Red Sex Link

When I mentioned grandchildren, I didn't say "small" these kids are not toddlers. 10 years old and WITH the grandmother. My own father who has raised chickens since the 40's, does not recommend RIR roos for backyard flocks. Extremely protective of their girls. I enen had an brush with my Lt Brahma roo. I picked him up and walked around with him for awile. I think he was embarassed

Yes, I put him up when the grandkids come around. Bolton the 15 yr old can handle him, he's not much on strangers, but he really is a Mr MCCoo, he loves to be held and petted and keeps the girls from wandering. Last spring when my almost out brush pile suddenly took off burning along the whole brush row he went really nuts crowing and made weird sounds I went out to look thinking it was a hawk...whoops grabbed the hose and a shovel and put the fire out. Good Roosters are a thing of beauty!

I've kept RSL's for several years; currently have 5 hens. I actually ordered 7 RIR's ( 6 pullets & a rooster) from Southern States, & couldn't figure out why the rooster was white 'til I started researching on BYC & found out what I actually had & what Southern States had actually done to me; I won't be getting any more birds from them!

As it turns out, I'm glad I have RSL's; they lay more consistently than RIR's. They're easy to get along with, except for the rooster, which I've only recently replaced because I was tired of him trying to attack me. They all come running to me wherever they see me, & free range eagerly on a daily basis; pretty much all day, every day. Their eggs tend to be large, and range from cream-colored to a rich brown. Mine were purchased @ 16 weeks & started laying 3-4 weeks later. When they're not molting, I'll get 4-5 eggs a day in warmer weather from 5 layers, 3-5 in the winter. My coop is not heated, although it is well insulated, & the birds do quite well in the MD winters, which can be fairly nasty , with temps in the teens or below being common.

All-in-all, I'm happy with the RSL's & wouldn't hesitate to get more, as long as they were represented truthfully.

The hens are great; can't say as much for the roosters. Mine was about half nasty.

I have certainly enjoyed mine!

Thanks for listing all the other breed names that they might be called. BTW, mine are extremely cold hardy and don't like heat or direct sunlight!

Mine don't attack me , I think the rooster is the peace keeper there but I agree not as good personalities as a straight Rhode island or new Hampshire red. I think any time you play with genetics you run the risk of breeding in unwanted traits. Thinking maybe they were bred simple for production because yes can't complain there. I have one hen I had to separate into a seperate pen when they are in the coop, and I only let her out when the other girls are in the closed in run. They almost killed her once and they did manage to injure so badly( that she eventually died )one of the 2 hens in my photo.So I really have to keep an eye on them. Next time , yes I will just order pullets into TSC and get something other than the Sex link pullets. I am not in the major egg business so yes I would rather have nice happy hens.We handled them a lot too, just the one actually has a personality , must be why they don't like her!!

Mine came from a friend who got them from TSC. I only took them because she had too many. I can't tell mine apart but they work as a tormenting team and they're the youngest girls here. They have the rest of my flock so stressed that no one is laying except for them.

Yes, I try and schedule thier free range time to just a few hens and the rooster at a time. After they are all exercised well I put them in the enclosed run(under a willow with lots of soft dirt and straw to dig in), and then I let the other one out....time consuming but so far so good.

I love my Red Sex Linked too - they layed one jumbo or bigger egg every day summer and winter - rarely slowing down. However, both of them just died of tumors at age 2 years and 4 months. I wonder if the breed is pre-disposed to tumors and a short life because they are breed for production.

ya mine are a year old I got them for my cousin they were his so he could still come out and see them. I hope they don't die on me we have lost to many family members lately so I would hate to see anything else happen to my cousins. they have been through enough in the past 3 years.

Thanks, Im glad to read this about the red sex links too. After dogs wiped out most of my flock of laying Marans I needed something to produce eggs for our kitchen. Mine have not started laying yet, they're about 4 months old. They are very playful and active.

Wow, I have had the opposite experience with my Reds. Right now one of mine is appearing to be top dog over the other breeds. In the past my Reds were quite the peckers.

My Reds are generally nice don't peck much, and from what I've seen are through out the pecking order. I have two at the top and one closer to the bottom. Not including my rooster, then they are just the whole middle part. and I have a mixed flock and they sure do hold their own.

at 3 years old are they still laying strong?

I have six of these Golden Comets and I have gotten 4 of these giant eggs. I couldn't believe it when I found the first one. These are the neatest chix and I just love them.

RSL's are a production cross that does well in both confinement and on free range. Intelligent cold hearty heat tolerant year round layers of large brown eggs.

I must inform: you had bad luck! Most of the birds I've ever had, including at my parent's, were Red and Black SL. None was ever aggressive towards a human, and mostly go well amongst themselves. I have 8, at the moment. Their personalities differ quite a lot! But all are smart and behave properly. You know... there's always a "bad egg" no matter where you go. Or maybe something happened, which made your girls more suspicious. Give the breed another go someday, I bet you will have a different experience.

Oh, thank you but they're not the breed for me, for several reasons. I have met many RSLs from other flocks and haven't liked a single one. I find them to be much too aggressive with each other, and their flock mates. They're also more prone to reproductive issues. I have other breeds that are far more docile and are more suitable to my climate. I also prefer dual purpose heritage breeds and will be sticking with those.

This is strange. Ours got smaller eggs after they hit the year mark but they had other problems (major health issues, we've lost two to ascites and another to a heart attack, and a fourth has a permanent limp with no apparent cause). We all want what's best for our chickens, and I'm sorry yours had that issue.