I’m not an expert at this, but let me think out loud. The crested is dominant. The blue egg gene is dominant. You only need one of each to have it show. Of course, if they are split for these, they won’t breed true. The molting is recessive. To me, the dominate genes are harder since you don’t know if they are pure or split when that shows up. But Sonoran gave you a big tip. The crested with the bigger crests are pure for that gene, not split. So if you have a choice to make, choose the one with a bigger crest.
The more variables you have, the more chicks you have to hatch to get those variables to show up.
I think my first step would be to cross a rooster from a flock that lays dark eggs, like maybe a Maran or Welsummer with a hen that lays green or blue eggs. Stay away from white birds. You don’t want any white in here at all. It can show up later and mask the mottling. Whether red or black is your choice though if you are going black, I don’t think it matters if there is silver in there or not. If you are going red, I’d try to avoid silver. A lot of black chickens have silver. I don’t know which color you want at the end of the day but the earlier you can get started on that the less you have to eliminate from your flock. The reason I’d always use hens that lay blue or green eggs is that roosters don’t lay eggs. You really don’t know if the rooster has the blue egg gene or not.
In the meantime, cross a mottled with a crested bird. It does not matter which is father or mother. Then take the offspring from that and cross it back to a pure mottled bird. Keep the offspring that is both crested and shows mottling. My purpose in crossing it back is to make sure any bird from this side has the mottled gene. Since it is recessive you need it to be pure to know for sure it is there. If you have a mottled Houdan rooster to start with you are way ahead in the game.
Then take a mottled crested rooster and cross him with a hen that is laying a dark green egg. Take the pullets from that hatch and cross them back with a mottled crested rooster. You should get dark green egg laying mottled crested pullets from this hatch.
These will not be pure for the blue egg gene. Some will be split and some will be pure for not blue. If you choose the ones with the larger crests they might be pure for that. You’ll probably get some different shades of green eggs. Save only the ones that are mottled and that gene is set. That’s why I say recessive is easy. You know if they are pure or not.
You’ll still have to do some work to get that blue egg gene set in the flock. Since it is dominant you can never be sure if the hen is split for it or pure. The rooster doesn’t lay eggs so he will be a question mark. If you mate green egg laying pullets from roosters that hatch from green eggs, you at least have the possibility of getting chicks that are pure for that gene. The only way I know of for sure to know if they are pure for the blue egg gene is to do some test matings. Cross them with chickens you know do not have the blue egg gene and hatch a lot of chicks. The more you hatch, the surer you will be. Raise the pullets from those test matings and see what color eggs they lay. If you get nothing but green eggs from those pullets, the parent is pure for the blue egg gene. If you get a brown egg, they are not pure.
As I said, I’m not an expert and am just thinking out loud. Some experts may shoot holes all through this. There may be easier ways but at least this might be a starting point for your planning.
Good luck and have fun.
The more variables you have, the more chicks you have to hatch to get those variables to show up.
I think my first step would be to cross a rooster from a flock that lays dark eggs, like maybe a Maran or Welsummer with a hen that lays green or blue eggs. Stay away from white birds. You don’t want any white in here at all. It can show up later and mask the mottling. Whether red or black is your choice though if you are going black, I don’t think it matters if there is silver in there or not. If you are going red, I’d try to avoid silver. A lot of black chickens have silver. I don’t know which color you want at the end of the day but the earlier you can get started on that the less you have to eliminate from your flock. The reason I’d always use hens that lay blue or green eggs is that roosters don’t lay eggs. You really don’t know if the rooster has the blue egg gene or not.
In the meantime, cross a mottled with a crested bird. It does not matter which is father or mother. Then take the offspring from that and cross it back to a pure mottled bird. Keep the offspring that is both crested and shows mottling. My purpose in crossing it back is to make sure any bird from this side has the mottled gene. Since it is recessive you need it to be pure to know for sure it is there. If you have a mottled Houdan rooster to start with you are way ahead in the game.
Then take a mottled crested rooster and cross him with a hen that is laying a dark green egg. Take the pullets from that hatch and cross them back with a mottled crested rooster. You should get dark green egg laying mottled crested pullets from this hatch.
These will not be pure for the blue egg gene. Some will be split and some will be pure for not blue. If you choose the ones with the larger crests they might be pure for that. You’ll probably get some different shades of green eggs. Save only the ones that are mottled and that gene is set. That’s why I say recessive is easy. You know if they are pure or not.
You’ll still have to do some work to get that blue egg gene set in the flock. Since it is dominant you can never be sure if the hen is split for it or pure. The rooster doesn’t lay eggs so he will be a question mark. If you mate green egg laying pullets from roosters that hatch from green eggs, you at least have the possibility of getting chicks that are pure for that gene. The only way I know of for sure to know if they are pure for the blue egg gene is to do some test matings. Cross them with chickens you know do not have the blue egg gene and hatch a lot of chicks. The more you hatch, the surer you will be. Raise the pullets from those test matings and see what color eggs they lay. If you get nothing but green eggs from those pullets, the parent is pure for the blue egg gene. If you get a brown egg, they are not pure.
As I said, I’m not an expert and am just thinking out loud. Some experts may shoot holes all through this. There may be easier ways but at least this might be a starting point for your planning.
Good luck and have fun.
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