Breeding Sex Links - third generation

[cmom]

I believe the white gene is dominate. I am no authority on this but as I bred each generation more and more the white came out and I kept breeding the white back to white. I'm not doing this any more. I don't have my ISA boys anymore. It was a fun project. The first breeding the chicks came out all different colors. Here is a picture of some of the chicks from the first breeding. There were a lot of males. Some of the chicks look like ISA females actually turned out to be male and many of the white chicks turned out to be female.

 

[Fred's Hens]

I believe the white gene is dominate. I am no authority on this but as I bred each generation more and more the white came out and I kept breeding the white back to white. I'm not doing this any more. I don't have my ISA boys anymore. It was a fun project. The first breeding the chicks came out all different colors. Here is a picture of some of the chicks from the first breeding. There were a lot of males. Some of the chicks look like ISA females actually turned out to be male and many of the white chicks turned out to be female.

That pretty much matches our experience as well. First cross the color sex "reverses" on many of them. Some just smutty, etc. Then, as you did, continue breeding the whites will indeed produce wonderful white birds. I like what you did. Looks as if you got a couple columbia/delaware looking birds, as did we. We did not pursue that look at all, no interest.

Our objective was simply to discontinue having to go back to buy chicks to get great layers. I don't know how you feel about it, but we feel we succeeded quite well. We're not going back to buy any more ISAs. We're very, very pleased with the white laying flock.

 

[tobylowe1]

I read each and every single one of your post. I find your work fascinating. I purchased 4 red comets from a hatchery in Ohio. It's called chickensforbackyards.com I'm very new to this. I was under the impression that they simply bred a full blooded chicken to another full blooded chicken to produce the comets. They websites almost leave you to believe that. Even the operator on the phone told me that the father was a Rhode Island White and the mother was a RIR. I did not know but the hatchery told me those breeds are not related in any shape or form and have pretty much read the same thing Your information has informed me that for a proper red sex linked to be eventually hatched; the bird may be made up of and probably is made of of a quarter each of 4 different breeds. So you don't just go out and breed a RIR to a RIW and get a proper Red Sex link? Is that right? My hatchery called mine Red Comets and out of my small back yard flock so far they are my favorite. I can't stand a flighty, unfriendly bird regardless of egg production. I accidentally ended up with a white leghorn and she drives me insane. All the other birds are pretty laid back and she, for no apparent reason just goes into a squawking, wing flapping fit and scares the other birds into a fight or flight type behavior. My four Golden Comets and my Leghorn are 9 weeks and 4 days old now. The Comets are quite large and look from my in experienced chicken farming that they could lay an egg any day? When do you think Ill start to see an egg with this hybrid? Also, please correct any information I did not get correct while typing about your post. Your white hens that are the Isa Brown 3rd generation are beautiful birds and I really like the fact you stated how calm, inquisitive and non flighty they are. Small urban chicken farming is really growing in my area and people have kids and neighbors and although we do want really good egg production, we would take a calmer bird any day over the loss of a few eggs.

I'm a 33 year old male and my wife had her leg amputated in a wreck a few years ago and I have a rare blood mutation called Factor V. I almost was a goner in September. i can go out in my back yard and let the girls out and sit at my picnic table and really relax and my fears about the future and health just melt away when I spend a few minutes a day with the hens. The industry really needs to "get on the bandwagon" and breed those horrible, battery hen, unfriendly characteristics out of the birds. Many even enjoy a few just as pets. I consider mine pets too as well I suppose but not like a good dog or anything like that and when a City Hawk swept down and took off with my Barred Rock that I had put out too early, I did not shed a tear or anything like that. Seems to be with your beautiful large hybrids 2 or 3 generations down the line, that for many that's exactly what you have. I find that to be a very valuable bird in today's urban environment. I live in North, Alabama almost on the Tennessee line. Winters are for the most part mild so I don't have to worry about the cold too much with my birds. It's the heat and humidity I worry about this coming Summer. Last Summer was the hottest Summer on record for my area. We had almost three weeks of 100 plus degree weather. Add humidity to that and I hope my birds do alright. I have three of the prefabricated coops. They are visually appealing since this is a neighborhood but they are not good quality for what they cost. I don't really have much room to add a fan to the inside of the coop. I'm looking for an outdoor fan at the moment and I think I can freeze a rather large bucket of water and leave that in their coop or maybe on top of their run. I do have the bonus of having my coops under the shade of a 100 year old oak and a very annoying sweet gum. They will be shaded every hour the sun is up and that will help with the hot Summers that seem to keep just getting hotter.

My breeds are the 4 Red Comets ( I know, not an actual breed) I mentioned, the leghorn, one 5 to 6 week old Black Australorp, two 6 week old Barred Rocks and one that I'm sure is full blooded but can't figure out what she and her partner in crime that is a Red bird of some type mix. I think I also have an EE or possibly an Amerucana. I'm sure I misspelled that. The one that I'm not sure about the breed and the Red Bird mix are my oldest. I'm thinking around 18 weeks old. I can't post the videos of them on here so you could possible help me identify what she is and possible the other mix as well. I can provide a link to my face book and if you have a face book account you can see the video. I took the video with a camera phone with great quality but they downloaded to my facebook using their phone and not to my computer so I have not been able to download it off facebook onto my computer to share.

Here is the link

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10151376510822053

Your knowledge and great pictures are what drew me in to your post. Nice to meet you and have a Happy New year. BTW, the coops were a mess the day the photo was taken. We had just had days and days of rain and I had some raking that needed to be done and some sod that needs to be laid. Also note that this was taken a couple of weeks ago so they are a bit older. Oh, I almost forgot.. I have three Black Sex link chicks. Just 2 weeks old if that. I farmer ordered 100 and just let me pick out a few. I'm not going to keep but two of them but I'm raising the other up and giving away to another Urban Chicken farmer in Huntsville, Alabama. I try to handle them all three at least once a day. Out of all the chicks I've raised in my brooder. All raised in the house. These black sex links have been the quietest, less messy, and the most friendly. Ill make my page public for a few days so if you have the time you can take a look. There is also a debate as to weather the reddish chicken could be a Roo because he or she often does exhibit Roo behavior's but their are no signs of a spurr and no morning wake up calls...yet. I'd like your opinion on that too. Thank you, Joseph

 

[halo]

There are a lot of sex links sold that are simply two different breeds crossed, as you said. The ISA Browns are a worldwide production bird that is specifically bred, as Fred said, from specific proprietary lines. There are a lot of sex links that are simply crosses such as a RIR or NH over a barred rock hen, or over a delaware hen. They are very popular with the hatcheries because they do produce a good production bird that is sexable at hatch. They are not the same as the ISA Brown.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Although, Halo, I'd be willing to bet a dollar to a donut that the percentage of red sex links sold through retail hatcheries and feed stores are really commercial birds. There are dozens of these commercial strains and lots of them end up being sold with nice sounding names for the retail market. But yes, a RSL is easy enough to make with a simple, basic cross.

Thing is? You just cannot know for sure. The hatcheries don't often tell you they are really selling a Bovan, a Hi-Sex, a Tetra, etc.

The mythology of the the white bird used being a Rhode Island White really needs to stop being quoted by the hatcheries, however. Gosh, what a myth. The RIW is virtually extinct and was/is a rose combed bird. Again, we just have folks, even hatchery websites, just making it up as they go along. What ever.

 

[cmom]

There are a lot of sex links sold that are simply two different breeds crossed, as you said. The ISA Browns are a worldwide production bird that is specifically bred, as Fred said, from specific proprietary lines. There are a lot of sex links that are simply crosses such as a RIR or NH over a barred rock hen, or over a delaware hen. They are very popular with the hatcheries because they do produce a good production bird that is sexable at hatch. They are not the same as the ISA Brown.

So true.

 

[draye]

I'm going to set 40 eggs from my first generation RSL to RSL. Will set 1/3/2013.

 

[cmom]

They don't breed true. Don't be surprised at the color variations. It is a fun experiment. I actually had some chicks hatch out blackish.

 

[Fred's Hens]

I'm going to set 40 eggs from my first generation RSL to RSL. Will set 1/3/2013.

Show what you have, at about the 6 week mark. If you want to go forward with the project, we can perhaps give you some pointers. For sure, you'll get a bunch of stuff with the first go round.

 

[tobylowe1]

I'm really enjoying my sex link reds and blacks so much more of be true breed chickens. So much friendlier and they seem less frail and healthier. I've never lost one of my hybrids. I think the Reds are especially attractive hens. My barred rocks were raised exactly the same way and from day two after hatching and a few other breeds and as temperament goes they just don't compare. I do love my birds and their such a stress reliever. I spend way too much money on them and have never made a dollar and never will. For me it's for organic eggs and just a really fun hobby. I do dread the hot, humid heat of North, Alabama this Summer. Last Summer was the hottest on record. Three weeks if 100 degree temps. I'm going to install fans into both my two small coops.


Joseph Stooksberry