My odd breeding

[TheResidentialFarm]

Hello! I'm looking on some feedback on what I might expect from a nest of eggs I currently have under a broody.

When I acquired some year old hens this spring, I had their associated EE Rooster forced upon me as well. He's a very nice boy, splendid looking, healthy, reasonably good with the girls (sometimes he calls them over to a yummy treat while eating it all himself) and VERY respectful of humans.

I also have 7 magnificent black java pullets. One went broody, so she's sitting on 6 java/EE eggs and one EE/EE egg. Hatch date 9/1 or 9/2.

What can I expect from the java/EE crosses? I would guess a ~6lb bird that may lay olive eggs and would be a reasonably usable meat bird? After learning more about javas I feel guilty about this cross because the pure black javas are so rare, but I haven't been able to source a black java rooster in recent efforts either.

 

[Gray Farms]

Java/EE crosses should lay light green/olive eggs. Apx 6 lbs is about right I'd say. And they will be nearly 100% black.

 

[TheResidentialFarm]

Java/EE crosses should lay light green/olive eggs. Apx 6 lbs is about right I'd say. And they will be nearly 100% black.

Thanks! If I replaced my rooster with one of the F1 crosses, would the F2s ((java/EE)/java) be passable as pure javas (for my personal use of meat and eggs- NOT to sell)? Or will the blue shell and small size persist?

 

[Gray Farms]

You'll likely still get some odd traits but not as many. May get pea comb still, tinted eggs, and odd color leakage. Javas are a fairly heavy breed, so the next gen crosses should be much larger.

 

[drumstick diva]

agree with Gray Farms

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I agree with most of what Gray Farms has said.

You will get a bird larger than the EE but smaller than the Java. F2 breed back to the Java should improve that.

Pea comb is dominant, so the chicks should all be pea combed, however there can be some *funk* as larger single combs bred with pea combs can produce some odder pea combs.

Yes, you'll get pretty much 100% black as long as your EE isn't mostly white (you didn't mention its color). There could be some other color factors that might dilute the black, but black tends to be pretty dominant.

As to egg color, we'll have to assume the EE received 1 blue gene for blue egg shells since he doesn't lay eggs. (If he has a pea comb, chances are he did receive the blue shell gene.)

Purebred blue layers, such as Ameraucana and Araucana and Cream Legbars, have 2 blue genes to code for blue egg shells.

Mixed descendants from pure blue layers only receive 1 blue gene from the blue carrying parent as each parent contributes a shell color gene...either the 1 blue gene or non-blue "empty" slot.

Blue is dominant, so 1 blue gene birds lay pale blue. If there are also genetics for brown wash to be applied over the shell, you will get pale green eggs as brown over blue produces green.

Your Java is non-blue layer...with brown wash...so a brown layer.

Since we assume (as is greatest likelihood) your EE likely has just 1 blue gene to pass, statistically 50% of his offspring will receive his 1 blue gene while 50% of his offspring will receive his non-blue empty slot (it's actually coding to throw bile into the calcium shell).

So you will statistically get 50% light green layers and 50% brown layers from the Java/EE pairing.

Breed back that offspring (EE/Java) to the Java parent, setting daughters with brown eggs, will get you brown layers 100%. Setting daughters with green eggs will get you back to 50/50 green or brown. You may even gain darker green. (F2 breed back is usually darker green.)

At 3/4 Java, you will begin to approximate the Java, but pea comb remains dominant...and you'll see more funk in it. You also will have some things that aren't quite right. I find leg color to be complex. (I've got 3/4 Barnevelders F2 that look very Barnevelder...with gorgeous proper double lacing... but have greyer leg coloring though both parents were yellow legged).

If you breed the Java/EE back to the EE, setting only green eggs, that offspring will have 75% green layers and you'll recapture (mostly) your blue genes as most offspring *should* have blue genes again....it works out 25% 2 blue gene, 50% 1 blue gene, 25% no blue gene. Breed back your darkest green layers, you can regain 2 blue genes in all offspring...but it's hard to know without further breeding.

Good luck with your project.
LofMc