The Olive-Egger thread!

[holm25]

Wow! So pretty. Makes me want to start crossing to see what I can get. In due time.

X2

 

[ochochicas]

Me too! I want to hatch everything now...but alas, I don't have a broody hen at the moment. LOL

Still waiting for my first olive egg. My hen's comb is getting red, but she's not showing any signs yet of laying. She is over 6 months old!

 

[Olive Oil]

 

[Dianne88]

My little 3 wk old OE, she looks a lot like a BCM, not sure what color the hen was but she was an Ameracauna. She looks like she has the pea comb and black legs. Is this a typical OE?

 

[Olive Oil]

Question for all who have produced 1st generation Olive Eggers from your own stock and have seen the eggs produced by their pullets - have all of the eggs produced by your 1st gen OE pullets produced "olive" eggs? Or are some brown?

I have read several posts from people about birds who inherited the beards and muffs and or pea combs (if using Ameracauna's / EE's) producing olive eggs while birds who did not inherit those traits produced brown.

I ask because I went into my coop and was ecstatic to see my first egg! The saw that it was...brown...I am HOPING that the egg came from my hen who has not inherited these traits and that perhaps some of her sisters who have will olive it!

Blue egg shell color gene is dominant so the first generation need to have one from a parent to have a blue egg shell. If the blue egg laying parent has one white and one blue then on average half of the chicks will be white shell layers. The brown is a coating(and yes sometimes the pigment can penetrate the egg shell and change the color on the inside) and there are from 9 to 15 genes involved in the brown color hence the different shades and textures of brown eggs.

Best guess is that the blue egg shell parent only has one blue gene and you will have half of the F1s laying brown and the other half laying green.

The pea comb is closely associated with the blue egg shell gene with araucana based blue egg layers. Look for F1s with a pea comb and they will most likely lay blue to green eggs.

If you use Easter Eggers vs. pure Ameraucanas, you can experience some brown egg layers as your F1's. If you have pure Ameraucanas from reputable breeders, that doesn't happen. F1's with single combs from EE are 99% certain to lay brown eggs. I have several bearded pea comb crosses from Easter Eggers and BCM that lay brown eggs. A pea comb indicates a likelihood of a colored egg, but not a guarantee. The beard indicates nothing and is an inherited trait completely independent of egg color.

 

[Olive Oil]

I love seeing everyone's first olive eggs! My girl is only 18 weeks, and her face needs to pink up some more. Hopefully in the next month she will start laying, and hopefully they will be olive!

Beautiful girl!!

 

[Euarto Gullible]

Quote:Beautiful eggs! From an EE, or did you go out and get a pure Ameracauna?

I use both Easter Eggers and pure Ameraucanas.

 

[Sill]

Question for all who have produced 1st generation Olive Eggers from your own stock and have seen the eggs produced by their pullets - have all of the eggs produced by your 1st gen OE pullets produced "olive" eggs? Or are some brown?

I have read several posts from people about birds who inherited the beards and muffs and or pea combs (if using Ameracauna's / EE's) producing olive eggs while birds who did not inherit those traits produced brown.

I ask because I went into my coop and was ecstatic to see my first egg! The saw that it was...brown...I am HOPING that the egg came from my hen who has not inherited these traits and that perhaps some of her sisters who have will olive it!

I have some that have pea combs and beards/muffs that lay brown eggs. Disappointing!

 

[BelleFarm]

I've been lurking on this thread for awhile, but I finally joined in. I've hatched over 20 chicks this summer, and I finally have my F2 generation olive eggers! I can't wait for my pullets to start laying. I've been looking forward to darker olive eggs for months Unfortunately, I have over 5 OE cockerels now, that i need to find good homes for. Any takers?

 

[Olive Oil]

I have some that have pea combs and beards/muffs that lay brown eggs. Disappointing!

Sill, did you get those using Easter Eggers, or were they pure Ameracauna's? By what I've read here it looks like eggs produced by 1st generation OE hens made by crossing a brown layer and a true Ameracauna should never be brown. Sound right to everyone? However, throwing an EE in there sure can make things interesting! Has anyone gotten the gray color from a true Ameracauna cross with no EE? Really appreciate everyone's input, thanks!