The Olive-Egger thread!

[ruth]

Quote:
Since blue does not breed true, how do you plan to create these?

Well then what about calling it a B/B/S Copper Olive Egger?

Well I rarely get a black female anymore and I've never gotten a splash. I do get black males that look like pure FBC Marans but have the different comb but so far I haven't put them in the pen. Again, for me this is a hobby, nothing serious, and I've just started calling them the Bethels.

 

[Wynette]

The biggest issue with breeding a "true" Olive Egger, IMHO, is that who will define exactly what "olive" is? Otherwise, they are just EEs that lay a dark green egg. Then again - who is to say WHAT is dark green? Know what I mean? I'm with Ruth - it's just a fun hobby, and I seriously doubt these will ever be a pure breed. Not to sound pessimistic, I just don't see it happening. I'm breeding more for egg color, and for blue hens - but mostly, I am breeding for egg color. Trying to get that dark, dark olive green.

I have a few pullets coming up that won't be laying until fall - I need to get their pics in here, they're really cute! They are the ones I previously mentioned that are solid black, out of a BLUE EE (olive egger) and a BLUE Ameraucana. They have super cute muffs & beards, and some have a few sparse shank feathers from their grandfather (FBCM). If not for those, you'd think they were pure black Ameraucana!

 

[Wynette]

texasgal - those eggs could mose definitely be laid by the same hen. I have an olive egger that lays green eggs that are some days solid, other days, speckled...here are a few eggs - all from the same hen:

 

[ruth]

Quote:
Yep, exactly. I don't call them olive eggers because some lay a light olive egg, some a dark olive egg and some a brownish green egg. So, for me, "Bethels" works because right now it's a pen of mixed birds here on Bethel Farm. Like Wynette said, I don't really see a true "breed" on the horizon, certainly not an APA standard, just a general type of bird that I'm going for. As it is now, when people come for tours and point them out and ask what "breed" are those beautiful birds, I say "they're Bethels", show them the eggs and everyone wants them.

 

[Long Last Farm]

I love that middle bicolor egg!

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
IMO, you're already there.

 

[Wynette]

Quote:
Yeah, that one was NEATO! Looked like half from one egg and half from another egg, slapped together! That's the most fun of all, IMO, about breeding olive eggers (I just call mine that - my EEs lay very lt. green or blue, the olive eggers lay....olive...whether it be a medium olive, dark olive, or drabish olive), you just never know what you're going to get!

 

[Wynette]

Quote:
IMO, you're already there.

Thanks, Kelly! But I'm really hoping for as dark of an olive shade as possible, before it gets unrecognizeable as olive! I really thought the black ones I mentioned above would be it, but I'm now thinking they won't. But it's okay, I now have younger stock to work with for the next generation!

 

[texasgal]

Quote:
Great to know .. may sound weird, but she lays the same SHAPE egg most of the time, and I thought it looked like hers .. She's just a neato girl!

Awesome eggs!

 

[Wynette]

Yes, I was going to mention that the SHAPE of the egg typically doens't change. It might be slightly larger or smaller, but the actual shape typically is the same.