Multiple Shades of Green Eggs

[ashlieneevel]

Just a quick question, and hopefully this is in the right section of the forum, sorry if it's not....

If I wanted to have a variety of green egg colors, not just "olive", such as light green, medium green, as well as deep green/olive, could that be achieved the following way? :

Light Green:
Salmon Faverolles Roo x Wheaten Ameraucana = LG

Medium Green:
Wheaten Ameraucana Roo x Barred Rock = F1 SxLnkd MG

Deep/Olive:
FBCM Rooster x F1 Sex Linked Pullets = F2 Dp G/Olive

Would that give me the variety of green I'm looking to achieve? My thinking is that by creating the medium green, I get a mid grade shade, but also benefit by a sex linked F1 before crossing to a Marans rooster to darken it all up, thus saving on chicks that have to be grown out.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Your F1 from the second crossing will have only one copy of the blue gene so some of those "F2s" will lay brown eggs, not green, so you'll still end up with a lot of chicks to grow out.

 

[ashlieneevel]

Well you're right about that lol It will still be a lot of chicks to grow out in the F2, but not nearly as many as I would have to grow out if I used a Marans for the F1 lol

So other than the lots of chicks problem lol, my logic is sound though right?

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Yes, it sounds right, and works out well if you are going to raise those sexlinked males for meat.

 

[ashlieneevel]

Yes, it sounds right, and works out well if you are going to raise those sexlinked males for meat.

Thanks and no about the sex links for meat. They'd be culled at hatch. I know that's not a very pretty aspect of breeding birds, but it is what it is. I don't want to feed more mouths than necessary for any longer than necessary. I like cornish cross for meat. They finish quicker, and I like breast meat. I eat chicken breasts twice a day (seriously)

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Ah. I'm not a fan of the breast. I wish I could raise chickens with 4 legs and 8 wings each. lol

You could also find someone with a snake that would take them off of your hands each hatch.

 

[ashlieneevel]

Ah. I'm not a fan of the breast. I wish I could raise chickens with 4 legs and 8 wings each. lol

You could also find someone with a snake that would take them off of your hands each hatch.

Lol that's funny. I'm not into wings, legs, or thighs. My husband eats them though so nothing goes to waste.

The snake idea is a good one. I don't know anyone with snakes, but when the time comes I sure could look for someone(s) with snakes, and let them have them. It's certainly better for them to be another animal's dinner, than just collateral damage of a breeding program. Good thinking!

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Yes, better not to go to waste. I admit that I have on occasion culled some young cockerels and then put them out in the farm fields down the road, the same place I put my heads and offal after butchering. It is gone within a day, and the circle of life continues.

ETA I am also immediately flanked by farm fields but prefer to drive it down the road just to not attract predators or even carrion eaters to my property.

 

[ashlieneevel]

ETA I am also immediately flanked by farm fields but prefer to drive it down the road just to not attract predators or even carrion eaters to my property.[/QUOTE]

I hear ya there!!! No sense in bringing them round your house to eat lol.