Best chance at a pullet

[Ridgerunner]

The sex links are the production birds that will lay like crazy but live short lives correct?

This is obviously very confusing to people (I can understand why) but there are two different types of black or red sex links. All black or red sex links means is that you can tell which are boys and which are girls when they hatch by down color. There is nothing magical about productivity or health from that. It is just about down color at hatch. The hatcheries we buy from sell both types.

One type are the commercial egg layers. These have been specially bred to produce a large amount of relatively large eggs. They typically have a smaller body, similar in size to a Leghorn, and have a great feed to egg ratio. They are highly specialized to efficiently produce lots of large eggs and are prone to medical issues, especially if not managed the same way they are in the commercial hen houses. We don't manage them that way.

The other type they sell are when they cross two dual purpose breeds. These are just dual purpose crosses. They take on the characteristics of their parents. The hatcheries typically use parent flocks that lay well so these usually lay pretty well. The eggs may not be large though sometimes they are. The bodies are usually going to be larger than Leghorns. This type of sex link is not any more prone to health issues than other dual purpose breeds.

A lot of the confusion comes in because they use marketing names for these chicks. Many of the names don't mean a lot. ISA Browns are going to be the commercial red sex links that lay really well but may be prone to medical issues over time. Cinnamon Queens are going to be chicks with a Rhode Island Red father and a Silver Laced Wyandotte mother. These names do actually mean something. There are a few others like that but you have to know what they mean. But you see a lot of names that include Comet or Star. These are typically red or black sex links but, depending on the hatchery, could be either type. It is easy to see where the confusion comes from.

Practically all of these lay brown eggs. I'm not aware of any that lay blue, green, or white eggs. It would not be that hard to make one, just use the right Ameraucana rooster over the right dual purpose hen to get a green egg. Say a Black Ameraucana male over a Cuckoo Marans hen should give you an olive colored egg from black sex linked chicks. Some hatchery may be offering something like this but I'm not aware of it.

 

[3KillerBs]

Practically all of these lay brown eggs. I'm not aware of any that lay blue, green, or white eggs.

Ideal has a Production Black that lays white eggs, but I can't tell from the website if they're a sexlink or not.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Ideal has a Production Black that lays white eggs, but I can't tell from the website if they're a sexlink or not.

"They breed true;" according to the website so they are not sex links. The hens are barred so they are not black sex links. They are black barred so you couldn't see any red so they cannot be red sex links.

 

[Shadrach]

This is obviously very confusing to people (I can understand why) but there are two different types of black or red sex links. All black or red sex links means is that you can tell which are boys and which are girls when they hatch by down color. There is nothing magical about productivity or health from that. It is just about down color at hatch. The hatcheries we buy from sell both types.

One type are the commercial egg layers. These have been specially bred to produce a large amount of relatively large eggs. They typically have a smaller body, similar in size to a Leghorn, and have a great feed to egg ratio. They are highly specialized to efficiently produce lots of large eggs and are prone to medical issues, especially if not managed the same way they are in the commercial hen houses. We don't manage them that way.

The other type they sell are when they cross two dual purpose breeds. These are just dual purpose crosses. They take on the characteristics of their parents. The hatcheries typically use parent flocks that lay well so these usually lay pretty well. The eggs may not be large though sometimes they are. The bodies are usually going to be larger than Leghorns. This type of sex link is not any more prone to health issues than other dual purpose breeds.

A lot of the confusion comes in because they use marketing names for these chicks. Many of the names don't mean a lot. ISA Browns are going to be the commercial red sex links that lay really well but may be prone to medical issues over time. Cinnamon Queens are going to be chicks with a Rhode Island Red father and a Silver Laced Wyandotte mother. These names do actually mean something. There are a few others like that but you have to know what they mean. But you see a lot of names that include Comet or Star. These are typically red or black sex links but, depending on the hatchery, could be either type. It is easy to see where the confusion comes from.

Practically all of these lay brown eggs. I'm not aware of any that lay blue, green, or white eggs. It would not be that hard to make one, just use the right Ameraucana rooster over the right dual purpose hen to get a green egg. Say a Black Ameraucana male over a Cuckoo Marans hen should give you an olive colored egg from black sex linked chicks. Some hatchery may be offering something like this but I'm not aware of it.

Is what the Americans call an ISABrown what I would call a Red Sex Link?

 

[3KillerBs]

Is what the Americans call an ISABrown what I would call a Red Sex Link?

IIRC, ISA Brown is a very specific type of sexlinked production layer developed by one particular company that has the rights to that name.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Is what the Americans call an ISABrown what I would call a Red Sex Link?

Shad, I don't know what you would call a Red Sex Link. But maybe think this way. A Light Sussex is a chicken but not all chickens are Light Sussex's. An ISA Brown is a red sex link but not all red sex links are ISA Browns.

 

[RubySue]

This is obviously very confusing to people (I can understand why) but there are two different types of black or red sex links. All black or red sex links means is that you can tell which are boys and which are girls when they hatch by down color. There is nothing magical about productivity or health from that. It is just about down color at hatch. The hatcheries we buy from sell both types.

One type are the commercial egg layers. These have been specially bred to produce a large amount of relatively large eggs. They typically have a smaller body, similar in size to a Leghorn, and have a great feed to egg ratio. They are highly specialized to efficiently produce lots of large eggs and are prone to medical issues, especially if not managed the same way they are in the commercial hen houses. We don't manage them that way.

The other type they sell are when they cross two dual purpose breeds. These are just dual purpose crosses. They take on the characteristics of their parents. The hatcheries typically use parent flocks that lay well so these usually lay pretty well. The eggs may not be large though sometimes they are. The bodies are usually going to be larger than Leghorns. This type of sex link is not any more prone to health issues than other dual purpose breeds.

A lot of the confusion comes in because they use marketing names for these chicks. Many of the names don't mean a lot. ISA Browns are going to be the commercial red sex links that lay really well but may be prone to medical issues over time. Cinnamon Queens are going to be chicks with a Rhode Island Red father and a Silver Laced Wyandotte mother. These names do actually mean something. There are a few others like that but you have to know what they mean. But you see a lot of names that include Comet or Star. These are typically red or black sex links but, depending on the hatchery, could be either type. It is easy to see where the confusion comes from.

Practically all of these lay brown eggs. I'm not aware of any that lay blue, green, or white eggs. It would not be that hard to make one, just use the right Ameraucana rooster over the right dual purpose hen to get a green egg. Say a Black Ameraucana male over a Cuckoo Marans hen should give you an olive colored egg from black sex linked chicks. Some hatchery may be offering something like this but I'm not aware of it.

Thanks so much for this info