Question regarding breeding Blue Birchen to Black Copper

[pntdhorses]

Okay...so I have a Blue Birchen Maran that layed the most beautiful eggs but just stopped completely. She is only 16 months old. No mites, no sickness. Thinking maybe she started an early molt as she quit laying 1st part of August.

So very disappointed but I found some young Black Copper Maran hens at a swap meet that literally just started laying. Nice color but nothing like my Blue Birchen eggs.

My question is that I have two Blue Birchen Roos. If I breed them to my Black Copper hens, will the eggs be darker with the hatching chicks from this crossbreed. Attached is the pic with my Blue Birchen egg which you can see is the true chocolate color compared to the Black Copper eggs which are dark but no where close to my Blue Birchen egg. I know nothing about breeding so I’m pretty ignorant on this subject.

 

[sealer39]

That depends on the rooster and I don’t think there is any way to know for sure other than to breed them and find out. If you really like those chocolate eggs (I do too, btw ) I’d just wait for the Blues to start laying again then hatch their eggs.

However, if you have the coop and run space for both, hatch both the cross and the Blues just to see what you get.

Edit: Do you mind if I ask where you got your Blue Birchens?

 

[nicalandia]

My question is that I have two Blue Birchen Roos. If I breed them to my Black Copper hens, will the eggs be darker with the hatching chicks from this crossbreed. Attached is the pic with my Blue Birchen egg which you can see is the true chocolate color compared to the Black Copper eggs which are dark but no where close to my Blue Birchen egg. I know nothing about breeding so I’m pretty ignorant on this subject.

My natural response will be, yes Blue Birchen crossed with those BCM hens will produce darker eggs compared to the BCM hens, but lighter than the chocolate colored egg that was being laid the the Blue Birchen Hen, eventually after a few generations you will get back to the chocolate color with a good breeding plan.... But breeding chicken takes time and real effort many things can go wrong along the way, my suggestion is just let that hen rest or get more chocolate colored egg laying hens.. its quicker and will be cheaper in the long run.

 

[pntdhorses]

That depends on the rooster and I don’t think there is any way to know for sure other than to breed them and find out. If you really like those chocolate eggs (I do too, btw ) I’d just wait for the Blues to start laying again then hatch their eggs.

However, if you have the coop and run space for both, hatch both the cross and the Blues just to see what you get.

Edit: Do you mind if I ask where you got your Blue Birchens?

I got my my hatching eggs from Houndridge farms. They have a line from Greenfire that they started. I got 6 hatching eggs. Unfortunately 3 were Roos, 1 didn’t hatch and the other 2 were hens. I lost one of the hens when she developed a crop issue. She was at the vet for 5 days. We thought we had her healthy but she died the night before I was suppose to pick her up the next day. Then one of the roosters got sick very suddenly about 2 months later and died. Now this girl has quit laying and I hoping and praying she starts back up! So I haven’t had the best of luck with my Blue Birchens I guess.

 

[sealer39]

Sorry to here that. The reason I asked is since they are from a breeder it would be more likely that the rooster will provide a darker egg in the hatchlings. I’d go for it. You can always get more Blues in the future. Hopefully your hen will start laying again soon.