The Olive-Egger thread!

[ochochicas]

I have a question in case anyone knows the answer. If you have a hen that is O/o+ (one blue and one white shell gene), will she lay lighter blue eggs than a hen that is O/O (homozygous for blue)? For example, if you crossed a leghorn with an Ameraucana, would the resulting chicks lay lighter blue eggs than a pure Ameraucana?

 

[mymilliefleur]

I have a question in case anyone knows the answer. If you have a hen that is O/o+ (one blue and one white shell gene), will she lay lighter blue eggs than a hen that is O/O (homozygous for blue)? For example, if you crossed a leghorn with an Ameraucana, would the resulting chicks lay lighter blue eggs than a pure Ameraucana?

X2? Good question! I have a hen I'm pretty sure has some leghorn in her. She lays a pale blue egg.
Shes to the left in this picture: (sorry it's not a great photo)

She is a hatchery EE, and is beardless with yellow legs.

 

[Sill]

I have a question in case anyone knows the answer. If you have a hen that is O/o+ (one blue and one white shell gene), will she lay lighter blue eggs than a hen that is O/O (homozygous for blue)? For example, if you crossed a leghorn with an Ameraucana, would the resulting chicks lay lighter blue eggs than a pure Ameraucana?

They are called Super Blue Egg Layers and their eggs tend to be a little darker blue than an Ameraucana.

www.backyardchickens.com/t/872737/the-sbel-thread/35#post_13859625

 

[LDeBona]

Hello,

I have a small flock of Cream Legbars 5 hens and until last month one Roo. Sadly a hawk took my roo. I'm looking to get a new Roo and was thinking I'd get either a BCM or a black birchen Marans. I've been reading this thread and have a few questions.

1) I understand that a cross from a Back Roo would produce a Sex link with the pullets being all black and the Roos having a white spot on their heads. Does anyone have a picture of the cross with the Marans Roo and the CCL hen? Also a picture of an adult hen? My gals have a pretty big Crest and I'm wondering if the crest comes through with this cross?

2) My guess is the black birchen would also produce a sex link (silver instead of copper). Does anyone know for sure? Also are the eggs about the same darkness as the bcm?

3) From what I read the Marans are mellow birds but gosh the roos look huge compared to the hens. My gals are petite and I was wondering if the Marans are "gentlemen" when it comes to breeding. My guy would hunt bugs to impress all day for the gals and never mount without an invitation. I know each Roo is an individual but has anyone had any trouble with a marans being too aggressive with the gals?

Any other advice would be appreciated.


Thanks,
Deborah

I can answer the question about the Marans. I have bred both BCMs and Birchens. I've loved all my Marans roosters......they are great flock protectors. When it comes down to egg color, it depends on the individual bird. I had one Birchen hen who laid as dark as my BCM hens. I also had some poorly bred BCM hens who laid no darker than my Rhode Island Reds. I only use the darkest layers for breeding. I only keep roosters who hatch out of dark eggs.

 

[Merro]

Anyone know or have an Olive Egger x RIR?
I just had my first local mutt hatch in the incubator. If he's a she, I'm wondering the likelyhood of having olive-esque eggs?

Otherwise they're all a bunch of purebreeds mixed with a RIR (Or possibly Silkie also if he had the chance when the RIR wasn't looking!) and I'm hoping that more hatch! I've only got one in the incubator of my own.. A Silkie black roo with a 'chipmunk' EE. He's pipped his shell, and I cannot wait!

 

[ronott1]

Anyone know or have an Olive Egger x RIR?
I just had my first local mutt hatch in the incubator. If he's a she, I'm wondering the likelyhood of having olive-esque eggs?

Otherwise they're all a bunch of purebreeds mixed with a RIR (Or possibly Silkie also if he had the chance when the RIR wasn't looking!) and I'm hoping that more hatch! I've only got one in the incubator of my own.. A Silkie black roo with a 'chipmunk' EE. He's pipped his shell, and I cannot wait!

I have read about some with that cross--Usually you get a lime green but sometimes the color is closer to Olive.

 

[Merro]

That's good to hear! I couldn't give a chickenbutt regardless, I'm keeping all my hens anyways.
I definitely would love some new colors! Got an Olive Egger on my second ever batch of chicks/mutts from a lady off craigslist.


He's getting really impatient that his friends aren't out yet. (Calling all the babies HE's to prepare myself)
I can already see a teeny tiny comb on him, though. Not helping. lol

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

Anyone know or have an Olive Egger x RIR?
I just had my first local mutt hatch in the incubator. If he's a she, I'm wondering the likelyhood of having olive-esque eggs?

Otherwise they're all a bunch of purebreeds mixed with a RIR (Or possibly Silkie also if he had the chance when the RIR wasn't looking!) and I'm hoping that more hatch! I've only got one in the incubator of my own.. A Silkie black roo with a 'chipmunk' EE. He's pipped his shell, and I cannot wait!

That will depend on the genetic makeup of the OE. Most likely is 50% chance of brown egg, 50% "other" in the green range. Not so helpful, I know!

 

[mymilliefleur]

Anyone know or have an Olive Egger x RIR?
I just had my first local mutt hatch in the incubator. If he's a she, I'm wondering the likelyhood of having olive-esque eggs?

Otherwise they're all a bunch of purebreeds mixed with a RIR (Or possibly Silkie also if he had the chance when the RIR wasn't looking!) and I'm hoping that more hatch! I've only got one in the incubator of my own.. A Silkie black roo with a 'chipmunk' EE. He's pipped his shell, and I cannot wait!

I will in a few weeks hopefully.

 

[Manningjw]

Anyone know or have an Olive Egger x RIR?
I just had my first local mutt hatch in the incubator. If he's a she, I'm wondering the likelyhood of having olive-esque eggs?

Otherwise they're all a bunch of purebreeds mixed with a RIR (Or possibly Silkie also if he had the chance when the RIR wasn't looking!) and I'm hoping that more hatch! I've only got one in the incubator of my own.. A Silkie black roo with a 'chipmunk' EE. He's pipped his shell, and I cannot wait!

I have crossed a blue egg layer to my Red Star which lays a medium to dark brown egg (other red stars certainly lay darker eggs than her) and got a nice olive colored egg out of the mix. Considering that you started with an olive egger, you should have nice olive colored eggs crossing back to a brown egger and should have better egg laying theoretically.

The following eggs were my F1 crosses. These eggs were after about a week or so of daily egg laying so not as dark green as the very first eggs.




Depending on your parent stock, you might be able to select for pea comb for the presence of the blue gene, eliminating the 50% that will lay brown eggs right away. I have been able to do that but I know my parent stock had pea comb/blue gene linked. My cockerel was the result of (AmeracanaxLeghorn) rooster covering Austra-white hens. Selecting for pea combs I bred the best cockerel to my Red Star for the olive eggers which yielded 100% of the selected pea comb chickens having a single copy of O gene. The other 50% straight comb chicks were sold at hatch.