Minorca-like breed with Blue, Green and Olive eggs?

[paulzie32]

Hey all,

Growing up, I had a friend whose dad raised chickens. I too raised chickens and when He told me they had some "Wild" chickens on their 5 acre property that laid "multi-colored" eggs, I couldn't wait to see them. He said his dad bought a pair and they got loose and they just kept reproducing on the property. He said they almost never see them as they're as skittish as wild pheasants or quails.
We spent a few hours but I eventually caught 3... Two Hens and one Rooster. They looked just like Minorcas or White-Faced Black Spanish, but with Blue, Light blue, Green, Light green and Olive Eggs.
We're talking about 30 years ago so My memory isn't that detailed, but I believe they had Rose Combs.
I'm trying to remember what he said his dad told him they were... If I can remember for sure, I'll post later
I wish I had some still. If anyone can shed any light on what they may have been, I'd appreciate it!

Thanks
Paul

 

[ramirezframing]

if they didn't have a single comb and laid an array of colors in the eggs...sounds like easter eggers. They come in any color and style

 

[paulzie32]

Last night, while laying in bed, the name suddenly popped into my head. He had said they were "Andalusian Blues".
I did some searching this morning and found - http://www.rightpet.com/livestock-poultrydetail/andalusian-chicken
This is what I remember them looking like... but I thought they had rose combs. I could be wrong about that, but they definitely laid multicolored eggs. The entire flock in his yard and every chick I hatched were all like the parents.
They were definitely Bantams too. Always very skittish and high strung! Even those I hatched were high strung.

From pictures I've seen, EasterEggers are variable in their coloration. There was no variation in these birds. All were a solid black with white earlobes.
Since I can't seem to find anything other than EE's that lay multi colored eggs, I'm wondering if maybe they were Andalusian bantams crossed with Araucanas at some point back and crossed back to Andalusian bantams to keep them looking correct but kept the Blue egg gene.
Ameraucanas were not officially accepted as a breed until 1984 and this was back at about 1982 or 1983. So, they were around but just not an officially accepted breed yet. Shame I didn't keep them through the years! I could have had my own breed!

I did a search for Andalusian Easter egger and found a thread on Gardenweb where someone posted they got Eastereggs from an Andalusian too!!! http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/farmlife/msg0117300328560.html

I'm going to revive that thread and see what kind of response I get there.

Any Comments welcomed

 

[Old Rando]

Andalusions lay white eggs. If they look like Andalusions and are laying a blue or green or any other color they are cross breeds. Did you actually read the rest of the posts on the link you provided? The same thing was explained there.

Chickens carrying the blue egg laying gene have been in North America for several decades and have been crossed with many things and have looked like many things. Hatcherys sold them since at least the 1950's and lots of people had them, including myself in the 1960's. This is years before the Araucana was accepted as a rumpless tufted breed in 1976 or the development of the Ameraucana afterward and acceptance in 1984.

What you saw were cross bred chickens carrying the gene for blue eggs. Even if they did all look alike.

 

[paulzie32]

Yes Old Rando, I did read it and even found another forum with a thread where someone was trying to create this same cross. They also discussed the dominant traits and suggested what the resulting bird would look like, which sounded more like mine were... Blue Andalusian with Rose or Pea comb and multi-colored eggs.

Supposedly the blue egg shell gene is a dominant gene? That's pretty cool, to think you could make any breed an easteregger!

So, my questions been answered.

Thanks

 

[ramirezframing]

what I dont understand is how all were blue, if you do blue to blue parents the babies come off blue, black, and splash. But you said all of the birds were blue???

 

[tadkerson]

If they were lavender (self blue). you can produce blue offspring from each cross.

Tim

 

[Old Rando]

Paulzie32 said the chickens were all black in post #3

 

[paulzie32]

Yeah, they all looked just like the bird in the center of this link - http://www.rightpet.com/livestock-poultrydetail/andalusian-chicken
Or this image - http://www.rightpet.com/thumbnail/BreedDetailPhotos/LivestockBreed_2_60_1.jpg
I just don't remember if the combs were like this or rose. I thought they were rose, but I could be wrong. I had several different breeds back then. Could be confusing them with the combs on the Seabrights.

 

[ramirezframing]

lol brain fart, read Andalusian and went right to blue, sorry