The Olive-Egger thread!

[DaveEmily]

Looks like good eating to me....

 

[ronott1]

That frizz is off the chain...very cute !

Hi!

Click on quote when replying to a post--It helps us know what your are posting about.

 

[maryhysong]

I think I have posted pics of the girls before, but mostly they are standard soft golds and browns, with varying amounts and shades of gold, brown and black, mostly partridge type patterns. (there are pics of them on my blog tho) Quite pleased with most of the eggs I"m getting. Some had EE mammas, some were out of Welsummers and some out of Wellie/leghorn crosses. I have about 16 from the April 8 hatch and 5 more from May 3. I'm only keeping about 9 and the others are for sale.


the four down front are from my pen of girls for sale, and the three in the back are from the ones I am keeping. I am not basing any of my keepers on egg color; stricktly about body type, bigger meatier girls with wide hips. ;=) The center egg in the back row is a lovely olive green with brown freckles, really loving it.

 

[ronott1]

I think I have posted pics of the girls before, but mostly they are standard soft golds and browns, with varying amounts and shades of gold, brown and black, mostly partridge type patterns. (there are pics of them on my blog tho) Quite pleased with most of the eggs I"m getting. Some had EE mammas, some were out of Welsummers and some out of Wellie/leghorn crosses. I have about 16 from the April 8 hatch and 5 more from May 3. I'm only keeping about 9 and the others are for sale.


the four down front are from my pen of girls for sale, and the three in the back are from the ones I am keeping. I am not basing any of my keepers on egg color; stricktly about body type, bigger meatier girls with wide hips. ;=) The center egg in the back row is a lovely olive green with brown freckles, really loving it.

That is a very nice egg!

 

[RentaPig311]

Sorry if these questions have already been asked. I am in the process of reading the entire thread but have an appointment with a Maran breeder this weekend and since I am only on page 18 I don't think I'm going to finish by tomorrow.

#1 From what I am seeing the favorite mix for olive eggers is a Maran Rooster and a pure Ameraucana hen. Does it change things: probability, color, egg color, chicken appearance, sex linkage, etc if you reverse this equation to Ameraucana Rooster and Maran Hen. I have a great pure bred Ameraucana rooster that I was hoping to use for to breed some OE's since he has awesome muffs. He is from an actual registered Ameraucana breeder and is not an EE.

#2 I'm also seeing that people are referring to Maran Egss as "painted" stating that the color is a coating on the outside of the shell and that it can be washed off. Is this true? If this is the case if I use the mix above or the classic FBCM roo x Ameraucan hen or vice versa will the F1's olive egg color be in the shell or a coating? what about F2 if F1 bred back to rooster? Is there another dark egg layer whose color is in the actual shell that I could substitue for a Maran and still get olive eggs?

#3 I really like the barred look and don't have one in my flock yet. However, after reading a ton of both Maran and OE articals people are saying the Cukoo maran lays lighter brown eggs and don't get near as dark as FBCM. If I was to use a cokoo maran and continue to breed back to the Roo could I eventually at F2 or F3 obtain a barred OE with muffs that lays olive eggs.


My understanding of genetics are crude at best so let me know if I am missing anything obvious. Also if anyone has a good genetics book recommendation outside of the one on Amazon for $70 I would be happy to take the recomendation.

 

[maryhysong]

Sorry if these questions have already been asked. I am in the process of reading the entire thread but have an appointment with a Maran breeder this weekend and since I am only on page 18 I don't think I'm going to finish by tomorrow.

#1 From what I am seeing the favorite mix for olive eggers is a Maran Rooster and a pure Ameraucana hen. Does it change things: probability, color, egg color, chicken appearance, sex linkage, etc if you reverse this equation to Ameraucana Rooster and Maran Hen. I have a great pure bred Ameraucana rooster that I was hoping to use for to breed some OE's since he has awesome muffs. He is from an actual registered Ameraucana breeder and is not an EE.

#2 I'm also seeing that people are referring to Maran Egss as "painted" stating that the color is a coating on the outside of the shell and that it can be washed off. Is this true? If this is the case if I use the mix above or the classic FBCM roo x Ameraucan hen or vice versa will the F1's olive egg color be in the shell or a coating? what about F2 if F1 bred back to rooster? Is there another dark egg layer whose color is in the actual shell that I could substitue for a Maran and still get olive eggs?

#3 I really like the barred look and don't have one in my flock yet. However, after reading a ton of both Maran and OE articals people are saying the Cukoo maran lays lighter brown eggs and don't get near as dark as FBCM. If I was to use a cokoo maran and continue to breed back to the Roo could I eventually at F2 or F3 obtain a barred OE with muffs that lays olive eggs.


My understanding of genetics are crude at best so let me know if I am missing anything obvious. Also if anyone has a good genetics book recommendation outside of the one on Amazon for $70 I would be happy to take the recomendation.

1) It should work fine either way. In fact If I know my roo carries the blue egg gene then it's easier to pick out a hen laying a real dark egg for the cross.
2) Egg shells come in blue and not blue. Not blue without other genes is white. That is the shell color itself. All brown shades are added to the outside of the shell. not blue + brown gives you pale browns and tans. blue+brown gives greens, the shade of green depending on the depth of brown. This is true for all breeds and varieties. Some very dark layers such as Marans, the excess brown pigment can be washed or scratched off the shell, especially when first layed and it is still damp.
3)That is a possibility but might keep you busy a few years. It is true that BCM lay the darkest and cuckoos lay much lighter. That can also depend on the individual bird and breeder. and it might take you 5 or 6 generations depending on the color pattern of the Ameraucauna used. Chicken genetics are very complicated.

 

[maryhysong]

That is a very nice egg!

Thanks Ron!

 

[TherryChicken]

Does anyone here in texas (I live in del valle) have any olive egger chicks? I'll be willing to mae a lame trade for my cream legbar fertile eggs. I can't find olive eggers anywhere

 

[chicken pickin]

Does anyone here in texas (I live in del valle) have any olive egger chicks? I'll be willing to mae a lame trade for my cream legbar fertile eggs. I can't find olive eggers anywhere

You can make your own OE with your legbars if you have or get a dark egg laying breed like marans or welsummers any dark layin breed will work. I think they will even make sexlink OE if you use the CL hen with a dark egg rooster. Or use your CL rooster over a dark egg laying hen.

 

[TherryChicken]

You can make your own OE with your legbars if you have or get a dark egg laying breed like marans or welsummers any dark layin breed will work. I think they will even make sexlink OE if you use the CL hen with a dark egg rooster. Or use your CL rooster over a dark egg laying hen.

Tank you! I have a Barred Rock and a Production Red hen in with him. The Barred lays a darker egg than the Production red. Will they just lay a different shade of green?