The Olive-Egger thread!

[robgray]

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.

That's a nice cross. The Isbars tend to lay large eggs. Cute chicks!

 

[bbhorsefly]

Hi, I need confirmation before I rehome this cutie. I think it's a roo. I have second thoughts though b/c he doesn't have a comb or wattle yet at 9.5 weeks old. But he acts like a roo. And he was bigger than the others- long legs too. He is an Americauna x white Maran. Very friendly. Is he truly a roo?

This looks like a pullet in every way. Small pale comb and no bright splashes of color. No indication at all to me that this is male. All my EEs have thicker legs and bigger feet than my other breeds. And they have grown faster and bigger than the other breeds, too. That comb is nothing like my 6 cockerels at that age, but exactly like my 4 pullets.
ETA, just for comprising for you, a cockerel and pullet at just over 9 weeks....
Cockerel

Pullet

And this difference has been glaringly obvious since about 6-7 weeks. So I'd say as old as yours is "he" would have much more going on in the comb department by this age. Hope this helps!

 

[robgray]

Hi, I need confirmation before I rehome this cutie. I think it's a roo. I have second thoughts though b/c he doesn't have a comb or wattle yet at 9.5 weeks old. But he acts like a roo. And he was bigger than the others- long legs too. He is an Americauna x white Maran. Very friendly. Is he truly a roo?

You dark chicken is a cockerel and your white is definitely a hen

 

[DeeBundchen]

This looks like a pullet in every way. Small pale comb and no bright splashes of color. No indication at all to me that this is male. All my EEs have thicker legs and bigger feet than my other breeds. And they have grown faster and bigger than the other breeds, too. That comb is nothing like my 6 cockerels at that age, but exactly like my 4 pullets.
ETA, just for comprising for you, a cockerel and pullet at just over 9 weeks....
Cockerel

Pullet

And this difference has been glaringly obvious since about 6-7 weeks. So I'd say as old as yours is "he" would have much more going on in the comb department by this age. Hope this helps!

 

[DeeBundchen]

No way! I'm so glad I asked here b/c I was getting ready to give her back to breeder. She acts like a rooster from the beginning- she herds the others and fights/ chest bumps with the Isbar which I think is also a roo. I'm new to chicken keeping and I couldn't find anywhere that hens did that. Also some that i showed pics to said it's b/c she has a peacomb that's why it's slow to grow, but since it's pink it's probably a roo. Also b/c legs and overall size. But I will hold on to her now! Thank u so much!

 

[DeeBundchen]

You dark chicken is a cockerel and your white is definitely a hen

. This makes me so happy! I really thought she was a roo by the size and large legs and chest bumping with the darker chickens. She fights with the Isbar to be the leader- always trying to herd them. Well u guys definitely made my day! Thank u!

 

[DeeBundchen]

.

 

[Brittany0309]

alrighty, folks. I'm new to the whole breeding game. Completely. I have an Easter Egger hen who is laying a lighter blue, an Americauna pullet who is 11 weeks, a black maran pullet who is 10 weeks, a golden laced cochin who is 10 weeks, a rhode island red hen and a new hampshire red hen. I want to breed for olive eggs (or anything neat for that matter) and have been trying to wade through this all. I have the opportunity to take in a 10 week old Splash maran roo, an Aracauna roo, a french black copper maran roo or a blue copper Marans roo (You'd have to tell me the last two would make an awesome breed to get me to do the 4.5 hour round trip drive to get one ). Which do I go for? What will resulting chicks lay? And then do I cross back again to get a darker egg? From what I have read, it looks like I need the Maran roo to mate with the Americauna and easter egger to get an olive egg, but then cross that chick back to the roo to get a dark olive egg. Is this correct? And if I got the Aracauna roo instead, would I still get olive eggs from my one maran mating with him? I hope this all makes sense Someone make me a darn chart of what I'll get with each of my hens roo options!!! lol I posted pictures of my rooster options
Thanks, all!!

Splash Maran Roo up front


Aracauna roo 1


Pick of the litter from these Aracauna

 

[robgray]

alrighty, folks. I'm new to the whole breeding game. Completely. I have an Easter Egger hen who is laying a lighter blue, an Americauna pullet who is 11 weeks, a black maran pullet who is 10 weeks, a golden laced cochin who is 10 weeks, a rhode island red hen and a new hampshire red hen. I want to breed for olive eggs (or anything neat for that matter) and have been trying to wade through this all. I have the opportunity to take in a 10 week old Splash maran roo, an Aracauna roo, a [COLOR=141823]french black copper maran roo or a blue copper Marans roo (You'd have to tell me the last two would make an awesome breed to get me to do the 4.5 hour round trip drive to get one )[/COLOR]. Which do I go for? What will resulting chicks lay? And then do I cross back again to get a darker egg? From what I have read, it looks like I need the Maran roo to mate with the Americauna and easter egger to get an olive egg, but then cross that chick back to the roo to get a dark olive egg. Is this correct? And if I got the Aracauna roo instead, would I still get olive eggs from my one maran mating with him? I hope this all makes sense Someone make me a darn chart of what I'll get with each of my hens roo options!!! lol I posted pictures of my rooster options Thanks, all!! Splash Maran Roo up front Aracauna roo 1 Pick of the litter from these Aracauna

Yes exactly! You got it!!!! Easy peasy. The only cavet to that is the americanas often have a ressevive brown egg gene . Im sure tou will get some good replies to help us all out!

 

[aart]

alrighty, folks. I'm new to the whole breeding game. Completely. I have an Easter Egger hen who is laying a lighter blue, an Americauna pullet who is 11 weeks, a black maran pullet who is 10 weeks, a golden laced cochin who is 10 weeks, a rhode island red hen and a new hampshire red hen. I want to breed for olive eggs (or anything neat for that matter) and have been trying to wade through this all. I have the opportunity to take in a 10 week old Splash maran roo, an Aracauna roo, a french black copper maran roo or a blue copper Marans roo (You'd have to tell me the last two would make an awesome breed to get me to do the 4.5 hour round trip drive to get one ). Which do I go for? What will resulting chicks lay? And then do I cross back again to get a darker egg? From what I have read, it looks like I need the Maran roo to mate with the Americauna and easter egger to get an olive egg, but then cross that chick back to the roo to get a dark olive egg. Is this correct? And if I got the Aracauna roo instead, would I still get olive eggs from my one maran mating with him? I hope this all makes sense Someone make me a darn chart of what I'll get with each of my hens roo options!!! lol I posted pictures of my rooster options
Thanks, all!!




Aracauna roo 1


Pick of the litter from these Aracauna

I don't think that these are truly Araucanas...they are pretty rare,
tho many people call EE's 'Araucanas' because the hatcheries misrepresent them as such.
Buyer beware with breed names, do your homework very carefully to find reputable breeders of pure bred birds and be ready to pay dearly for them.

You can get oliveish eggs from crossing darker brown egg layers with blue/green egg layers(EE's),
but a higher percentage of brown layers will come from those crosses.

If you want really great color and 100% olive laying pullets you need to use pure breed Marans with a proven dark egg color,
and a pure bred good blue egg layers.

There's facebook group that has a great chart about crossing for OE's pinned at the top......
.....and a few very talented breeders there who understand the genetics(which I find mind boggling for the most part)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1541575112755530/