Not sure goes here but here it goes.....

[anthonyjames]

I have 50 hens and 6 roos.
Hens
25 Americauna
2 Leghorns
1 White Rock
2 Plymouth Barreds
3 or 4 Buff Orps
3 or RIR
2 Silver Laced Wyandottes

and 12 mixed of who knows what.

Roos
1 Americauna - Would put him with 10 of the Americauans
1 Plymouth Barred - Would put him with the White Rock and the Plymouth Barred, Leghorns as well as 4 Americauans
1 Silver Laced Wyandotte - Would put him with Silver Laced, 5 Americaunas
1 Buff Orp - Would put him with Buff Orps, 3 Americaunas
1 RIR - RIR, 3 Americauans

They have all been together all winter and I am sure breeding who they can as I can see there have been some fights between the bunch on occasion but they are all happy. What I would like to do is separate them into tractors and try to breed as many of the pure breeds I can. How long do I have to keep them together before I start keeping eggs to hatch out?

And does the egg color come from the Roo or the Hen? Would anyone out there mix these differently then what I have?

Thanks

 

[boykin2010]

About a month is a good period to wait before you collect the eggs to put in the bator. Make sure you have seen the rooster doing his job also. Are you talking about the egg color the full grown hen lays or are you talking about the offsprings egg color? The hen lays the colored egg her breed lays it doesnt change color with the rooster. for example if you had a buff orp hen with an ee rooster the buff orp would still lay brown eggs but the chick that hatches from that egg has a good chance of inheriting the easter egger gene. If you are talking about egg color from offspring it is hard to say. I am bad with genetics but i think it depends on both parents.
Brownx brown lays brown
Brown x white lays a tinted white or really light brown ( i think )
Brown or white x Easter egger Ameraucana or Auraucana makes the chick lay colored eggs

I hope this answered your question and if any other member sees any mistakes with what i wrote feel free to correct me.

 

[Sorin]

I have been told that one mating by a rooster can fertilize eggs for up to ten days to two weeks. So I would give it 3 weeks after separating them just to be sure, or at the least two weeks. As far egg color, do you mean the ones they are laying now, or the color eggs your future chicks will lay? The eggs color that they lay now have nothing to do with the rooster, as far as breeding them and what color your future chicks will lay I think it can be a mix between the breed of the Roo and the hen. But someone with more genetic experience would have a better answer for you. Hope that helps! Good Luck!

 

[anthonyjames]

Thanks..

As for color I am talking what the hens will lay after hatched. My customers love the fact that I call my egg biz Wild Rainbow. And I would like to keep as many colors as possible.

Right now an avg dzn is Dark/Light Brown, Cream, Green, Blue and White. And the fact that I use clear containers it just draws more appeal.

Thanks