Will these lay green or blue eggs?

[AliciaM]

I hatched out 3 babies the other day out of blue eggs. Moms were easter eggers and dad is a black langshan...2 of the 3 chicks have feathered legs and I dont think they have puffy cheeks..
If they turn out to be girls, are they going to lay blue or green eggs?

 

[N&MSchroeder]

The blue/green egg gene is related to the pea comb. There was a great discussion on here a few days ago. It was actually on the Turken/Naked Neck thread and here is a link that explains the gene. http://reocities.com/Petsburgh/6624/

 

[cashdl]

While the blue egg gene is thought to be linked to the pea comb it is not a certainty. The creme legbar is a straight combed bird that lays blue eggs. There are many instances where birds crossed with straight combed birds still laid blue eggs. I have crossed my Araucanas with polish and after several generations I have v-combed, crested, muffed ( because I added EEs in there also for looks)blue egg layers. So there is genetically something else going on there besides the pea comb. I have also had straight combed blue egg layers.

If langshans lay white eggs ( I don't have a clue) then your babies will lay blue eggs. However just like any other gene it can be bred away. One of my true rumpless tufted araucana hens does not lay a blue egg, its tan pink, even though her father hatched out of a blue egg and she hatched out of a blue egg. I am breeding her back to a roo that hatched out of a blue egg to see how easy it is to get the blue gene back.

Its interesting stuff.

Lanae

 

[tadkerson]

I have to disagree with the previous post. The pea comb allele is linked to the same chromosome as the blue egg shell allele.

If one gene is linked to another gene, that does not mean the two are always inherited together. The blue egg shell gene and pea comb gene are linked very close- about 3 centiMorgans. This is very close- so the two are usually inherited together. The chance is very small for a chick to inherit a blue egg shell gene and a single comb gene from a heterozygous parent. One parent must be heterozygous for single/pea comb and blue/white shell color in order for a single combed and blue egg shell chicken to be produced. The other parent must be homozygous for single combed and white egg shell.

The following applies to a parent that has a pea comb and lays an egg with a blue shell.

The only way a bird can receive a single comb gene and a blue egg shell gene together is if crossing over occurs during prohase of meiosis. What happens is one chromosome swaps alleles ( one section of a chromosome) with another chromosome. One chromosome trades the pea comb gene for the single comb gene. This leaves one chromosome with the single comb gene linked to the blue egg shell gene and the other chromosome has a white egg shell gene linked to pea comb. The parent gives the single comb/blue egg shell chromosome to its offspring.

The offspring can then produce more offspring of the same phenotype.

Tim

 

[pips&peeps]

If the langshan lays a white egg, then yes, you should get blue or green eggs.

I have a half orp, half ameraucana pullet with a single comb that lays a teal colored egg. I got very lucky!!!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Langshans lay a medium brown egg; significantly darker than a silkie eggg, slightly darker than a plymouth rock egg.


tadkerson has explained linkage quite well. About 97% of the time the genes will be inherited together. About 3% of the time, separately. Once inherited separately, the blue egg gene is now linked to the not-pea comb allele.

 

[HBuehler]

We have several straight comb blue egg layers most are clean faced as well..never have got a pea comb to come out of this one cross and never had a white egg come out of it either

 

[phasianidae]

Quote:
Most likely your V combed birds that lay blue eggs have both the pea comb allele and duplex comb allele.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
Then obviously the crossover occurred before you got your birds, or in their first pairing. Once crossover has occurred, the blue egg gene is linked to the not-pea comb (straight comb) allele.

 

[cashdl]

So I have a question then. I have a hen that is an araucana. Her dad was a straight combed araucana that hatched out of a blue egg and she hatched out of a blue egg and has a pea comb. I am assuming her dad didn't get the blue gene, because she doesn't lay a blue egg it is pale tan. I am breeding her to another araucana roo that has a pea comb and hatched out of a blue egg in the hopes that her pullets will lay green eggs indicating that the blue egg gene is present again. Any thoughts on how successful I will be. Her oldest pullets are not quite laying age yet.

Like I said interesting stuff and I understand almost nothing, I can only comment on the observations of my flock.

Lanae