2nd generation Red Sex Link

[acy0029]

Now before everyone say's you can't get Sex-Link in 2nd generation,I know this I was just wondering if anyone had bred a Red Sex-Link over Red Sex-Link, and if so what kind of egg production did you get? And what was the egg quality?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Sex links can be confusing, mainly because you have at least two different situations. Some hatcheries sell the commercial breeds as sex links. These are specific breeds of chickens that have been specially bred for many generations to produce hens that are fairly small so they have a real good feed to egg conversion rate, start laying young, generally lay nice large eggs, and lay a whole lot if eggs. These are the commercial breeds.

Some hatcheries cross dfferent breeds to get sex links, often a Rhode Island Red rooster over a Rhode Island White hen, but many other combinations are also used. A New Hampshire rooster over a Silver Laced Wyandotte is one that comes to mind, and the Black Sex Links are often RIR rooster over a Barred Rock hen. Often, but not always.

Then you have some hatchereis that give you a choice of which to order, the commercials or the crosses.

There is nothing magical about them being sex links and them laying well. Chickens inherit traits from their parents, whether they are sex links or something else. The commercial breeds have been bred for generations to lay well. If you cross them, their children will inherit the same traits.

Most of the flocks the parent stock comes from that hatcheries use to create sex links are good laying flocks. There is not a sinister plot to take over the world that causes the hatchery chickens to normally lay pretty well. Over generations of selecting their breeders from chickens that lay pretty well, the flock genetics lean toward chickens that lay well. So their offspring will normally lay well. It does not matter if they are sex links or not. You can make a sex link by taking a RIR male and crossing him with a RIW female. You can make a chicken that is not a sex link by taking a male from the same RIW flock and crossing it with a female from the same RIR flock. The offspring will lay equally well.

There are a lot of myths surrounding sex links. I think those myths are enhanced by some hatcheries selling the commercial breeds and calling them sex links.

For your question, if the parents are good layers, their offspring will almost certainly be equally good layers. It does not matter if they are sex links or not.

 

[draye]

Quote:
Haven't done the RSL x RSL, but have used the RSL hens with WHite Rock rooster. They are just now coming on 20 weeks old so should start laying soon. Trying to find our myself if they are going to be as good as the RSL that I had. The reason behind the WR roo is trying to improve size especially in the roosters for eating.

 

[RobG7aChattTN]

I sure would like to see an update for this post. I have a neighbor who is willing to give me some eggs from her red sex-link chickens to put in my incubator. I'm hoping they are RIR x RIW cross and not a cross of different breeds.

 

[donrae]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/660815/breeding-sex-links-third-generation

Here's a good thread, older but the info is still good. gives you an idea what results you might expect--again, keep in mind sex link is a generic term and could cover a range of parent breeds!