Egg color revisited

[Schroeder]

I\'ve been reading many, many threads on this issue.  I find a lot of talk about risking the sky blue egg color for the sake of developing other characteristics of the standard.  Most are from 2006 or prior and often suggest, \"current efforts are being made to reinforce the importance of egg color in the development of show quality specimens.\"  I\'d like to hear from the experts how this issue is progressing.

I am one who has developed an interest in the Ameraucana (almost) solely for the sky blue eggs.  I am raising my first flock of chickens from day old chicks I bought last spring.  Three of the 12 I bought were EE\'s because I wanted blue eggs.  Unfortunately, all 3 lay ugly army green eggs.  That lead me to the ABC and this forum.  I now am disappointed to learn that even buying true Ameraucanas from reputable breeders is no guaranty I will get the blue eggs I want.  I\'m attracted to the Blue Wheatens.  Are my chances of blue eggs just as good with this color as any other?

If I want to raise a few chicks \"just for the fun of it\" are BW hens crossed with a BW cock likely to result in offspring that will lay pretty blue eggs?  (I know they won\'t all be BW, but my priority in the offspring would be blue egg producers.)  

[bantamhill]

In general most people are not willing to pay the asking price for a pullet or hen that has been raised and is producing a sky blue egg shell. Even then, sky blue is in the eyes of the beholder . . . there are a lot of different shades of blue in the sky! LOL

In general, most folks forget about the male bird\'s genetics in the egg shell color department. Not just any old cock or cockerel will due, the best will be a cock that is proven. He has been crossed on a leghorn to check for brown genes and has proven that he can produce daughters with sky blue egg shell color. Again, price is the issue here . . . you are buying a cock that has a lot of time and effort in him.

So, you have several options . . .

1. Buy lots of hatching eggs so you have visual proof of the quality of the egg color the chicks hatch out of, but you will be going on faith that the cock/cockerel had the appropriate genes.

2. Buy lots of chicks and cull pullets heavily and genetic test all cockerels before use.

3. Make friends with a breeder in your area and get on the waiting list for birds that the breeder will have with good egg color that he or she is willing to sell over the years.

The egg shell color of Ameraucana varieties depends on the line and very wildly. I would make friends with those in your area with blue wheaten and buy some eggs and compare the shell color and then pick the line you like the best.

Best wishes!

Michael

[Guest]

From what I have heard, Wheaten and Blue Wheaten lines generally have the highest percent of blue or blue-green (versus olive green) egg producers, if that\'s helpful.

[Schroeder]

I just got home from the Ohio show.  My two biggest surprises: I expected the eggs to be a truer blue.  Those that were vying for awards all were more toward the green spectrum than I expected.  Not nearly as blue as some I\'ve seen photos of, although I know not to trust the color on a computer screen.  The club members suggested the florescent lighting wasn\'t good light.  I\'m not complaining, its just as a newcomer to chickens and this breed I was expecting something different.

Unfortunately there was only one blue wheaten pullet and no cocks.  I was surprised to find the wheatens and blue wheatens were almost indistinguisable except for a little \"blue\" on the tail feathers.

BTW, the club members all were very friendly and quick to answer my questions.

[bantamhill]

I would agree that the show lights made the egg shell color look green. Nicole Pickard had some bantam eggs that were really nice in the egg show and if they had been in natural light they would have been really nice.

I would also suggest to keep in mind that it is fall and most folks are not getting many eggs. There is a strong possibility that the eggs at the show were not the best colored eggs folks have, but what they had at this time of year.

Michael

[John]

the florescent lighting wasn\'t good light

I\'ve been to most of the ABC National meets and seen the eggs in the annual contests.  My first impression, when I saw the ones on the club table this year, was that they all looked greenish.  Knowing that they normally look much bluer, I figured it must be the lighting.