Welcome to our latest adventure in poultry breeding! We’re excited to share that we are currently incubating 24 eggs with the goal of creating the first generation (F1) of Olive Eggers. This is a delightful project combining the genetic gifts of our stunning Cream Legbar rooster with a diverse group of hens, including ISA Browns and French Copper Marans, among others.
Why Olive Eggers?
Olive Eggers are not a breed per se, but a type of hybrid chicken known for laying eggs with beautiful olive-green shells. This unique color is the result of crossbreeding chickens that lay blue eggs with those that lay brown eggs. The charm of these eggs is not only in their color but also in their rarity and the personalized touch they add to any egg basket.
The Breeding Process
At the heart of our project is our Cream Legbar rooster, Cedric Crowmore, known for his rugged good looks and genetic predisposition to blue egg-laying. By pairing him with our carefully selected hens—ISA Browns known for their prolific brown egg-laying, and French Copper Marans, famed for their rich, chocolate brown eggs—we aim to produce offspring that can lay eggs in various shades of green.
The genetic makeup of these pairings is fascinating. The blue egg gene from the Cream Legbar is dominant and mixes with the pigments from the brown eggs of the ISA Browns and French Copper Marans. The resulting egg color can range from a deep, mossy green to a lighter, more pastel shade, depending on the specific brown pigment of the hen’s eggs.
Our Incubation Setup
Our incubation process is carefully monitored to ensure the best possible outcome. We maintain the incubator at a steady temperature of 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit with a humidity level around 45-50%, which is crucial during the first 18 days. After this period, we increase the humidity to about 65% to help the chicks break through the shells.
We’re using a turning incubator, which automatically turns the eggs every few hours to prevent the embryo from sticking to the shell and to encourage proper development.
We bought our incubator here on Amazon. It’s a great little incubator for the price. We love how it has a really large reservoir for the humidity and it’s a “set it and forget it” incubator for the most part. Lastly, it’s got this handy little candling light right on the top so you can check progress!
The Excitement Builds
Today marks day 7 of incubation, a significant milestone in the development of the chicks. By now, all their vital organs have formed, including their tiny beaks, and their hearts, which initially develop outside their bodies, have moved inside. It’s thrilling to think about the little lives growing inside each egg, each one carrying the promise of something new and wonderful for our flock.
Looking Forward
We anticipate the hatch day with a mix of excitement and nervousness. Each egg holds the potential for a beautiful Olive Egger chick, the magic of genetics and the joy of chicken keeping. We plan to document each step of this journey, sharing updates, photos, and hopefully, the successful emergence of our F1 Olive Eggers.
Stay tuned as we continue to explore the beauty of breeding, the science of genetics, and the unending joy these chickens bring into our lives. Here’s to a successful hatch and the hopeful beginning of our very own Olive Egger lineage!
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