Creating a beautiful Olive Egger

[Nashonii]

Has anyone experimented to see which produces the most beautiful olive eggs: The off spring from a Maran rooster to an Ameraucana hen, OR An Ameraucana Rooster to a Maran hen?
I have the breeds and want a beautiful Olive egger. Ideas?

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

I haven't read through this thread, so I'm not sure if your question has been addressed there, but I figured this would be a good place to start
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/131131/the-olive-egger-thread
If nothing else, I'm sure they're the folks to ask! Good luck!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Definitely read through that thread. It is good info and some good knowledgeable people are contributing.

Whether the Marans is the hen or rooster doesn’t matter. What matters is the genetics the Marans brings to the table. Not all Marans hens lay real dark eggs. Not all Marans have the genetics for really dark eggs. So whether it is male or female, it really helps to know that it comes from a flock that lays really dark eggs. With a hen you can see what color of egg she lays, but with a rooster you need to know what color egg he hatched form and the color of egg his grandmothers laid to get a good idea.

It gets more complicated. Some Ameraucanas have a gene that restricts brown. Not all do but some do. If you are unlucky enough to get one of these, even if the Marans contributes real dark brown, the Ameraucana might wipe it out or at least some of it.

Still, your best bet is to get a chicken that lays a really dark brown egg and cross it with a chicken that lays a blue or green egg. Which one is male or female doesn’t really matter. You can’t guarantee what the results will be, but the odds are you will be pretty happy. It does usually work, but occasionally there are some unbelievable surprises. I have a hen laying a blue egg now and she should be laying green. Not a dark olive like you want but at least a light olive. I don’t know what happened.

 

[Nashonii]

I hatched a roo that has a tail like a tailless Americana, and the neck and head of my Wheaton Marans. Anxious to see that he helps create.

 

[Nashonii]

I hatched a roo that has a tail like a tailless Americana, and the neck and head of my Wheaton Marans. Anxious to see that he helps create.

Thought I'd show you the result of my breeding. The offspring are just starting to lay....beautiful olive colored eggs. Merry Christmas to me! Thankyou girls!