The Olive-Egger thread!

[onthespot]

I am not interested in tackling APA acceptance. I just want my flock to breed true and the eggs to look good. Not likely they would become a recognized variety, but the truth is, there are a LOT of advantages to this combo of traits. A lot. One thing I would like to add to them would be more meat, early development, truly dual purpose, so those male chicks that one would sell off ASAP would actually have some value if someone wante to feed them out and harvest at a later date. I think I nice THICK cuckoo marans might do the trick. Some of those are really meaty and heavy bodied. Whenever I decide to finally outcross, I am going to look for a roo like that, quick grower, HEAVY BODY and DARK egg genes. I don't look to be doing that cross for at least another year or eighteen months though. Still busy tinkering at the stage I am at, trying to get a good set of consistent looking pullets that lay a nice olive egg, have beards, pea combs, clean legs.

 

[daps2000]

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No that isn't true, it is an old wives tail that the roo carries the gene for egg color. Both hen and roo carry a pair of egg color genes (actually two pair, one for brown coating and one for blue shells). Those pairs split to create germ cells which become eggs and sperm. When the eggs and sperm combine they create a new set of pairings that determine the new egg color.

Ask your friend this: If the hen didn't carry the gene for the colored egg then how would it lay a colored egg?

Thank you ... I guess there is really only one way to find out? <giggle>

 

[2txmedics]

Ok, now Im really confused, I have EE's...not a big deal...some beautiful girls...I have a few that are white, or so I thought....I have white hens with yellow shanked legs....no muffs/tuffs...and they are laying green and blue eggs.... lost here thought EE's had dark slate shanks??? help
Post in a few.

This is one of them:

This one here looks like her but lays WHITE EGGS!!!

THIS ONE YOU CAN SEE "IS" AN EE....does lay a blue egg, BUT HAS YELLOW LEGS

SO IM LOST, HELP PLEASE!!!

 

[Bluemoon420]

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They don't always have dark slate or green legs. They can have other color legs too. Pretty girls tho

Bluemoon

 

[Lensters]

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EEs are mutts, mostly crosses from Ameraucanas and Araucanas. There is no standard for them except that they carry the gene for laying blue eggs. The egg colors can be blue, green or even pink. You definitely have an EE there.

Check out this page for more info.

 

[Wynette]

Interesting conversation - LOVE your insight, Lensters! onthespot, I can't wait to see your spectrum of olive eggs. I only have one "F2" girl and although her eggs are very pretty, they are a bit dark to me. I've been wondering what color egg I'd get if I crossed her back to an Ameraucana roo? thoughts? I'll post pics of her first 5 eggs Monday.

 

[Wynette]

Okay, someone please tell me how to take pics of these darn eggs that show the true color!! I read a post indicating to put them in sunlight, that natural sunlight is best. So, I did that this a.m., and they don't even look olive to me! So frustrating! Here's what I got - this is the first 5 eggs of my only F2 olive egger, and a close-up of the last one:

Does anyone know how to get good pics? As I look at them in person, they look a completely different color to me than these pics. So frustrating!

 

[cottagegarden]

That my dear is a whole other art I think...the quest for realistic egg color photographs.
You take really AWESOME pics regardless of tint.
I try for overcast days, natural sunlight and not too late in the day so as to not have long shadows.
What really happens is I think "Crap...I wanted to take a picture of that egg before someone eats it or the kids knock it off the counter"
and take it whenever.


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[sevenchickens]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post all these questions... I've found this thread very interesting. I'm on day 21 of my first hatch with is a mix of hens (3 EE, 1SLW, 1RIR, 1SS and 1 black sex-link) covered by a CM rooster, so far the 3 EE have hatched along with the SLW and SS, they all look the same. They all have dark legs down the front with white toes I read that this often indicated that they will be Olive Eggers (which is what I was hoping to get with the EE X) but I expected the other crosses to look completely different? I'm confused, thrilled to have my new little fluffies, but confused by the genetic make up. If someone can help me shed some light I would really appreciate it.

 

[Wynette]

7, I don't know that black legs w/white toes is an "olive egger" indicator; I've hatched many French Copper Black Marans with legs/feet like that. Many of my olive eggers look exactly like my Marans, with the exception of their combs being pea combs. Mine all have feathered shanks, too, so thank goodness for the pea combs, or else they'd look exactly like Marans at hatch! Depending on your Marans (line, coloring, etc.), many of his characteristics will appear in your chicks. As they grow, you'll likely be able to tell who is who!