Golden Sex Link

This afternoon I picked up my sick girl and I noticed her crop was real full and soft. so I started to massage it and water started to come out of her mouth. So I thought sour crop. I told her I'm either going to make you better or kill you, one of the two. you can't stay like this. I tipped her so her head was down and started massaging her crop. the water just keep pouring out of her mouth. I gave her a rest then tried again and got more water, boy did it stink! I finally emptied her crop. she didn't like it. I gave her some vinegar water and she drank and drank. then she started walking around foraging for food . she hasn't done that in three days. she slowly walked back into her coop .(she is in a coop by herself). drank more water then jumped up on the roost. she hasn't been on the roost in four days ! she has just laid on the floor. so I have hope for her. but not long term becaue of the track record for a gold sexlink. I'm going to go check on her now. I will keep you posted

Aww goodluck! Sounds like sour crop. One of our girls got this and then stopped eating and we had to force down mushy food in a syringe after she had an expensive vet stay. Try offering some defrosted corn kernels or peas as they're easier to digest than grain when the crop is upset. Our vet said at the time that too much grain could get stuck until her crop muscles start working correctly again. If it persists the vet can empty the crop out properly and give a medicine that will aid the crop muscles and digestion and antibiotics for any bugs. Our girl got through another 4 months after her crop issue before egg peritonitis got her.

went in to check on my girl twice last night she had her head tucked in her feathers and was sound a sleep. the second time she woke up and looked around then went back to sleep. this morning I broke up a slice of bread and she really went after it. I did a lot of reading on BYC last night. this is a very common problem. I really don't think she is out of the woods. Doesn't make sense to me to take her to a vet when I know there is nothing they can really do for her. I could buy a whole new flock with what it would cost for one vet visit. Five years ago my very first bird that got sick was a GSL. I took her to the vet and he said she had a yeast infection and gave me meds for her. she died a week later. I talked to a chicken vet a few years later and he told me chickens DON'T get yeast infections

I agree..I have two Golden Comets and they are the friendliest, most calm and social birds! They each lay every day, missing only 1 day a month! They are my sweeties 4 sure!!!!

I agree with you about the red hybrid layers. I have 13 and they lay eggs every day. They are good looking hens and very friendly.

Interesting. I'm having problems with canibalism and picking in my black sex links from ideal. They are 3 weeks old and have already killed one and have done damage to about six others. I've tried all the typical measures to reduce the precipitating factors but these things look like they are going to be just plain mean. I'm becoming disappointed with them.

Wow. So sorry to hear that you've had such a terrible time with your GSL's. Mine have been sweet tempered, friendly, and completely pleasant. No feather picking ever. In fact, several of my GSL's are lower on the pecking order. They also lay very well. I did not get them from Ideal but a local feed store (actually several different feed stores over the years), so I have no idea what hatchery they came from...however what line you get makes a big difference in quality of bird.

ditto for mine. sorry to hear you are having problems with these as mine were docile friendly hens to me and the other chickens . by far the most prolific brown egg layers I have ever owned how much space per bird do you have? sometimes the experts recommend more area to help with this. I will say I had some brown leghorns once that it didn't seem to matter how much space they were pickers ...hope they grow out of it as if they are like mine you will be happy with the laying ability they have.

My are so sweet I don't know about yours. But I did spend a lot of time with them to bond!

I have 2 GSL that are very sweet, communicative with me and also low in the peck order. I have never seen them be aggressive with the other birds that include 4 LB, 3 RIR, 2 BSL, 2 SLW, 2 BSL and 2 BA. I got them from Dunlap Hatchery in Caldwell, ID.

OOPS! Listed the BSLs twice, only have the 2.

My GSL have been the best layers, yes, great big eggs. These birds all have amazingly friendly dispositions and are the easiest to handle. I have had no problems so far and will have the majority of my flock of these pretty, friendly chickens

Just a point...these birds are bred to lay like crazy for about 16 to 18 months and that's it....just like all sex-links. I don't know why anyone would expect a sex link to lay and live like a Heritage breed.

I got some "red Sex Links' as the lady called them about 1 1/2 years ago, I probably need to change up soon - but they lay they clockwork! even a dog attack didn't stop them laying. Things that people said would put them off laying, like kids chasing them around for hours - next day, laying just like always. They are calm and I like them. They are still laying well, but everyone has slowed down a bit - I have some older girls. My RIR's are pushing 4 and they are great layers still. My sex links took longer than they said to start laying too. and they do like to be high.

Why wouldn't you recommend them? Are they that evil?

Ours honestly was. We had three hens, a black australorp, an easter egger, and a golden sex link. The first year was great! However, in the middle of the summer she turned into a beast. She literally pecked nearly all of the feathers off of the other two. They were free ranging all day. We tried everything to stop it. We gave extra protein, toys to play with, etc... Nothing fixed her. We even separated her for a few weeks. Right when we put her back, she started pecking them again.
I don't know if we just got the only evil sex link... but if a golden sex link laid 6 eggs a day, but had the personality of our old one... I'd have to pass on it!

We have four golden sex link and they are wonderful and sweet. They and the rooster roam the grounds together all day and get along great. They are the sweetest girls, very friendly, curious and smart. I love them dearly.

Awesome! Amazing how you can have such different experiences with the same breed. Maybe it's related to the hatcheries?

My Golden sex link was very kind and had alot of peronailty. So different from yours!

Great! Like I said, I wonder if it was just a "bad egg!"