Help- male issue?

[ella2025]

That’s what I mean—how do they make a wheaten olive egger? They have to use a blue-egg layer (I assume they’re using Ameraucanas for that since the hen in that photo is an wheaten Ameraucana). But then they would need a dark-egg laying breed for the male. What combination of breeds are they using to make a specific color of olive egger? I suspect they aren’t breeding wheaten colored chicks but chicks from a wheaten Ameraucana and a BCM rooster. So your cockerel wouldn’t be identifiable by color alone until male-specific feathers show up.

I also suck at chicken genetics, but I would guess they use a Wheaten ameraucana x Wheaten maran. There's definitely Am genetics in those olive eggers as the birds have a pea comb and beard+muffs. I'm not sure if the same coloring from 2 different breeds will make an offspring of that color. But just looking at color, not even considering the red comb, Captain is definitely a rooster.

 

[ella2025]

Yes, all from Meyer hatchery. Captain Seems he might have some sort of a defect- respiratory issue. Antibiotics, antifungals, change of scenery. Nothing helped. He’s always panting even in just a reasonable 78° indoors.
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This is 4 mongrels first day out in the coop – it’s closed off from the other two adult chickens that are free ranging. So they get to basically explore what will be their new digs without fear.

I can still see the significant angst between those two. But then my fingers are definitely crossed that my black Americuana – is actually a pullet and not a roo

But if my Wheaton turns out to be a palette? But then I don’t care. It’s super awesome.

Because I need my chicken math to add up- and pass the exam I made hubby and I study for at great length. Thanks to the BYC community for helping me make the decision as to which chickens would be most beneficial for our lifestyle and choices.

I have a bit of experience with pea combs as I have a Splash Am rooster and all the chicks we hatch have pea combs and a beard. So I'm pretty good at determining sex from pea combs. I'm pretty sure at Kraken's age a pullet should have a "line"-looking comb that is yellow. Kraken's is oval, has the peas already, and looks exactly like my cockerel's. That's what leads me to believe he is a rooster.

 

[Not-so Slick Chicken]

That’s what I mean—how do they make a wheaten olive egger? They have to use a blue-egg layer (I assume they’re using Ameraucanas for that since the hen in that photo is an wheaten Ameraucana). But then they would need a dark-egg laying breed for the male. What combination of breeds are they using to make a specific color of olive egger? I suspect they aren’t breeding wheaten colored chicks but chicks from a wheaten Ameraucana and a BCM rooster. So your cockerel wouldn’t be identifiable by color alone until male-specific feathers show up.

That's how Wheaten roosters look. Black body, gold/red neck and back. That hatchery sells Wheaten Marans, as well, so I'd imagine that's where they get the wheaten color from.

Wheaten Ameraucana are difficult to find, and that hatchery doesn't advertise them on their website.
*Edit - since the website picture shows Blue Wheaten, I can guess they're using BBS Ameraucana, as they do have Blue, Black, and Splash Ameraucana.

They don't tell people how they create their "exclusive" breeds, though.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

That's how Wheaten roosters look. Black body, gold/red neck and back. That hatchery sells Wheaten Marans, as well, so I'd imagine that's where they get the wheaten color from.

Wheaten Ameraucana are difficult to find, and that hatchery doesn't advertise them on their website.
*Edit - since the website picture shows Blue Wheaten, I can guess they're using BBS Ameraucana, as they do have Blue, Black, and Splash Ameraucana.

They don't tell people how they create their "exclusive" breeds, though.

They have a chart on there that breaks down some of the blue color genetics but I didn’t see how it fit in. Now it makes sense.

 

[CabritaChicks]

I have a bit of experience with pea combs as I have a Splash Am rooster and all the chicks we hatch have pea combs and a beard. So I'm pretty good at determining sex from pea combs. I'm pretty sure at Kraken's age a pullet should have a "line"-looking comb that is yellow. Kraken's is oval, has the peas already, and looks exactly like my cockerel's. That's what leads me to believe he is a rooster.

I specifically chose chicks that didn’t have pea combs. We live in the tropics, where the weather goes from hot to hotter, and there’s plenty of anecdotal evidence that birds with larger combs regulate heat more efficiently.

The Black Ameraucana Kraken was a last-minute substitution based on availability/recommendation and I didn't even look at the photos- just said 'okay' over the phone.

I genuinely thought my Wheaten Olive Egger (captain morgan) would have a normal comb based on the photos, but I also thought it would be more red at this point as well for a rooster. But chicken genetics? Half the time it’s like staring into the void. This pea-comb nonsense just makes everything unnecessarily complicated. LOL

Edit: Last round of hatching eggs, I was sure that 'Roo' was a rooster based on the comb (which just keeps growing!) and she is so loud i swear sometimes she crows, but nope. leghorn x marans x something or other mix flips that massive comb around like a fasionista, and lays 1 egg a day like clockwork. So I basically know nothing about combs, haha.