Blue Wheaten breeding color question

[Guest]

I have 2 blue wheaten hens, no rooster.

I had them in with a black roo and then a recessive white roo.

Just for the heck of it I hatched a few eggs to see what I would get.

No matter which roo was the sire, all the chicks have dark blue ground color, with red in the appropriate spots for a wheaten, but more solid and darker.  Of course, their muffs & beards are great, and have good leg color.

So, what should I breed them to?

I will breed a male back to the hens, but should I breed a pullet to the black or white rooster?

I\'m leaning towards the white, because, if anything, they need to lighten up, not darken, but I\'m no genetitist.

Any help here?

I\'ll try & get some pics posted tomorrow,if it ever stops raining.

Sue

[Mike Gilbert]

Sue, you are creating easter eggers.    What are your goals for these birds?   I\'m not sure what kind of advice to offer, as it depends upon what you are striving for.

[Guest]

I\'m trying to get back to Blue Wheaten. My bw hens have very faint blue, hardly visable.

If it doesn\'t work out, then they will be as you said EEs and I\'ll dispose of them as such.

Sue

[HarryS]

Sterling,
   I myself would purchase a wheaten or blue wheaten rooster.  Too long a road to clean up the crosses without a real outcome in mind.   Harry

[Mike Gilbert]

I agree with Harry.    With the price of feed these days, the long road just isn\'t worth it.    If you have blue wheaten hens, try to find a wheaten rooster.  

[Guest]

Here are 2 pics of the chicks that are about 3 months old
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http://www.sterlingcenterfarm.com/ameraucanas/xchicks.htm

I\'ve tried several times to get a rooster, through eggs and purchase with no luck.

Sue

[Jean]

I\'ve got a young cockerel.  Where are you located?
If it is not too far, we can talk.

Jean

[John]

I don\'t know if we are talking bantams or large fowl, but I\'ve got extra bantam blue wheaten cockerels for sale.

[Guest]

Sue,

I would agree with getting a male wheaten but if you can not get the male,  you can produce blue wheaten or wheaten if you are patient.

You will have to back cross a male offspring (from the black male) with the blue wheaten females. This cross should produce some wheaten offspring. The male wheaten offspring will have some black or blue feathers in  the pyle zone. Back cross the best looking male with the blue wheaten females. You should get some good looking blue wheaten males from the last cross.

When the males produce females that are good looking then you have what you want.

You will have to sell a bunch of easter eggers from all the crossing.

Tim

[Guest]

Jean,

I\'m in central New York. These are large fowl.

Sue