Author Topic: Egg Color  (Read 27475 times)

Guest

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Egg Color
« on: February 18, 2006, 08:39:10 PM »
I would like to suggest the ABC publish an official egg color chart.  The American Maran\'s Club did just that.  Actually, they borrowed from the official French chart.  See http://marans-club.club.fr/echllang.htm#echelle  They had the official chart printed up and mailed out to all club members (for a small fee).

The Ameraucana breed is famous for blue eggs and muffs.  I know a lot of fanciers are into plumage color and feather perfection, but if we really want to promote this breed and get more people raising Ameraucanas we need to emphasize their utility and production traits.  There is a lot of confusion regarding egg color, and since it is not part of the APA standard or a judging factor in shows, it is very easy for \"award winning birds\" to not have good egg color, further diluting the traits that made this breed famous to begin with.  Having an official egg color chart and rating system will provide a target for dedicated breeders.  We all breed for multiple traits, but without a standard, egg color will continue to be random.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

Will (a new breeder who wants to do the right thing, but is confused)

William Morrow
Whitmore Farm
Emmitsburg, MD 21727

Guest

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Egg Color
« Reply #1 on: February 18, 2006, 09:42:36 PM »
I think that the pretty blue egg is desireable, but I would really hate to exclude a great bird based on the color of her egg.....How would you rate a cock bird? :thinking:

Guest

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Egg Color
« Reply #2 on: February 18, 2006, 11:20:56 PM »
I think egg color is very important, ee have all shades of blue and green,  brown.  making the egg color of the ameraucana more desireable, to have a bird that fits the standard and lay and lay correct colored  eggs should be the goal off all  

Mike Gilbert

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Egg Color
« Reply #3 on: February 19, 2006, 08:59:00 AM »
Blue tinted eggs are definitely the goal.    Actually, those of you who have attended the national meet either of the past two years know that we do have an egg contest, and a major part of the scoring is based on color.    That being said, we are trying to produce exhibition quality birds that also lay blue eggs.   This is a long term project and is not something that can be accomplished overnight in any particular strain that needs work in the egg shell color area.

Mike Gilbert

Guest

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Egg Color
« Reply #4 on: February 19, 2006, 11:37:09 AM »
I think that you have a valid point, and some of you gusys who have your birds right where you want them, can focus on egg color.  Me, I\'m still working on mine.  Egg color is irrelevant.  As long as I have type and size, I\'m a happy clam.

Guest

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Egg Color
« Reply #5 on: February 20, 2006, 08:25:08 AM »
As someone who breeds both Marans and Ameraucanas, I\'d like to wade in on this topic. My focus for my Marans is egg color. I am not concerned about type at this stage, as egg color is all for me with Marans. Once we get egg color right (and given where the French are I think it will take a long time), then I feel we can focus on type. Of course, those who are working to get Marans accepted into the Standard disagree with this, but each of us makes our own choices there.

Now, when it comes to my Ameraucanas, for me the focus is breeding to the Standard. Egg color is all very well and good, but I do show my birds and as such work to get them/keep them as close to the Standard as I can. Egg color can come later for them, as far as I am concerned.

Two different breeds, two different focuses, at least for me...

Guest

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Egg Color
« Reply #6 on: February 20, 2006, 08:39:54 AM »
so for the extreme if you have the perfect type  ameraucana that lays a choclate egg what do you have??   If you havea chocolate egg layers with muffs and a beard what do you have?????

John

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Egg Color
« Reply #7 on: February 20, 2006, 09:56:52 AM »
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Egg color can come later for them

That is the same reasoning that most Ameraucana breeders use.  I\'ve noticed over the years that the people that are \"breeders\" or at least understand breeding also understand that that is the best approach.  Some folks want perfection right now and can\'t understand why every Ameraucana doesn\'t lay the proper shade of blue egg.  
This is still a relatively new breed.  Some varieties aren\'t yet developed enough to produce consistent show quality birds let alone show quality blue eggs.  Many varieties were accepted into the Standards before they existed.  We are now trying to develop those varieties…one generation at a time.  
Some of the oldest varieties, like bantam wheaten, produce offspring that lay blue eggs quite consistently.  Selecting for egg color is not a priority in some varieties that have many other traits that some of us feel need to be developed first.
It seems that the primary genes for egg color are not the problem, but rather some color modifying genes that need to be bred out.  If that means we crossbreed to bring in the correct modifying genes (or absence of them) we could be back are square one.  If we can make an outcross to another variety though to get the proper genes we won\'t have as far to go to get back to where we were.  Another option may be to just keep selecting for the best colored eggs.  That will only work if the birds are not \"pure\" for the modifying genes that we don\'t want.
 

grisaboy

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Egg Color
« Reply #8 on: February 20, 2006, 10:13:47 AM »
I have a really nice exhibition quality black pullet that took reserve breed at a fairly big show last fall.  She just started laying, and lays a tinted egg.  Not blue at all, not even green.  It is heart wrenching to cull a bird like that, but it doesn\'t seem right to use her in a breeding pen.  I still have her and will probably use her in my lavendar breeding program where type is more important than egg color right now.

Curtis

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Egg Color
« Reply #9 on: February 20, 2006, 01:31:47 PM »
Thank you John for putting that into perspective.  Sometimes, my thoughts just don\'t translate to the written word very well.

I have two, beautiful blue hens that have already taken champion AOSB, and Reserve champion in the two shows that I have placed them in since I received them.  They are beautiful to the eye, and very, very, typey.....but they lay olive green eggs.....OH WELL!

That won\'t stop me from breeding them.

Angela

Guest

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Egg Color
« Reply #10 on: February 20, 2006, 01:34:39 PM »
Yes or no: Doesn\'t our Standard describe this breed as having BLUE eggs?

Guest

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Egg Color
« Reply #11 on: February 20, 2006, 01:47:53 PM »
Yes, actually it does.....but how many judges wait to see what color egg a bird lays?

I personnally feel that it should be amended to say \"tinted\".  But hey, you guys don\'t flog me for expressing a different view point.....LOL

John

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Egg Color
« Reply #12 on: February 20, 2006, 01:49:39 PM »
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Yes or no

Yes and No.  Both Standards mention that Ameraucanas lay blue eggs, but neither includes it in the breed descriptions as a characteristic to be judged.
The ABA does say a bird can be disqualified for laying an egg that has a color \"other than blue or a shade of blue\".
 

Guest

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Egg Color
« Reply #13 on: February 20, 2006, 03:19:29 PM »
then i sounds simple to me don,t show birds that lay off colored eggs,

Guest

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Egg Color
« Reply #14 on: February 20, 2006, 03:52:37 PM »
I have a better idea!
  How bout we only show cock birds?  Then the judges will never know........

Sorry, I don\'t mean to make lite of your stance...I just don\'t believe that it is realistic at this point to limit the breed to \"blue\" eggs.  Remember, this is a work in progress!