Mersiepoo--

After I posted my question I did a search on eggshell color genetics and found an article (might have been at The Chicken Coop, if I remember) that suggested a genetic connection between pea combs and green/blue eggs. She certainly has a pea comb, so maybe that is another way to tell. I always wondered about that ear/egg connection -- Araucanas do not have green ears!

--Johanna

You might have been at Classroom @ the coop?

The connection of the (P)pea comb gene and the genes for the blue shell are thought to further apart than what was believed at one time. There is still a linkage to some degree and if selecting for the blue shell it might pay to select for the pea comb.

Both the totally blue shell and the brown shell coating are dominant so when the 2 are crossed green, of some shade, is likely.

There is no genetic connection of shell color and ear lobe color. That's just an old tale with little scientific basis. Easily disputed when you run down the list of breeds and egg shell colors.

Fancifowl, that's interesting information. I guess I just have to wait until I either see a distinctly new color egg or catch her in the act!

--Johanna

If you make your way back to The Coop and do a search on shell colors there is a ton of info in the archives. The COOP probably has the highest representation of poultry knowledge of any web site. Not all participants still post there but still some very good stuff to be found.

If you make your way back to The Coop and do a search on shell colors there is a ton of info in the archives. The COOP probably has the highest representation of poultry knowledge of any web site. Not all participants still post there but still some very good stuff to be found.

I recall reading an article about egg color in Backyard Poultry magazine sometime in the past year. It seems to me I remember that article saying that the color of a hen's eggs will be inherited from the rooster who sired her. I'll see if I can find that issue and post again if I do. You might want to check their website, too.

Mercy!
BOTH parents contribute genes to the offspring.

Well obviously both parents contribute genes, fancifowl! But it does make a difference sometimes which parent contributes which gene.

I found the info I was recalling, and it's not an article but a letter from a reader who says she has interbred several breeds for 6 generations (Backyard Poultry,Aug/Sep 2007). Her observation has been:
blue egg roo x white egg hen = blue egg producer
blue egg roo x brown egg hen = green egg producer
brown egg roo x blue egg hen = white egg producer (neither bird passes its color gene)
white egg roo x brown egg hen = brown egg producer (poss. of a lighter color than the mother's eggs)

The author of the letter does stress that these are just her own observations in her flock.

Genetics can be very interesting and surprising.

My pullet has a brown laying father and blue laying mother from what I can tell. (I only have one rooster, so I know that part for sure.) So by your grid, she should end up laying white eggs.

That goes against my understanding of genetics (I don't think that dominant genes block each other, allowing recessive through?), but I currently have no white egg layers, so if I start seeing white eggs it will be quite obvious!

I'm more and more eager to see what Chick-Chuck puts out!

--Johanna

For what it's worth:
Two years ago we got a mixed flock of Columbian Wyandotte, Specked Sussex, Buff Orphington and one Araucanas pullet. We have 3 roosters, Columbian Wyandotte, Black Australorpe, and Silver Spangled Hamburg.
WeÂve had three hatchings all with some blue eggs. that produced 13 pullets. All are laying now. At least four are laying greenish eggs though none of the pullets has the coloring of an Aracauna. A couple of them have the ear muffs. We have no Aracauna males

Here is some info derived from the Sellers genetic pages.The Sellers have done extensive shell color stidies as chemists and hobbyist poultry breeders. Their work haS BEEN REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY POULTRY GENETICISTS INCLUDING dR. rON OKIMOTO. I have participated in several poultry henetic forums.
Shell color is the result of 2 genes, blue & brown. ( actually there are many more genes & modifiers involved)A white shell is due to the ABSENCE of blue or brown color. probably some modifiers here to as there are different sghades of white)the symbol for white shell is (o).
brown pigment is ooporphryn which is deposited primarily on the outside of the eggshell, it is a chemical compound resulting from hemoglobin metabolism. Much of the brown pigment can be removed by rubbing or washing. The shell is white inside and out.
Blue eggshell pigment is ocyanin and a byproduct of bile formation and is thru out the shell, blue on the outside and inside of the shell.

The effect of the gene(s) for blue are dominant over white. The effect of the brown gene(s) are also dominant over white.When genes for blue and brown are combined the shell will appear some shade of green.In which the inside of the shell will be a shade of blue, as is tyhe total shell when the brown is rubbed from the outside.

There is more, if anyone is seriously interested I will try to help with more data.

Both animals will pass their genes, you cannot get white ggs from crossing a blue egger to a brown egger.

Most people who think the have Araucanas actually have easter eggers which are a mongrel chicken carrying genes for the blue shell coolor.

Johanna, keep us posted on what Chick-Chuck ends up laying! I find this fascinating. The whole "white eggs from a brown x blue" business sounds odd to me, too, but I'm just reporting what I read.

For that matter, 'male pattern baldness' gene being passed by the female parent sounds suspicious to me, as well, but I've seen it play out over the generations in my own family.

Now it's a waiting game! I posted photographs of Chick-Chuck and her (possible) parents on my blog if you'd like to take a look.

--Johanna

Here is a link that might be useful: Chick-Chuck and her Parents