If you could only have one Rooster, what breed for sex links? And is heritage required?

Assume you want to hatch eggs, and produce sex link offspring. What's the ideal roo? Rhode Island Red?

And my second question is, if RIR is ideal, then does a Production Red work just as well? I mean, I hear crossing RIR and a BR will make sex links, and I assume they mean Production Reds, since true RIR's are basically non-existent. Or do I have to get heritage breeds to do proper sex links?

(Edited out incorrect info about using Production Reds)

Here is a link to a great thread on this topic. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/261208/sex-linked-information

SIMZ said:

No, Production Reds won't work. They're hybrids. RIR's do exist - it's the color genes you're looking for. You can use several breeds. I use a Black Copper Marans rooster over Cuckoo Marans or Barred Rock hens.

Here is a link to a great thread on this topic. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/261208/sex-linked-information

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Actually Production Reds can be and often are used by hatcheries to produce Red Sex Links. While they may be hybrids, they are still red gene roosters (RIR, NH, or PR) crossed with a red gene hens (RIR, NH, or PR) so that the male offspring are all red gene roosters which is what is mated with silver gene hens to produce Red Sex Links. I've produced Red Sex Links myself on several occasions by crossing Production Reds with Silver Laced Wyandottes. Any red gene rooster crossed with any silver gene hen will produce Red Sex Link offspring, and any dark enough solid colored rooster crossed with any barred hen will produce Black Sex Link offspring.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems that about any rooster will work for black sex links. I already have a couple Red-x-BO roos, for example. And since both Reds and BO roosters can cross with a Barred Rock to make BSL's, shouldn't my hybrid roosters do the same?

Again, correct me if I'm over simplifying, but the Barred Rock hen seems to be the ideal breeding stock, more so than any particular rooster. Yes? If so, I'm thinking I my next purchase will be some BR hens, and that should settle it.

Barred Rock hens are prefered because their barring is so distinctive and will always pass to their sons. If you tried to use a different kind of barred hen, like a cuckoo maran, the males will feather in with barring, but it might look more like it's speckled than barred.

Toddrick said:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems that about any rooster will work for black sex links. I already have a couple Red-x-BO roos, for example. And since both Reds and BO roosters can cross with a Barred Rock to make BSL's, shouldn't my hybrid roosters do the same?

Again, correct me if I'm over simplifying, but the Barred Rock hen seems to be the ideal breeding stock, more so than any particular rooster. Yes? If so, I'm thinking I my next purchase will be some BR hens, and that should settle it.

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You need to make sure that the rooster you use for Black Sex Links is dark enough to see the white spot on top of the male chick's head. Obviously a white rooster would make this impossible. Junebuggena is right about the barring, however the white spot will still be there on top of the male chick's head for sexing at hatching no matter which breed of barred hen you use. I've bred plenty of Black Sex Links by crossing hatchery grade RIR or Production Red roosters with Barred Rock hens and the combination works very well, so I would personally recommend going with the Barred Rock hens.

A classic sex link mating is a Rhode Island Red cock over a Light Sussex hen. Light Sussex ( a Silver Columbian variety) are very popular for sex link crosses because they carry the silver gene, not a white gene. Plus they are based on the eWh (Wheaten) allele which means the underfluff is white to the skin and no color balancing needed in the underfluff to achieve proper top plumage coloring. Silver Columbian varieties which are based on eb (Brown allele) ( like the Light Brahma) have some kind of hue to their underfluff. It needs to be balanced correctly to get the proper coloring in the top plumage. Otherwise one sees black tinting on the top feathers where they should be white. The Light Sussex ( because it doesn't have this issue) produces a nice clear sex-link chick.
Yes, if you want all the classic characteristics which has made this cross so popular, then you should have line-bred heritage stock from a quality flock for the mating. These two breeds each have productive virtues other than color which endeared breeders to this cross. Both egg and meat qualities.
Best,
Karen

Michael OShay said:

Actually Production Reds can be and often are used by hatcheries to produce Red Sex Links. While they may be hybrids, they are still red gene roosters (RIR, NH, or PR) crossed with a red gene hens (RIR, NH, or PR) so that the male offspring are all red gene roosters which is what is mated with silver gene hens to produce Red Sex Links. I've produced Red Sex Links myself on several occasions by crossing Production Reds with Silver Laced Wyandottes. Any red gene rooster crossed with any silver gene hen will produce Red Sex Link offspring, and any dark enough solid colored rooster crossed with any barred hen will produce Black Sex Link offspring.

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Thank you for the correction! I was thinking that Production Reds are Red Sex Links (Golden Comet, Isa Brown, etc.) where the males aren't red. I'll edit my post.

SIMZ said:

Thank you for the correction! I was thinking that Production Reds are Red Sex Links (Golden Comet, Isa Brown, etc.) where the males aren't red. I'll edit my post.

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You're welcome. )

Great info. One more question. I'm not selling these or running any type of business, but I might be giving them away to relatives for their flocks. Do you think I need to order higher quality birds for my little breeding program, or should I be fine just getting regular hatchery birds (from TSC)? If so, where would you suggest I buy from?