Olive Egger - Isbar x BCM

[gapey]

I couldn't find any threads on this cross. It didn't sound like a whole lot of people use this cross for olive eggers but I'm not sure why not. Isbar's are the only straight combed green egg layer and seem to make good olive colored eggs when crossed with a dark brown layer. Anyone else have this cross? Any photos you have to share of the chickens or their eggs?

I obtained 5 hatching eggs from a local breeder with this cross and had my broody buff orpington hatch them in July.



The mom is a BCM and the dad could have been a black, splash or blue but it looks like the splash didn't make the cut because I ended up with 3 blues and 2 blacks. Have one of each boy and 3 girls. They look a lot more like Isbars than BCM.



This is a recent photo that shows the 2 boys and 2 blue girls at 20 weeks.


And here is the one black girl.


The two blue hens look identical. It's hard to tell them apart. One has a little more feathers on the legs. That's about the only way I can tell them apart.

 

[Lozuufy]

I have not tried that cross yet, but wanted to say the blue hen (last photo) is GORGEOUS!

 

[gapey]

I have not tried that cross yet, but wanted to say the blue hen (last photo) is GORGEOUS!

Thanks! I'm glad I ended up with two of them. I'll be sure to post some egg photos as soon as they start laying.

 

[lawatt]

I have a blue isbar/marans hen who's one of my favorite chickens -- she goes broody each year and is a great mom, but looks mostly like an isbar and has their much more easy-going personality. her eggs are a true olive color, grayish green. this past year i crossed her back to another isbar rooster and have several 3/4 isobar 1/4 marans birds growing out -- am curious to see what the egg color is like.

the 3/4 crosses are definitely more successful hatchers than pure isbar, at least so far, and seem to make for healthy strong birds. might keep this line going, continually breeding back to isbar, and see if marans-like traits ever pop back up? so far, no feathered legs or etc...

 

[gapey]

I have a blue isbar/marans hen who's one of my favorite chickens -- she goes broody each year and is a great mom, but looks mostly like an isbar and has their much more easy-going personality. her eggs are a true olive color, grayish green. this past year i crossed her back to another isbar rooster and have several 3/4 isobar 1/4 marans birds growing out -- am curious to see what the egg color is like.

the 3/4 crosses are definitely more successful hatchers than pure isbar, at least so far, and seem to make for healthy strong birds. might keep this line going, continually breeding back to isbar, and see if marans-like traits ever pop back up? so far, no feathered legs or etc...

Does your blue isbar/marans hen look like mine above? Was the roo dad isbar or marans? I am going to be getting rid of one of my OE roos soon because it's just not working out with the two of them. They don't fight with each other and like to gang bang my girls and someone is going to end up getting hurt if I don't get rid of one I think. Trying to decide which to get rid of.

 

[lawatt]

Does your blue isbar/marans hen look like mine above? Was the roo dad isbar or marans? I am going to be getting rid of one of my OE roos soon because it's just not working out with the two of them. They don't fight with each other and like to gang bang my girls and someone is going to end up getting hurt if I don't get rid of one I think. Trying to decide which to get rid of.

yes, i saw the photos on Facebook (I still like the shape of the black one better).

I don't know about the parentage (i.e. which gender was which breed) of Mabel, my original marans/isbar cross, as i got her as a pullet -- but here are a few pictures of her:






she's in the foreground here, of course -- the black hen was another marans/isbar cross who i gave to a friend, the rooster in the back was my beloved Blue, who came from the same breeder as the crosses but was pure isbar -- sadly he passed away this summer. the crosses' bodies are a bit plumper/sturdier than the pure isbars, but otherwise they look pretty similar, with dark eyes and no feathering on their legs.

 

[MountainMarans2012]

Have you been on any FB Groups ???.... This one called " Poultry colours and genetics " has a Gal on there that wants to breed her Isbar Rooster to a Red sex-link hen and wants to know what she might get. I didn't want to post your pictures to show her, but figure you could if you are a member or will become a member ....( https://scontent-sjc2-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=28722556f9e16bfaf837f914c041206f&oe=570E60CB )

 

[gapey]

Have you been on any FB Groups ???.... This one called " Poultry colours and genetics " has a Gal on there that wants to breed her Isbar Rooster to a Red sex-link hen and wants to know what she might get. I didn't want to post your pictures to show her, but figure you could if you are a member or will become a member ....( https://scontent-sjc2-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=28722556f9e16bfaf837f914c041206f&oe=570E60CB )

Not sure how helpful I could be there. I've only got the Isbar x Marans cross and don't have any Isbars myself. I bought the hatching eggs form someone. Red sex-links would probably look pretty different crossed with an Isbar.

 

[MountainMarans2012]

I went on the poultry colours and genetics, to post a question about what might I get crossing my Blue Isbars with some of my different breeds, and there was already a post about crossing with a red sex-link... I have 6 different types of Marans that I now am thinking of crossing with. The Cuckoo hen x Blue Isbar Rooster might give me a sex-link. I'm also on Isbars USA, and totally love my 5 that I purchased as hatching eggs off eBay last Spring...I was trying to get BCM and the Isbars came with the Marans, what a surprise I got when they hatched.....

 

[gapey]

Here's a few pics from the olive eggers first snow experience. They'll be 23 weeks old tomorrow. Their combs and wattles are growing bigger every day and are already looking pretty red. Maybe they'll start laying this month.

I decided to get rid of my blue roo, Oliver and kept the black, Calypso. I at least found a home for him from someone local so I didn't have to cull him. He went to his new home last week. I haven't heard how he's doing. I figure no news is good news. It's a little more quiet with just one roo and I think the girls appreciate it too.