Are ISA Browns Sexlinks?

[Three Little Bunnies]

Hi!

I was wondering if ISA Browns are a sexlink breed.

 

[Peppercorngal]

Yes, it's a cross of Rhode Island Red and Leghorn.

 

[Three Little Bunnies]

Yes, it's a cross of Rhode Island Red and Leghorn.

Interesting! So if I crossed those breeds, would I get an ISA Brown? Are ISAs prone to the reproduction problems that most sexlinks experience?

 

[Peppercorngal]

Interesting! So if I crossed those breeds, would I get an ISA Brown? Are ISAs prone to the reproduction problems that most sexlinks experience?

No, you wouldn't get an Isa Brown breeding by yourself. The gene selection for this chicken is a mix and a guarded secret from what I read. Any chicken can have reproductive issues, I had a Delaware that died at 2! You just don't know. I know sexlinks have a reputation for issues, but so far I haven't experienced it in my flock of 43, 7 of which are sexlinks.

 

[Franklinridgefarms]

Interesting! So if I crossed those breeds, would I get an ISA Brown? Are ISAs prone to the reproduction problems that most sexlinks experience?

Not sure if it would be the same, there may be some other infusions of breeds or backcrosses, but it would be the general idea. I also wonder that too as a friend had some ISA Browns and thought they were the best birds they had. I have had several golden comets/red stars over the years and while they started laying early and layed almost as much as our white leghorns they seemed to not have as good of shell quality of the other breeds and over all they didn’t last long some died before two years of age and the remaining ones had significantly slowed on egg production by that point or a little later.

 

[Three Little Bunnies]

Thanks for all of your replies! My ISA Browns are very sweet and lay pretty well. I hope they live a long life!