Hatchery EE "pedigree"

[BeardedLadyFarm]

Does anyone know how the hatcheries make their EE's?

Are they just EE roos bred to EE hens, or do they take hens of more productive breeds and put Ameracauna roos over them? (I guess that's how I would do it)

I'm picking up some chicks later this week from someone who has been maintaining a breeding flock of EE's for 6 years. I'm just curious if they will look like the "standard" hatchery EE's, or maybe look a bit different.

 

[KellyHM]

There's really no such thing as a "standard" hatchery EE b/c they come in any size and color and pattern you could possibly imagine. I'm sure they crossed them out to be more productive at some point, but I imagine they now just breed EE to EE.

 

[ChooksChick]

Please share pics as you get them and they grow- I've often wondered what a breeding flock would look like!

 

[BeardedLadyFarm]

I'm really curious what I will find. He said he had purebred Ameraucanas. Purebred from McMurray 6 years ago... I didn't have time for the EE lecture so I just said "cool."

I'm just looking for pets with pretty eggs do EE's are fine by me.

Am I correct to look for pea combs and green legs to find the blue/green eggers?

 

[Byrdj]

Usually the blue egg gene is on the same chromosone as pea combs and beard/muffs so look for those birds. The color of their legs mean nothing relating to egg color. EE's can lay brown eggs as well since since some are split for the blue egg gene.

 

[KellyHM]

I actually have plenty of girls w/o muffs that lay blue eggs. All of them have pea combs and slate or green legs though.

 

[wohneli]

I have two that look nearly identical and lay different colors (light blue and light olive) that came directly from the hatchery. Both have pea combs, muffs, and slate legs.