What are the chances I actually have Olive Eggers? UPDATE Post 10, 9 week pictures.

goldfinches

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9 Years
May 6, 2011
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I ordered Ameraucanas. From a breeder. They couldn't fulfill my order and offered Olive Eggers instead.

I have 4 week old babies that have no muffs or beards. As far as I can tell, they have single combs, not pea combs. That, though, I could be wrong on. I'm not real experienced with chicks yet, it's only my second year raising them. They have a single row of bumps, and they're starting to stick up already at 4 weeks.

The breeder has multiple colors of marans, so I figure the ones they're calling Olive Eggers are a Maran/Ameraucana cross.

What do you guys think, could I possibly have any that will lay olive eggs even though they seem to have single combs and no muffs or beards?



I know this pic is really zoomed out, I haven't taken any recent close up ones. I can, if anyone is interested.
 
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Here are close up pictures of their muffless faces and their combs.





This is Rod Stewart. No one can figure out what he is.
 
i would ask the breeder what they used to get "your" olive eggers.
do they have feathered legs?maybe the black ones are pure marans?
i think they should have a pea comb in order to carry the colored gene.i have always heard straight combs result in brown or white eggs.those are definately straight combs.

as far as the "rod stewart" goes ,there is no way to get a true olive egger from that cross,maybe easter eggers but you have to cross a pure blue egger(ameraucana) to a dark egger(marans/wellies) to get true OE.green egg layers are simply called Easter eggers.
 
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i would ask the breeder what they used to get "your" olive eggers.
do they have feathered legs?maybe the black ones are pure marans?
i think they should have a pea comb in order to carry the colored gene.i have always heard straight combs result in brown or white eggs.those are definately straight combs.
as far as the "rod stewart" goes ,there is no way to get a true olive egger from that cross,maybe easter eggers but you have to cross a pure blue egger(ameraucana) to a dark egger(marans/wellies) to get true OE.green egg layers are simply called Easter eggers.
They should be Maran/Ameraucana crosses. They have multiple colors of marans and wheaten ameraucanas on their farm.

Yes, many of them do have feathered legs. Rod does, and all of the black ones do.

I am wondering if they are just beginning to experiment with olive eggers and these are all duds. Or, possibly, they're pure marans. They have copper, cuckoo and wheaten marans.
 
i bred my wheaten ameraucana roos over black and blue coppers and only got pea combs as it is dominant.
you may have pure marans.
what is the chick in the middle of the 1st pic-pea comb or straight?
 
well,i don't think you have any olive eggers.it wouldn't be so bad to end up with marans,would it?lol
i would ask them again what you got from them just so you can piece it together.they might need to know that whatever they are doing for olive eggers isn't working or they got mixed up and sold you the wrong order.
sorry,if you were closer i would give you some OE eggs :(
 
No, Marans would be nice. This is my first attempt at breeder chicks instead of hatchery, so anything that is pure bred will be nice.

They want me to keep them updated in pictures, so I'll be sure to let them know what I have and maybe they can change their system.

I guess now I just wait 5 months and see what comes out!
 
Here are updated pictures. They are now 6 weeks, 3 days old.

My big question is, I read in another thread that marans need to have white or pink legs, mine all have slate. Does that mean none of my marans are pure?
(The breeder I got these from said their birds are from Bev Davis)

I believe this is a black copper maran, roo


Blue or Blue copper maran, pullet


Splash maran, pullet


This is the only one of the bunch with a pea comb, she may be the only Olive egger


 
So, I think I have my birds figured out. Mostly.

Here, I believe, is a Blue Andalusian Roo. He is already listed on Craigslist, he's showing too much overprotectiveness at only 9 weeks. I didn't order or want any Andalusians, I already have 2 hens, don't want any more. I have a blue pullet and two splash to match him.



Here is what is hopefully a Black Copper Marans Roo. I have another black roo, two, maybe, but he's showing the most copper. I really don't want marans, but may keep one of the roos if there are any nice ones. (I had a mean roo, had to bury him in the field.) You can see my blule laced red wyandotte behind him, and a splash andalusian also.


Another BCM Roo. He has white and I haven't seen any copper yet.


My wild card. Still can't figure this one out. Feathered slate legs, andalusian shape, 5 rows of a pea comb, (don't know the real term for that), poofy head feathers.


BCM pullet? I have 2 of these.


All in all, not very happy with the breeder's reliability. I feel like they just tossed a bunch of eggs in the incubator and filled some orders, sending me the leftovers.
 

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