green legs! Tell me all about them please

[sonew123]

Ok I Know everyone talks about "if they have green legs this or that" But I hatched some EE's and Olive eggers out almost 3 weeks ago-some have pea combs some have single combs some have green legs some dont! for crying out loud I wish I understood it a little better.. can someone help me make my choise on who to keep?? I want ones that have the genes to make colored eggs-olives and Blues I have plenty of brown egg layers-can someone tell me what to stay away from on these guys??

thank you in advance

 

[Andi]

I wish I could help, but I'm not all that experienced. If I were to take a guess I'd say egg shell color and leg color are more coincidental than related. I would guess the color of the egg they hatched from would be at least a 50% probability that the eggs laid by that bird would be the same color.

The gene responsible for the blue tint of the eggs is dominant, so that's working in your favor. If I understand correctly, olive is a combination of blue and brown. It's all genetics. Do you know what the parents carried?

 

[hinkjc]

If you are wanting to guarantee you work with the blue egg gene, stick with your pea combs and get rid of single combs. EEs should not produce single combs if they're bred properly (even though they're not a pure breed, they should have pea combs IMO).

If you're goal is olive eggers, I'm not sure. That may be what the single comb is all about, but I couldn't say.

Leg/shank color has nothing to do with egg color they will produce/lay. Green legs are produced by a yellow skinned x black/blue shank - thus greenish color results.

Are you only worried about egg color or are you breeding for something specific within a breed or bird type as well (i.e. easter eggers)?

 

[sonew123]

Quote:
I pretty much knew about those pea combs-I was keeping those But I thought I would up my chances if they had green legs too. Why my head keeps wrapping around green colored legs symbolizing egg color is beyond me--I thought I read that somewhere on here a while back. The chicks I just hatched out- I stupidly made the mistake and did not mark them when they hatched ...I thougth it would be a piece of cake to differentiate between my olive eggers and EE chicks..Um yah not so much..All I do is stare at them and think crud which 4 out of 19 is the olive eggers? I wanted to keep them grouped for breeding purposes... So what Ive done is start collecting olive eggs again for 2 weeks and hatch just those-so when they do hatch I know exactly what is what so I can guarantee there's no mix up! I think Im going to wind up selling all these chicks to be doubly safe-8 are sold anyway. Thank you fo rsetting e staright on the leg thing--oh and The 4/6 jubilee, 5/6white orp eggs, and 2/6 BO eggs are doing great-

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Leg and egg colour have nothing to do with each other. Green legs are caused by yellow skin (w, a recessive gene) and dermal melanin (id+, a sex-linked recessive gene). Neither of these genes is linked to egg colour genes.

Peacomb IS linked to the blue egg gene--97% of the time these two genes are inherited from a single chromosome, so even if a bird carries only one copy of the peacomb gene and one copy of blue egg gene, they will inherit both or neither. With unlinked genes they have equal chances of inheriting one but not the other.

 

[sonew123]

Quote:
woo-hoo I understood you! LOL thank you...hmm never heard about eye colors having anything to do with eg color thats new! Bit I did have someone email me the other day and ask me what color my silkies eyes were light or dark--care to help me on that one?

 

[AHappychick]

yep I was going to say a much dumber version of that being, once you mix breeds they can always throw some green legs especially it seems if Ameraucana or green/blue egg layers are involved. Keep the ones with pea combs if you are looking to have ones that have the blue egg gene. as Sonoran said they are connected and at least that is your best bet if you want to guess

 

[sonew123]

Quote:
I knew EE were mixed breeds but I didnt want mixed mixed EE's haha.. I am going to sell off all those chicks I just hatched -except the 2 split silkies that way I know nothing gets intermingled accidently.... see some of the pea combers have green legs- so thats it they are all going and Ill start off fresh next hatch! Well that doesnt include your 2 amaracauna eggs that are in bator those are keepers

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

HI SWEETIE!!!!
I haven't seen you in so long I just had to say hi! Guess what? I put that huge white Ameraucana Roo in with my EE hens . . .

 

[sonew123]

Quote:
KATY BABY!!!

-how and where the heck have you been? So good to see you again that big white roo?? oh to die for!!! those will be some gorgeous chickie pooh if your going to hatch those eggs!!!!