Your opinion on my rooster. EE? (and other questions)

[itsy]

Hey!

I have eggs in the incubator that are hatching as we speak. I have a rooster that I got this spring from a guy who breeds Ameraucanas. He has birds that are true to the standard. On the other hand, he had two roosters that he's not using that came out of blue eggs (same incubation, I believe). One looked like a wheaten and the other looked like my guy. I had my choice and picked this fellow. His colors don't match any of the Ameraucana color standards and he doesn't have a beard. He is, supposedly from a long line of blue eggs, however. I have seen the eggs his hens lay and they are indeed a light blue...not like the eggs my EE hens lay (one lays blueish green the other olive)

Anyhow....he's been breeding with my girls. I have a mixed flock of birds: leghorn, slw, 2 brs, 2 ee's, 1 pardoned red broiler (normal chicken size), black jersey giant, golden comet (or red star...whichever. Hey lol), and a mille fleur d'uccle (that doesn't lay). So far two birds have hatched. One, out of the leghorn egg is a light yellow bird with pink legs. I found that to be interesting.

Either way....What are your opinions on him? Is it ever the case that Ameraucanas don't breed true? If that's the case, would I consider this fellow to be an EE or just a mutt? Would I have to wait to see if he passes on the blue/green egg gene in order to consider him an EE? Anyone have any opinions/wagers about what my chicks may turn out to be? I was hoping that the blue or green egg gene would be with him and carried on. If the chicks that hatch have pink legs, odds are they aren't going to lay a blue or green egg, yes?



And just because I think it's a funny photo.... here are a few of my girls playing cabbage tetherball while Hendrix (the roo) watches. You see my white leghorn, Pearl, Betty the Black Jersey Giant, and either Olive or Blue the Easter Egger. I can't tell them apart unless they're standing together. Olive is a greener color and lays a greener egg and Blue is...well, bluer in color and lays a more blue egg.




This is the first baby so far. It's the white leghorns. He's not fully dry in this photo.....

 

[BlueCamas]

He would be considered an EE, no telling exactly what his chicks will look like but I'm betting that some will have slate/green legs and a pea comb.

 

[hdowden]

they will all be ee's like your rooster is

 

[In His Service]

For what it is worth, some of my EEs lay various shades of brown eggs...anywhere from medium or light brown to almost pinkish.

BTW, nice-looking roo...looks like he means business!

 

[donrae]

Leg color isn't linked to egg color. Best indicator is a pea comb, it's closely linked to blue/green eggs. Enjoy your home mixed, I love seeing what colors I'm going to get!

 

[Pele]

Unfortunately, statistics are against blue eggs here. The blue egg gene resides very close to the pea comb gene on the chromosome. So when the split of chromosomes happens during reprodution, they commonly arn't split from each other, and are inherited together.

To be honest, your rooster was probably given to you for that reason. He does not have a pea comb, and is most likely not a blue egg gene carrier (I suspect the breeder tested him like you are doing now, and found it out that way). It'll be interesting to see what happens, but I believe you'll be getting green and brown eggs.

I'll cross my fingers for blue though, they're so pretty.

 

[itsy]

Thanks for all of the information, everyone!

I really want to learn more about chicken genetics. Very fascinating stuff.

I have one of the EE eggs pipping now...it's one of the more olive eggs. I hope it's a female. I really botched this hatch. I had both quail and chicken eggs in there and didn't time everything correctly, not to mention had the temperature too low for the first three days. All of my hatch times are off. I had to open the lid a couple times to pull older babies out (I know, a no no) so it hasn't been a constant temperature/humidity.

Let's hope a few more of the chicken eggs hatch. I think the quail eggs are done now.