My Easter egger is laying a orangey/pinkish egg

[inquisitivebird]

I bought my eggs from a woman that was breeding a pure breed araucana rooster with a number of hens of pure breeds and Easter eggers. So, all the chicks should have gotten at least one blue gene from their father. But, one of my pullets is laying this orangey/pinkish egg. Can anyone help me understand why this might be? I'd like to sell easter egger eggs for breeding but I'm not sure if I should sell any of the orangey eggs. The rooster that I kept from this cross has a very small pea comb. I've read pea combs are linked to blue shell so I'm hoping he's homozygous for blue, but am not sure. Anyway, any thoughts?

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Are you sure her rooster is actually an Araucana? They should be rumpless and tufted, and they're quite a rare breed. I'm guessing he might also be an Easter Egger himself, hence the off colored egg. If he were an Araucana, it is correct that all of his offspring would get a copy of the blue egg gene, giving you nothing but blue and green eggs.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Not all EE will lay blue or green eggs, that is the downside to them. As they are a mixed breed bird, there is the chance that the genetics will play out in a way that results in birds that lay brown, cream or pinkish hued eggs.

 

[inquisitivebird]

The lady I bought them from said that she said a few people had been getting pink layers from her so she thought maybe her auracana only had one blue gene instead of two and wasn't really a pure auracana, but she said that if this was true she would expect half of them to be laying pink and half blue which isn't the case... Anyway, I'm hoping that the rooster I kept has 2 of the blue genes. His mother could have been an easter egger so there is a chance he has two of the genes. His half brothers all had larger pea combs and he barely has a comb at all. So, fingers crossed.

 

[MeepBeep]

but she said that if this was true she would expect half of them to be laying pink and half blue which isn't the case...

She can 'expect' genetics to follow statistical probability all day long, that doesn't mean it actually will

Chances are all her breeding stock (even if she believe otherwise) is mutt Easter Eggers...

As for your eggs, they are still 'Easter Egger' eggs even if they are blue, green, pink, yellow, orange, brown or whatever color... If you want to sell them as Easter Eggers you still can, just be honest with the buyers that the hens egg color will vary from your stock... If you want all blue eggs you should seek out proven blue egg stock from a reputable breeder or line breed your own...

 

[inquisitivebird]

If you want all blue eggs you should seek out proven blue egg stock from a reputable breeder or line breed your own...

I may try to do this. I'd like to verify if my rooster is a true breeder for blue eggs. What does the term 'line breed' mean?

I know a test cross is to take an unknown and breeder it with a homozygous recessive, so if I took my non easter egger hens and hatched them and waited for them to lay, if I got any non blue layers then I'd know he wasn't homozygous.

 

[MeepBeep]

What does the term 'line breed' mean?

A polite or maybe better said politically correct term for inbreeding that has been adapted by breeders...

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

If your rooster is related to your hens, I would replace him (especially if they are brother/sister). I see nothing wrong with line breeding father/daughter or mother/son. But, when you go the brother/sister route, it tends to bring out unwanted traits since they usually carry the same faults.

 

[inquisitivebird]

If your rooster is related to your hens, I would replace him (especially if they are brother/sister). I see nothing wrong with line breeding father/daughter or mother/son. But, when you go the brother/sister route, it tends to bring out unwanted traits since they usually carry the same faults.

Hmm, I see, what about if they are half siblings? They were layed by a potluck of hens. I might look into getting a new rooster. They all have the same father.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

If they all have the same father, they are likely to carry the same faults. I would replace the rooster and then think about line breeding once you've grown out some of their chicks