The Olive-Egger thread!

[Manningjw]

I have a single olive egger hen that is a cross between a BCM and EE. I believe she is an F2 due to her beautiful dark olive colored eggs. Does anyone know what would happen if I incubated her eggs as she is covered by a EE roo. I'm suspecting the offspring would lay olive eggs, just not sure how dark they would be. also, what would her offspring lay if she was covered by a BCM roo? Any advice?

There are a lot of genetics at play with such a cross that it is hard to predict. It really depends on what you know about the EE roo's background (ie did he hatch from a green egg, or who is father was etc). Likely you will get a medium green egg, but could also get an egg just as dark if he also hatched from a green egg. Brown eggs are far more complicated than the blue gene. There is only a 1 blue egg laying gene and chickens either have it or they do not. Brown eggs are produced by a multitude of genes some of which complement each other and some do not.

If you cross with a BCM cockerel, you will likely get 50% medium brown eggs, and 50% very dark olive eggs depending on the brown egg genetics on the cockerel side.

 

[ceancharles]

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Got some fair pics of the OE "girls" today, I'm thinking the first 2 are boys. 4 weeks old tomorrow. They are some spunky little things! I got a barred rock and a RIR a while back from a hatchery and they are no where near the foragers or general activity level of these

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

Highly recommended OE egg color breeding chart by Steve Neumann:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2tKFvBKXZesVDZxaUYteElKTE0/view?pli=1

I have a single olive egger hen that is a cross between a BCM and EE. I believe she is an F2 due to her beautiful dark olive colored eggs. Does anyone know what would happen if I incubated her eggs as she is covered by a EE roo. I'm suspecting the offspring would lay olive eggs, just not sure how dark they would be. also, what would her offspring lay if she was covered by a BCM roo? Any advice?

If you will take the time to study this chart, it will answer most of your questions (as well as those questions from more experienced breeders)

 

[LisaLouHoo]

Highly recommended OE egg color breeding chart by Steve Neumann:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2tKFvBKXZesVDZxaUYteElKTE0/view?pli=1

If you will take the time to study this chart, it will answer most of your questions (as well as those questions from more experienced breeders) 

I was studying the chart last night and it helped me immensely. When you do the back crossing you only have a 50% chance of the color being olive. The chart is very informative.

 

[JennyTenney]

Thanks for the advice! I got my two beautiful EE Roos at a poultry swap and don't know their genetics. This will be my first attempt at incubating my own eggs so I hope my fertility rate is good. Wish me luck.

 

[aart]

Thanks for the advice! I got my two beautiful EE Roos at a poultry swap and don't know their genetics. This will be my first attempt at incubating my own eggs so I hope my fertility rate is good. Wish me luck.

Good Luck!!
First time can be anxiety ridden, but such fun when you hear that fist peep from inside a shell!!

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

Thanks for the advice! I got my two beautiful EE Roos at a poultry swap and don't know their genetics. This will be my first attempt at incubating my own eggs so I hope my fertility rate is good. Wish me luck.

You will stare at the eggs a lot. You will imagine you hear peeping on day 4. You will lose a lot of sleep and experience twisted-gut anxiety and have your heart broken. We've all been there. It gets easier. Have fun! Nothing like the first time, and it never gets old.

 

[Dianne88]

Ok, who is good at feather sexing?? All are 4/5 days old OE's
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[ronott1]

Ok, who is good at feather sexing?? All are 4/5 days old OE's
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OEs are a big mix of genes so feather sexing would be very iffy for them. Feather sexing does not work with that many breeds.

 

[LisaLouHoo]

I had 7 OE chicks that hatched and I feather-sexed them as 4 pullets and 3 cockerels and banded the girls. One of the girls was a boy and 1 of the boys was a girl. So not sure what percentage of error that was, but my bottom line ended up being the same, lol. It is supposed to be two rows of feathers = girl, 1 even row = boy.