The Olive-Egger thread!

[somadlyinlove]

Some folks use OE cock/erels in their projects. We only do the F1 cross for better chance of olive eggs. Like with any extra males, we invite them to lunch or dinner.

I'm trying to understand. I have one OE roo. My understanding is that he would be "F1" he is from a Cockoo Marans over an EE. Are you saying his offspring are not as likely to be OE? All but one out of 6 of the chicks hatched from his parents have been pea combed. (2 roos 4 pullets) (2nd pea combed roo has a new home)

 

[ronott1]

I'm trying to understand. I have one OE roo. My understanding is that he would be "F1" he is from a Cockoo Marans over an EE. Are you saying his offspring are not as likely to be OE? All but one out of 6 of the chicks hatched from his parents have been pea combed. (2 roos 4 pullets) (2nd pea combed roo has a new home)

egg shell color is determined by two genes a recessive white and a dominate blue. The F1 rooster will have one white and one blue. He will pass on either a white gene or a blue gene-if he passes only a white and the hen passes on a white, then the eggs will not be green. They will be brown.

They will not all be blue egg shell layers so not all of the eggs in the second generation will be green. Sometimes they miss the brown genes too, so you can get white or blue eggs. You would need to trap nest and select for pea combs in future generations to work on getting double blue egg shell genes in your OE flock.

Has anyone done this?

 

[somadlyinlove]

Yes, I agree they can miss both the brown (at least dark brown) and the blue or green gene the one pullet with a straight comb lays light brown eggs. Totally confused me at first!
F1 OE + F1 OE should have 3/4 chance of being OE?? with 1/4 having 2 blue or green genes??

And THANK YOU for your help!!

 

[ronott1]

Yes, I agree they can miss both the brown (at least dark brown) and the blue or green gene the one pullet with a straight comb lays light brown eggs. Totally confused me at first!
F1 OE + F1 OE should have 3/4 chance of being OE?? with 1/4 having 2 blue or green genes??

And THANK YOU for your help!!

The numbers sound very close.

Remember, there is no green gene. It is color blending of blue or white egg shell color and then either no brown to dark brown. The darker the brown on a blue egg shell, the deeper the green color will be.

 

[somadlyinlove]

The numbers sound very close.

Remember, there is no green gene. It is color blending of blue or white egg shell color and then either no brown to dark brown. The darker the brown on a blue egg shell, the deeper the green color will be.

Interesting! Thanks

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

egg shell color is determined by two genes a recessive white and a dominate blue. The F1 rooster will have one white and one blue. He will pass on either a white gene or a blue gene-if he passes only a white and the hen passes on a white, then the eggs will not be green. They will be brown.

They will not all be blue egg shell layers so not all of the eggs in the second generation will be green. Sometimes they miss the brown genes too, so you can get white or blue eggs. You would need to trap nest and select for pea combs in future generations to work on getting double blue egg shell genes in your OE flock.

Has anyone done this?

The pea comb information of course applies only to those using Ameraucana or Araucana in their OE program.

 

[LisaLouHoo]

My 6-year old granddaughter who is pictured in my avatar has been here since Christmas and she loves my chickens and really, really gets all the chicken info I tell her. Anyway, this morning we went out to the coop and my one and only olive egger pullet was laying her first egg. We were both so thrilled.e I tried to take a picture of it with my iPad, but it looked brown in the photos, so I didn't bother, but I am very happy with the color. She is an f1 bc marans over an ameraucana. I hatched her in June under a broody with a mixed group of eggs that included only one olive egger and the rest assorted marans. Out of 13 eggs, I only got her and a big blue roo to hatch.

 

[ronott1]

My 6-year old granddaughter who is pictured in my avatar has been here since Christmas and she loves my chickens and really, really gets all the chicken info I tell her. Anyway, this morning we went out to the coop and my one and only olive egger pullet was laying her first egg. We were both so thrilled.

I tried to take a picture of it with my iPad, but it looked brown in the photos, so I didn't bother, but I am very happy with the color. She is an f1 bc marans over an ameraucana. I hatched her in June under a broody with a mixed group of eggs that included only one olive egger and the rest assorted marans. Out of 13 eggs, I only got her and a big blue roo to hatch.

It is great that you get to share with your Grand Daughter!

 

[Flowerbh]

No time to play with chickens today. Renters left at 10:30 (with a deposit to return next New Years!) and new renters come in at 3! Have to wash/dry 13 sets of sheets and 40+ towels, wash clothes, dish towels, etc. Then clean whole house, refrig, microwave, toaster, stove, bathrooms, windows, floors, etc, etc etc! Ugh! But the commute to work can't be beat! hahahhaha! Anyone want to come and help??

 

[tnmommy]

Okay, I have a Chocolate Orpington that has extra "side shoots" on his comb and is a medium sized rooster. Not breeding material for my Orpingtons. Too big for bantam, too small for large fowl. Problem is, he is my favorite bird. I love the guy. Can't use him with my bantam Orpington project at all. Can't really justify keeping a rooster as a "pet" only. He needs to earn his feed, at least.

If I put him in a pen with Isbars or Olive Egger hens, will I get olive egger babies? Just light green, since Orpington eggs are generally light brown? I think that would be very pretty, myself.

I have a splash Isbar cockerel I plan to keep. He will be in a pen with Easter Egger hens and one Olive Egger hen. Can I market the resulting offspring as possible blues/greens/olives?