Hello! and welcome to the OEGB thread.

[BGMatt]

OEGB are great for messing with color genetics and you can fit a ton of them in a small space. The only downsides are dubbing and they are super super competitive in shows.

I really want to get my hands on that new Opal variety. That looks like fun to play with.

Edit: And the best thing they're so small and so quick to mature you can get two generations in a year.

 

[Jharper]

Right. Just saying like above you can use any of the following colors of males to breed with her and get some Lemon Blues if you can't find an actual Lemon Blue:

You CAN use: Brown Red, Blue, Black, Splash.

You MIGHT be able to use: Birchen, Silver Blue. I think this would result in a sexlink with the pullets coming out same color as male, and the cockerels being split.

You should NOT use: Self Blue, Black Breasted Red, Blue Red, etc

Blacks are easy to come around where I am at.

 

[BGMatt]

Blacks are easy to come around where I am at.

Then get a nice Black male to put on her. Half of your offspring will be lemon blue, and half will be "lemon black" or a washed out looking brown red. All of them will probably not have enough color in neck and wing, however it will get you headed in right direction. You can use a cockerel back on your hen and do one generation of brother/sister pairings without hurting yourself too bad down the road.

 

[Cjarvis]

this does make perfect since. would you get less brassiness if you went back to the (preferably dull) black parent instead of the brown red or b.b. red side?

ok i had to edit this, i get so mad when people dont include all the info i am looking for; and i just did it myself

.

lineage of lemon blue (i think) is b.b. red to black to produce brown red. then brown red to dark blue to get lemon blue.
if you have dark blues, and one has hatched out a pigeon color; that may be worth crossing in the mix too - but again this is just a guess.

jharper- if your not worried about breeding show quality birds, none of this is really important.

You can get a brown red that way or just breed birchen based blacks for red hackle leakage both work and take considerable time to get right.
I have a few males Birchen and Silver Blue that do not brass and often take the Brown red cross females back to them or their sons this helps eliminate the brassing, the brown color to the feathers I believe is due to the brown underdown of the brown red using a good male with black through the feather and under down helps with the blues. We have used some Birchen with regular blues to reduce the brown color and hackle leakage that get the splash discolored.

 

[Cjarvis]

You MIGHT be able to use: Birchen, Silver Blue. I think this would result in a sexlink with the pullets coming out same color as male, and the cockerels being split.

You should NOT use: Self Blue, Black Breasted Red, Blue Red, etc

Birchen or Silver Blue over another Crowing female such as Brown red and Lemon Blue does result in Birchen / Silver Blue Pullets and golden cockerels

 

[Jharper]

I found a picture from the day I got her.

 

[loveourbirds]

Oh, how I like lurking here... learn so much! Wish I could do more with OEGB's... But I can't eat 'em and the eggs (which my kids love) - Mathematically impossible to keep that many laying hens on this property! The joys of genetics...

the genetics of OEGB's will drive you nuts

. i love that baldwin's book, but there are references made in it that are confusing for instance leaden blue and slate blue colorations. they also refer to wheaten as wheaten b.b. red. took me forever to realize that. a modernized copy with color pictures would be handy LOL.

 

[Cjarvis]

I found a picture from the day I got her.

OK, that is lemon blue, and she looks quite nice. You should be able to find a male without much trouble if not feel free to PM me, I have a few friends here in OK that raise them and do not mind shipping.

 

[Jharper]

OK, that is lemon blue, and she looks quite nice. You should be able to find a male without much trouble if not feel free to PM me, I have a few friends here in OK that raise them and do not mind shipping.

Hopefully she will molt and look beautiful again.

 

[loveourbirds]

she will look better after molt. dont let us discourage you from attempting breeding these either, its not as hard as it sounds.