The Olive-Egger thread!

[jendodd79]

We got 2 Olive Egger chicks today! The Dad is a Blue Wheaten Ameraucana Roo and the Mom is a Splash Blue Maran (without feathered feet) One Baby is either going to be dark blue/black and the other could end up a splash!

 

[FridayYet]

Congratulations. Post pics when you can!

 

[horsnsport]

Beautiful

 

[FridayYet]

I picked up two OEs on Saturday. I "think" they are Cuckoo Marans x White Ameraucana, about 5 weeks old. They are still very skittish and I haven't been able to get a good picture of them. Will post when I get some decent ones.

If I get green eggs, but not olive, should I call them EEs instead of OEs? (LOL)

 

[Peach2u]

Yes OE are EE's just bred to make the eggs darker. When I get an OE that didn't lay the OE but brown egg. I call it an EE. It still carries 1 blue gene. OE is just a sub class but still an EE AKA mutt that carries the blue gene.

I have had a lot of chickens over the last 5 years. I find the purer the breed the more skittish. The silkies and fizzles don't fit that mold. I have never seen a mean silkie. {My mom raised them} The worst was white leghorns then RIR. I had some sexlinks That where very docile. Cinnamon Queens I liked. I had 3 out of 5 one year that thought they where lap chickens. They were super layers too. But I wasn't impressed with the egg color.

The Maran I have had the hens are stand offish the few males I have kept where very aggressive. Except my 3 yr old hen who eats out of your hand. And if you have a basket of crickets she is your best friend. Everyone of my EE/OE are friendly. I can't tell you how many time I have tripped over birds that won't get out of my way at feeding time. When I get crickets the kids sit in the yard with baskets and hand feed them all.

It is funny to see 20-30 chickens covering your kids after crickets. Kids giggling and chickens squabbling over bugs.

Keep in mind I have not had every breed. But I did try out a lot of them. The kids pet chicken is a SL cochin. The BO isn't super friendly and would have gone by now if she wasn't a super mom. She raised 3 batches of chicks last year.

This year I have added a couple of Welsummer and RL Wyandotte pullets. I will see what happens there. I got the wellies for the egg color and the wyandott for the size and feather color. I'm going to mix up my gene pool a little next year

. I will not know the results for 2 years. But that is half the fun of breeding projects. And if it doesn't work out I have a big freezer!

 

[GAFarmGirl87]

F1s are the offspring of the original cross.
You can't tell until they lay an egg but you can get a good idea by the comb. The blue egg gene is closely associated with the pea comb gene so if they have a pea comb then they have a good chance of having the blue egg gene.

Thanks!!

 

[ronott1]

Yes OE are EE's just bred to make the eggs darker. When I get an OE that didn't lay the OE but brown egg. I call it an EE. It still carries 1 blue gene. OE is just a sub class but still an EE AKA mutt that carries the blue gene.

I have had a lot of chickens over the last 5 years. I find the purer the breed the more skittish. The silkies and fizzles don't fit that mold. I have never seen a mean silkie. {My mom raised them} The worst was white leghorns then RIR. I had some sexlinks That where very docile. Cinnamon Queens I liked. I had 3 out of 5 one year that thought they where lap chickens. They were super layers too. But I wasn't impressed with the egg color.

The Maran I have had the hens are stand offish the few males I have kept where very aggressive. Except my 3 yr old hen who eats out of your hand. And if you have a basket of crickets she is your best friend. Everyone of my EE/OE are friendly. I can't tell you how many time I have tripped over birds that won't get out of my way at feeding time. When I get crickets the kids sit in the yard with baskets and hand feed them all.

It is funny to see 20-30 chickens covering your kids after crickets. Kids giggling and chickens squabbling over bugs.

Keep in mind I have not had every breed. But I did try out a lot of them. The kids pet chicken is a SL cochin. The BO isn't super friendly and would have gone by now if she wasn't a super mom. She raised 3 batches of chicks last year.

This year I have added a couple of Welsummer and RL Wyandotte pullets. I will see what happens there. I got the wellies for the egg color and the wyandott for the size and feather color. I'm going to mix up my gene pool a little next year

. I will not know the results for 2 years. But that is half the fun of breeding projects. And if it doesn't work out I have a big freezer!

The calmest chickens for me have been Heritage RIR, St. Romain from Ricky Bates to Ron Fogel.

Marraduna Basque and Pita Pintas are very friendly too.

 

[kacklinkelly]

Speaking about friendliness, our RIR will allow our 6 yo grandson to pick her up any time and carry her anywhere.
she tolerates alot. She's our loudest and chattiest at certain times of the day.
Our BA is such a plump friendly girl. She will jump into a lap every once in a while and
just hang around. Our OE is more cautious but has also jumped into a lap or two. So far am happy with all 3 breeds
differing personalities. Our RIR and BA are great with their production. Not happy with our OE's production.
She only lays one egg a week. Lucky for her she has a good personality

 

[DragonSadhana]

I'm so excited! I've had EEs, but not OEs. My aunt hatched six chicks for me that may end up being Olive Eggers. Some of the chicks are an Amerecauna/Welsummer cross, and others are an Amerecauna/Blue Laced Wyandotte cross. No doubt there will be roosters, but I'm hoping for some hens!

 

[seventreesfarm]

It's so much fun seeing all these crosses!!

My junior flock is only 2 months old, so I have a while to wait to see egg color. My senior flock only has one OE, but she lays fairly well. I have 3 two week old potential OEs from my OE roo and hen. Two are splash and one looks blue marans. I'm also raising/hatching some New Hampshires for my main laying flock.

Naturally I feel like some mad scientist, plotting all my future breeding pairs