The Olive-Egger thread!

[aart]

Today was hatch day and all 5 of the eggs hatched. Momma buff orpington was a patient girl for being broody for 6 weeks. Got the eggs at the end of week 3 and wasn't sure if she'd stay on them but she did. They are Isbar BCM croses. I left them in the nesting box and will be transferring them to another area separate from the other girls tomorrow. This is my first time letting a hen hatch and raise chicks. One is all black and most are black with some white on the neck and feathers and one that is a lighter color.

Congrats!!

Leave mama and chicks in with the flock and she will integrate them into the flock for you....simpler than having to do it later.

 

[gapey]

Congrats!!

Leave mama and chicks in with the flock and she will integrate them into the flock for you....simpler than having to do it later.

They'll be in the same run but have a separate little house for them. They are in an elevated nesting box now so the chicks can't get out. The other house will be easier for them to get in and out of.

 

[Tatiana110]

I have 2 OE cockerels (Ameraucana or EE rooster x Black Copper Maran hens). One has a single comb, and the other one have a comb that looks like a 'cross' of pea and straight comb. They have nice muffs/beards. We did not get any cockerels with pea combs, unfortunately. Only a pullet has a pea comb, so I am assuming she will lay olive eggs, hopefully!

My question is whether these cockerels carry blue egg gene? If I breed them to BCM hens, will we get olive eggs? I have heard that the blue egg gene is close to pea comb gene, so I am wondering if these cockerels should not be used for breeding...

 

[Manningjw]

I have 2 OE cockerels (Ameraucana or EE rooster x Black Copper Maran hens). One has a single comb, and the other one have a comb that looks like a 'cross' of pea and straight comb. They have nice muffs/beards. We did not get any cockerels with pea combs, unfortunately. Only a pullet has a pea comb, so I am assuming she will lay olive eggs, hopefully!

My question is whether these cockerels carry blue egg gene? If I breed them to BCM hens, will we get olive eggs? I have heard that the blue egg gene is close to pea comb gene, so I am wondering if these cockerels should not be used for breeding...

The short answer is that it is unlikely.

You are correct in that the pea comb gene and the blue egg gene are often inherited together because of their location on the chromosome. If your EE rooster that you used in this cross has 2 blue egg genes one on a chromosome with a pea comb and one on a chromosome without the pea comb gene, you would have straight comb green egg layers 100% of the first generation cross with him. The trouble is you don't know and it is somewhat unlikely that this is the case. The other difficult thing is even if they DO have the pea comb gene, they will only pass it on to 50% of their offspring and you wont know who does or doesn't have it because there is no pea comb inherited with it telling you which birds to keep.

 

[StarMeKritten]

I have 2 OE cockerels (Ameraucana or EE rooster x Black Copper Maran hens). One has a single comb, and the other one have a comb that looks like a 'cross' of pea and straight comb. They have nice muffs/beards. We did not get any cockerels with pea combs, unfortunately. Only a pullet has a pea comb, so I am assuming she will lay olive eggs, hopefully! 

My question is whether these cockerels carry blue egg gene? If I breed them to BCM hens, will we get olive eggs? I have heard that the blue egg gene is close to pea comb gene, so I am wondering if these cockerels should not be used for breeding...

When you cross a pea comb with a single comb, the pea combs often won't look like normal pea combs. It's way more noticeable on the roosters. Your single comb OE rooster is unlikely to carry the gene for blue eggs. Crossed back to marans hens, your modified pea comb rooster will probably give you about 50% olive eggers. The others will most likely lay brown eggs.

 

[Tatiana110]

thank you so much StarMeKritten and Manningjw! That gives me a very good idea if what to do. I will cull the straight comb rooster.

So any straight comb x pea comb will give me a modified pea comb? Would I ever get a 'normal' pea comb from such a cross?

 

[StarMeKritten]

thank you so much StarMeKritten and Manningjw ! That gives me a very good idea if what to do. I will cull the straight comb rooster. So any straight comb x pea comb will give me a modified pea comb? Would I ever get a 'normal' pea comb from such a cross?

It's possible... But usually there will be something a little off about them. Some will be taller, some will have rows of points instead of peas, some will be floppy. Some will look much better than others. There are all kinds of little modifiers that can change exactly how they look. It really depends on which of those are present. You can get some better looking pea combs by breeding back to a pea combed hen... Or if you cross him with your OE pullet, you'll get some (about 25%) that are pure for the pea comb gene.

 

[ochochicas]

My "olive egger" has a tiny little pea comb and lays brown eggs. You definitely can't tell by the comb if your bird carries the blue egg gene. I wish there were a way to test egg color genetics, but comb type isn't reliable.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I have a blue egg I am hatching, the dad is buff orpington do you think will happen, just guesses here...

 

[StarMeKritten]

I have a blue egg I am hatching, the dad is buff orpington do you think will happen, just guesses here...

I have 5 EE/ buff orp mix hens. They are buff with white legs. Some are bearded and some aren't. 4 of them lay a light to medium green egg and the other lays a light blue egg.