind of looks like it may be a rose comb but could be a strawberry.. he also has some leg feathering.

 

[whatthecluck]

Quote:
OK...so following that then I should go with the one that has a questionable pea comb? Or scrap both of my EE roos and get a different one from someone else who has a better pea comb? But then wouldnt I be better off just getting an Ameraucana that I know has the O gene? I think "Hortons" pea comb looks odd too compared to my EE laying hens but of the choices we had of roos over hens, he looks to be maran over ameraucana. Who knows. I think he looks like a chantecler lol (wasnt even in the mix of possibilities for him)but that would be a cushion comb so what do I know lol.
I am thinking then maybe I have to wait out there behaviours and see how they all co-eexist. Then start separating them when I want to play around with incubating. No wonder why some of you have thousands of posts! This could be a lifetime endeavor for me

 

[whatthecluck]

oh and are they EEs then if they are half maran and half Ameraucana or am I incorrect?

 

[Kev]

Bottom line.. it's what is most important to you. If it's "maximum possibility of blue/green/olive egg layers" pretty much overruling anything else and using your hens, then it is best to go with something like Araucana, Amer and/or EE rooster from stock deliberately bred to be pure for O to take out the guess work and anxiety of waiting 4-6 months before the pullets start laying.

If nice roosters are more important then stay with your roosters.. but set all of the eggs from that one EE pullet plus other eggs with "hoping" one of the EE roos has the O gene. But do assume that none of the roosters has it, just to be on the safe side. Personally I would assume the single combed roos probably don't have O and that weird comb roo may be the best bet of all from a very limited option.. but I do wonder if it's a mix of like a Wyandotte x something feather leg.. which would mean he doesn't even come close to having O gene.. unless you knew it was out of an EE flock for sure.

The other option- get pullets/hens that lay blue/green eggs and use whatever rooster you want over those.. Marans, Welsumer etc.

EE can become a rather touchy topic- bottom line is, they are not a breed, which means no standard at all for them. So people ultimately really can't insist on them looking a certain way/bred this way etc. No standard pretty much means 'anything goes'. So you can call the crosses EE and you honestly would be fine but some people do insist on them having things such as beard/muffs or having a 'general look' that is kinda similar to Amer but in non-standard color. You could also go with like "EE(or Amer) x Welsumer cross" but that would not quite work for later generations, ya know what I mean....

 

[onthespot]

EE's can look all sorts of odd ways too. Here is one that is a cross with a silkie, a giant blue cochin and ameraucana. She lays a blue egg.

And here is a rooster that does not have a beard, but has a nice pea comb, only one barring gene, and more of an Ameraucana profile. He throws a LOT of pea combed babies when crossed on his peacombed olive egger mother. He has an oustanding temperament too. His mother is Ameraucana x Barred Rock probably, and his father is a feather legged blue cuckoo marans. He inherited the feathered legs. It's all good...

 

[Kev]

Thanks for adding those pics! Really shows the different directions people can take with their own EE.... kinda wish more people took different directions as the options are limitless and hobby breeding with a personal goal can be a lot of fun.