The Olive-Egger thread!

[Goose and Fig]

Well- I lost the last of my olive egger chicks this morning. 1 out of 7 survived (got really big) and went to live with Nellabean. All of the other babies never grew beyond what looked like 1 1/2 weeks- even though they were nearly 2 months old.

Other chicks that were in with them all ended up fine. I'm wondering if the "failure to thrive" was a result of some strange "fatal cross". Has anyone else had this happen with the olive eggers?

 

[Wynette]

I've not heard of this in olive eggers, particularly, I think, because they are a crossbreed, which typically indicates they are stronger than purebreds...anyone else?

ETA, I know there is a "dwarfism" gene...perhaps one of the parents of this stock has that gene?

 

[cottagegarden]

Oh my gosh, sorry to hear that was your experience.

The ones I have hatched have been lively, strong hatchers and they grew quite vigorous.
If anything, I have to watch them so they do not run the more timid birds off the food
b/c the cockerels are bigger and stronger.





eta typing faster than thinking

 

[Andora]

I couldn't get my olive eggers to survive either! It was like they just didn't thrive and they fell over dead one by one. The rest of my chicks and chickens were all fine, it was only the olive eggers and the marans/crevecoeur crosses that died.

This is my one surviving olive egger attempt. It's about 7 months old. It doesn't crow or lay eggs. The roosters were mating with it, but then today it started mating with the hens. I am so confused about this bird!

Do you all think it's a rooster?

(I also posted these in the breed/gender ID area.)

 

[cottagegarden]

I am so bummed for you guys, that stinks!!
With the tailfeathers curling like that and the stance I would say Roo.
I had the same thing happen that they would have small combs until they didnt.
It was very tricky. That is one reason I like the sex-linked cross!
All my friends wanted these birds, and I just didnt feel right giving them to them not knowing for sure
on the sex .

 

[snowhorse]

I bought a Barred Rock/ EE cross.

She looks all Barred Rock except that she has a small pea comb.

She lays beautiful Olive Eggs - I'll take a picture.....once I find my camera lol.

Here are the pictures of the girls (Sadly I lost one to what I believe was thrush croup)

And her eggs:

Obviously the green

But I threw my other ones in for color comparison.

 

[kathyinmo]

Golden Olive eggs! YAY, a new color to collect! Lovely egg, Wynette, really! Keep us updated on how the next ones are!

Quote:

 

[krstms]

So if I cross a black Ameraucana roo with a white rock pullet who lays a med brown egg, what should I get? Also if I cross the same roo with a Buff Orpington who lays light brown eggs? Or would I be better off to cross a Buff orpington roo with Ameraucana hens?

 

[hipeatall]

Hi there and Happy Friday!
I'm wondering if anyone has any olive egger hatching eggs available for sale? My son is doing an olive egger project for 4H (thanks to this thread!!!) and I'd like to get some olive eggs to put in with our eggs (we have a Cuckoo Maran Roo in with our EE Hens). We want to get them in the incubator next weekend (Mar 13) so we can have an Easter hatch. So, if you have some... please send me a PM. Thanks sooooo much!!!!

 

[onthespot]

I have barred and blue feathered pens and will have eggs available in time for you. PM sent.