Questions about Easter Eggers

[wjallen05]

I have a mixed pin with 1 Black Ameraucana rooster, 2 Black Ameraucana hens, 2 Easter Egger hens, 1 Silver Laced Wyandotte hen and 1 Buff Orpington hen. I was planning on hatching out the blue eggs and eating the rest. (my EEs lay green eggs, and I am aware of the difference between the two breeds) But now, I am wondering if I hatch out eggs laid by the other hens, would the resulting chicks be Easter Eggers? Wondering if the rooster would pass on his colored egg gene to his offspring. And does anyone have any pictures of similar crossings?
Thanks in advance!

 

[emvickrey]

I asked that question once and the answer I got was no. Only the EE hen will lay colored eggs. BUT, if you hatch out the eggs of the EE hen that isn't matched up with an EE roo there is no guarantee the babies will lay colored eggs.

So if you sell them for the purpose of eating its no big deal but if for hatching it is. Depends on what the purpose is.

The Hen is what determines the color, the roo just passes the EE gene.

Thats how I understand it to be. I went and got me a EE roo just in case.

 

[ging3rhoffman]

I have an EE hen that lays blue eggs and was wondering if the SLW rooster would be a good match for her. Or would i get brown eggs instead of blue. Im new at this...can you tell !

 

[emvickrey]

Quote:
You will still get colored eggs but if you plan to hatch the eggs the babies may not lay colored eggs.

If you plan just to eat the eggs, no rooster is needed.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

If the ameraucana roo carries two copies of the blue egg gene, then all his offspring will lay carry at least one copy of the gene, and the females will lay an egg with a blue eggshell. If he carries one copy, then approximately half his offspring receive a copy from him, and those that are female will lay a blue shelled egg. All of his offspring (except those from anoher ameraucana) would be considered Easter Eggers, although when I know the exact cross I am more likely to refer to it as that: for example ameraucanaXwyandotte. IMO, it tells me more of the background than simply calling them EE.

Notice that I said eggshell, not egg. The eggshell itself is either white or blue. Blue pigment is IN the shell for blue eggs. Brown eggs, however are made by a coating that is applied over the formed shell. White eggshell with coating gives a brown egg. Blue eggshell with coating gives a green egg.

 

[TurtleFeathers]

I'm not an expert, but I believe this is how it works:

~ If the hen has the blue egg gene, she will always lay blue eggs, regardless of her mate's egg color gene.

~ If the both parents have the blue egg gene, then their offspring will lay blue eggs.

~ If one parent has the blue egg gene and the other has the brown egg gene, then their offspring can lay either green or brown eggs.

~ If one parent has the blue egg gene and the other has the white egg gene, then their offspring can lay either blue or white eggs.

Please correct me if I'm wrong tho!!!

 

[TurtleFeathers]

Sorry Sonoran - our posts came thru a minute apart - I like yours better!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Thanks, TurtleFeathers.

The thing is many people think it is one gene, and it is not. There are at least a dozen genes related to egg colour. One gene is related to blue eggshell. The others all deal with white or brown.

 

[ipf]

Sonoran sikies is right. If the hen has either one or two copies of the blue gene then she will lay blue or green eggs. If either her mother or her father was a pure Ameraucana, she will definintely lay blue or green eggs, no matter what her other parent was. If one parent was an EE, and the other was not pure Ameraucana, then you have a chance she'll lay blue/green eggs.

In genetic terms,
O= blue egg gene, o = non-blue egg gene.
OO= pure ameraucana
oo=all pure breeds that don't lay blue/green eggs

note that EE's can be either Oo or OO

the possibilities are:
OO x OO gives 100% blue/green egg layers
OO x Oo give 100% blue egg layers
OO x oo gives 100% blue/green egg layers
Oo x Oo gives 75% blue/green egg layers, 25% non-blue/green
Oo x oo gives 50% blue/green egg layers
oo x oo gives 0%

 

[Tailfeathers]

ipf, when you say "blue/green" are you saying "bluish green or greenish/blue" or are you saying "blue or green"? Your genetics chart would be more accurate if you removed the "green" Sonoran is correct. There are only two types of eggshell color. White and Blue. All other colors come from the coating that is applied to the shell.

wjallen05, the short answer to your question is that all the hens bred (except for the Ameraucanas since they are Black's and the same as the rooster) would produce EE's.

I am currently incubating eggs from a Blue Wheaten Ameraucana over a Welsummer hen. Most likely I will get olive eggs.

God Bless,