White EE Genetics Question-serious responses only please

[smith2]

I hatched some EE's last year from a black/white/gold mixed roo over one white EE, one wild-type colored EE, and one brown/blue EE. From that group I have gotten 3 solid white birds. 1 solid white EE hen-lays pink eggs and 2 solid white EE roos. The other EE's from that group all lay blue eggs.

Here's the question: Is there any way to tell what the roos are carrying as far as blue egg genes? Since the hen isn't laying blue eggs, I am assuming that she cannot pass on any blue egg traits. What about the roos? It is my understanding that roos carry the egg color genes, so what might the white EE roos be carrying?

 

[Henk69]

Yes, there is! The peacomb is linked to the blue eggshell gene.

 

[Medicine Man]

Quote:
Henk, perhaps you're the person who could answer this nagging question I've had for a long time. In the rare event that a bird does inherit just one trait, either the pea comb OR the blue egg, then is the blue egg still dominant? Or is it just that it so often gets a "free ride" on the wagon of the pea comb?

 

[smith2]

All these birds have peacombs so that is not really helping me with the "egg" issue especially with the white ones since the white hens lays a pink/light brown egg? Any other factors to consider. Would the roos be more likely to carry the blue egg gene than the hens??

 

[Kev]

Medicine- Blue egg is dominant all by itself. Linkage with pea comb is merely by coincidence.

All my colored egg layers have single combs, except for one with a rose comb. Any of my single combed blue or green egg layer bred with say, a RIR will produce colored egg layers.

Smith, that is a problem common with EE. Large gene pool of various mixings/genes etc, including pea comb NOT linked with blue egg gene.

Your best bet is to use only hens that lay green or blue eggs which are solid proof she has the desired gene. Then you will have to pretty much blindly choose a rooster to breed with these hens, then use a son(s) out of the blue/green layers only. Chances of choosing a rooster with the blue egg gene is "more likely" this way.

Or buy a white Ameraucana rooster, those are supposed to be 'purebred' for the blue egg gene and breed with these hens.. you can even try using this rooster over your white hen, even if she lays pink eggs. Keep and breed only the daughters that lay blue/green eggs, breed back to the Amer rooster or a rooster you think might have the gene.

Or hope your white roosters have the gene and breed them with the hens laying blue/green eggs and hope some of these hens happen to be carrying white. (if it's recessive white- if the white is a dominant white, breed with black hens)

 

[smith2]

Thanks, Kev. You answered my question. I thought I'd just have to do a random shoot with the white roos. I'll just breed them to the hens and see what happens.

 

[Kev]

Hopefully some of your hens will be carriers for white. If that original white hen lays blue or green eggs, definitely breed white roo with her. If you're dealing with recessive white, all chicks from white roo and white hen will be white.

If that original white hen does not lay blue/green and the white roos are her sons, realize that both roos are at least not pure for the blue egg gene. They still can have the gene, if their father does have it as fathers can pass on the gene too.

If you really want to find out for once and all if the roos have it, breed with brown egg hens and keep the daughters(as close to 10 daughters per roo) until laying age. If the daughters lay only brown, then he doesn't have it. If daughters lay green and brown then he has it, just not pure for it. If no brown eggs at all, then he's pure. Problem is, that's a long term test..

If the father has been already bred to brown eggers in the past, you can use that as test for chance of white roos having the gene.

Other than that, just use the white roos and only set the green or blue eggs from this point on.

 

[Henk69]

If all your peacombs originated from blue egger fowl than my tip still stands.

For testmating I would use white egger since mixed blue/brown can range a lot in color (including pink).