True olive egger

[Toon]

I've been messing around with genetics (on paper) lately, and I don't think it's possible, but maybe I'm missing something: is it possible to make a 'breed' (not rlly a breed, more like a cross) that will breed true in olive egg colour? With no brown or blue coming from it? One that will breed true for multiple generations?

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

It’s definitely possible, but it will take a few generations until you have what you want. If you want birds that will always lay olive eggs you will need to start by crossing say a Marans cock who hatched from a very dark brown egg and who’s sisters lay dark brown eggs to a blue egg laying hen. The F1 offspring will all lay olive eggs granted that your hen is homozygous for the blue egg gene. Now you would cross the F1s together to get F2s. However you will end up with 50% homozygous for the blue egg gene (green or olive egg layers), 25% heterozygous for the blue egg gene (green or olive egg layers), & 25% homozygous for the non blue egg gene (brown egg layers). Now you will take the F2s that lay olive eggs and you will need to test mate them to see if they carry 2 blue egg genes or just 1. To test this you will need to cross F2 cocks and hens to brown or white egg laying chickens. If an F2 Olive Egger is homozygous for the blue egg gene then all its offspring will lay blue, green, or olive eggs. If an F2 Olive Egger is heterozygous for the blue egg gene then 50% the offspring will lay blue, green, or olive eggs and the other 50% will lay white or brown eggs. Once you have ascertained which F2 Olive Eggers are homozygous for the blue egg gene you will cross them and your F3s will be guaranteed to lay green or olive eggs. I believe that it is hard to guarantee that the dark brown egg genes pass on to the offspring in F2 progeny. That’s why back crossing to Marans, Welsummers, or Barnevelders is done to improve olive egg color.

 

[Toon]

It’s definitely possible, but it will take a few generations until you have what you want. If you want birds that will always lay olive eggs you will need to start by crossing say a Marans cock who hatched from a very dark brown egg and who’s sisters lay dark brown eggs to a blue egg laying hen. The F1 offspring will all lay olive eggs granted that your hen is homozygous for the blue egg gene. Now you would cross the F1s together to get F2s. However you will end up with 50% homozygous for the blue egg gene (green or olive egg layers), 25% heterozygous for the blue egg gene (green or olive egg layers), & 25% homozygous for the non blue egg gene (brown egg layers). Now you will take the F2s that lay olive eggs and you will need to test mate them to see if they carry 2 blue egg genes or just 1. To test this you will need to cross F2 cocks and hens to brown or white egg laying chickens. If an F2 Olive Egger is homozygous for the blue egg gene then all its offspring will lay blue, green, or olive eggs. If an F2 Olive Egger is heterozygous for the blue egg gene then half the offspring will lay blue, green, or olive eggs and the other 50 will lay white or brown eggs. Once you have ascertained which F2 Olive Eggers are homozygous for the blue egg gene you will cross them and your F3s will be guaranteed to lay green or olive eggs. I believe that it is hard to guarantee that the dark brown egg genes pass on to the offspring in F2 progeny. That’s why back crossing to Marans, Welsummers, or Barnevelders is done to improve olive egg color.

Cool! Something to try, but when i'm older and have too much time on my hands thank you so much!!!

 

[Toon]

It’s definitely possible, but it will take a few generations until you have what you want. If you want birds that will always lay olive eggs you will need to start by crossing say a Marans cock who hatched from a very dark brown egg and who’s sisters lay dark brown eggs to a blue egg laying hen. The F1 offspring will all lay olive eggs granted that your hen is homozygous for the blue egg gene. Now you would cross the F1s together to get F2s. However you will end up with 50% homozygous for the blue egg gene (green or olive egg layers), 25% heterozygous for the blue egg gene (green or olive egg layers), & 25% homozygous for the non blue egg gene (brown egg layers). Now you will take the F2s that lay olive eggs and you will need to test mate them to see if they carry 2 blue egg genes or just 1. To test this you will need to cross F2 cocks and hens to brown or white egg laying chickens. If an F2 Olive Egger is homozygous for the blue egg gene then all its offspring will lay blue, green, or olive eggs. If an F2 Olive Egger is heterozygous for the blue egg gene then half the offspring will lay blue, green, or olive eggs and the other 50 will lay white or brown eggs. Once you have ascertained which F2 Olive Eggers are homozygous for the blue egg gene you will cross them and your F3s will be guaranteed to lay green or olive eggs. I believe that it is hard to guarantee that the dark brown egg genes pass on to the offspring in F2 progeny. That’s why back crossing to Marans, Welsummers, or Barnevelders is done to improve olive egg color.

To test if the f2 are homozygous, that's only for the males, right? Because the hens you can see by the egg colour. Or am I mistaken?

 

[Toon]

It’s definitely possible, but it will take a few generations until you have what you want. If you want birds that will always lay olive eggs you will need to start by crossing say a Marans cock who hatched from a very dark brown egg and who’s sisters lay dark brown eggs to a blue egg laying hen. The F1 offspring will all lay olive eggs granted that your hen is homozygous for the blue egg gene. Now you would cross the F1s together to get F2s. However you will end up with 50% homozygous for the blue egg gene (green or olive egg layers), 25% heterozygous for the blue egg gene (green or olive egg layers), & 25% homozygous for the non blue egg gene (brown egg layers). Now you will take the F2s that lay olive eggs and you will need to test mate them to see if they carry 2 blue egg genes or just 1. To test this you will need to cross F2 cocks and hens to brown or white egg laying chickens. If an F2 Olive Egger is homozygous for the blue egg gene then all its offspring will lay blue, green, or olive eggs. If an F2 Olive Egger is heterozygous for the blue egg gene then half the offspring will lay blue, green, or olive eggs and the other 50 will lay white or brown eggs. Once you have ascertained which F2 Olive Eggers are homozygous for the blue egg gene you will cross them and your F3s will be guaranteed to lay green or olive eggs. I believe that it is hard to guarantee that the dark brown egg genes pass on to the offspring in F2 progeny. That’s why back crossing to Marans, Welsummers, or Barnevelders is done to improve olive egg color.

But after crossing f2 to f2, wouldn't you just get 50% 25% and 25% again? Or is it more complex than that?

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

To test if the f2 are homozygous, that's only for the males, right? Because the hens you can see by the egg colour. Or am I mistaken?

You need to do it with the males and the females. You won’t be able to tell which females are homozygous for the blue egg gene and which are heterozygous just based on egg color. Both will lay green or olive eggs.

But after crossing f2 to f2, wouldn't you just get 50% 25% and 25% again? Or is it more complex than that?

Not if you test mate your F2s and only bred the F2s that are homozygous for the blue egg gene.

 

[Toon]

You need to do it with the males and the females. You won’t be able to tell which females are homozygous for the blue egg gene and which are heterozygous just based on egg color. Both will lay green or olive eggs.

Not if you test mate your F2s and only bred the F2s that are homozygous for the blue egg gene.

Ok, perfect!

 

[Perris]

Chicken genetics is really hard. I am trying to understand but struggling. If I put an Araucana cock over a Welsumer hen, will any pullets that result lay olive eggs?

 

[aart]

If I put an Araucana cock over a Welsumer hen, will any pullets that result lay olive eggs?

It's possible.....if the cock passes a blue shell gene.

 

[Perris]

thanks @aart . He seems to be a pure Araucana, so could he have any other colour gene to pass on?