My Easter egger is laying a orangey/pinkish egg

[inquisitivebird]

If your rooster is related to your hens, I would replace him (especially if they are brother/sister). I see nothing wrong with line breeding father/daughter or mother/son. But, when you go the brother/sister route, it tends to bring out unwanted traits since they usually carry the same faults.

I think you are right in that getting a new rooster would be best but I've done a little research and found that breeding siblings is no worse that breeding father daughter. Breeding half siblings would increase the genetic information where father daughter would not, it would just reuse what was already there.

Typical coancestries between relatives are as follows:

• Father/daughter, mother/son or brother/sister → 25% (1⁄4)
• Grandfather/granddaughter or grandmother/grandson → 12.5% (1⁄8)
• Half-brother/half-sister, Double cousins → 12.5% (1⁄8)
• Uncle/niece or aunt/nephew → 12.5% (1⁄8)
• Great-grandfather/great-granddaughter or great-grandmother/great-grandson → 6.25% (1⁄16)
• Half-uncle/niece or half-aunt/nephew → 6.25% (1⁄16)
• First cousins → 6.25% (1⁄16)

Just something interesting to think about.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

I'm not saying its wrong. Its certainly a part of line breeding. My reasoning is that the you are wanting blue and green eggs, and its already been proven that some of the birds aren't producing them. Its a great possibility that using the current rooster will just put you farther from that goal. And, its not like you're working with a limited amount of birds from a small gene pool. If the only option were to breed brother/sister, than sometimes that's what must be done. But, I think the best option here would be to find a nice Ameraucana rooster, that is unrelated, and get a better start towards your breeding goals.
Not too mention, that at some point you're going to have to replace that rooster anyway (probably sooner than you would like), so why not just get the best start possible?
But, that's just me

 

[MeepBeep]

IBut, I think the best option here would be to find a nice Ameraucana rooster, that is unrelated, and get a better start towards your breeding goals.

Or mix it up a bit with a cream legbar roo...

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

^ I like the way you think

 

[inquisitivebird]

I'm not saying its wrong. Its certainly a part of line breeding. My reasoning is that the you are wanting blue and green eggs, and its already been proven that some of the birds aren't producing them. Its a great possibility that using the current rooster will just put you farther from that goal. And, its not like you're working with a limited amount of birds from a small gene pool. If the only option were to breed brother/sister, than sometimes that's what must be done. But, I think the best option here would be to find a nice Ameraucana rooster, that is unrelated, and get a better start towards your breeding goals.
Not too mention, that at some point you're going to have to replace that rooster anyway (probably sooner than you would like), so why not just get the best start possible?
But, that's just me

Ah, yes, I see what you are saying...

I do think it would be nice to get another rooster when I have more hens. I quite like the rooster I have. He's really great with the hens and takes care of them. The other two I had weren't that great and they were mean to me and other visitors. The one i have will hold food in his mouth and call for the hens and they come get it from him out of his mouth... so cute!

I think I may eventually try to get an Auracana roo, we'll see.