Best Cross For Egg Laying????

[newchickens2009]

What to breeds would be best to cross for sex-link for best egg laying? (Which breed roo over which breed hen)? I don't care about color of anything else just maxium brown egg production!

 

[RoostersCrow HensDeliver!]

In my opinion, the red sex link is the best layer. I also have black sex links that lay extremely well. My RSL hens eat a little less than the BSL hens because of the smaller body size, but there really isn't that much of a difference. I like a little bit of variety in color anyway. I got both varieties from Townline Hatchery in Zeeland MI. I am really happy with them. I believe they use a Rhode Island Red cock and a White Rock hen for the RSL, but I'm not 100% sure. The BSL is fathered by a RIR cock and a Barred Rock hen. I am getting an egg a day out of every hen right now, so I am very happy with them.

 

[Fred's Hens]

The make up of the commercial hybrid are actually patented by the genetics companies, DeKalb, ISA, Bovan, Shaver, Hendrix, etc. It isn't simply a matter of Red Roo over White(silver) hen. Sure, you can "roll your own", but aren't likely to get the spectacular results of an ISA Brown, for example.

http://www.isapoultry.com/en/Products.aspx Poultry genetics company home page.

I completely agree though that the Red Sex Link is the superior egg machine, coming really close to rivaling the commercial leghorn strains. The BSL are nice birds, but I agree, their larger body size means more food per egg laid.

 

[mbundy]

My red sex-link laid her first egg on Jan 20 was off and on a few days and has not missed a day since Jan 28. My wife wonder why we have anything else?

 

[Fred's Hens]

Yup. If it is all about eggs, then that's what you want. There are other considerations, however. Meat? These super light weight RSLs do not provide a carcass when finished laying that is enough for much beside a little soup or stock. They really aren't true dual purpose, imho. Not that they have to be. Secondly, never having any other color in the flock is often uninteresting to the eye. Third, different breeds, although not as productive or economical, offer different personalities to enjoy. Finally, the RSL is fairly hardy, but not the hardiest of cold weather breeds, given their light, hard feathers.

Sometimes, sheer egg production is not the only criteria.

 

[newchickens2009]

Fred's Hens :

The make up of the commercial hybrid are actually patented by the genetics companies, DeKalb, ISA, Bovan, Shaver, Hendrix, etc. It isn't simply a matter of Red Roo over White(silver) hen. Sure, you can "roll your own", but aren't likely to get the spectacular results of an ISA Brown, for example.

http://www.isapoultry.com/en/Products.aspx Poultry genetics company home page.

I completely agree though that the Red Sex Link is the superior egg machine, coming really close to rivaling the commercial leghorn strains. The BSL are nice birds, but I agree, their larger body size means more food per egg laid.

I know a place where I can get a few ISA Browns. If I cross them with my RIR roo will the egg production be close to what the ISA Browns are?​

 

[briteday]

Quote:
I know a place where I can get a few ISA Browns. If I cross them with my RIR roo will the egg production be close to what the ISA Browns are?

Too many variables to really know. One variable is the laying genetics in your rooster's lineage. Second, real ISA browns are bred from patented, carefully selected hens and roosters. Breeding out of those lines will not give you the same great results. You will be diluting the genetics. Lastly, you will not get sexlinked chicks so you will be feeding the males until you figure them out, sometimes until they crow. That's a lot of feed for a bird that will never produce an egg. That being said, your resulting hens will probably be good egglayers, but not great like the original ISA's.

 

[newchickens2009]

Quote:
I know a place where I can get a few ISA Browns. If I cross them with my RIR roo will the egg production be close to what the ISA Browns are?

Too many variables to really know. One variable is the laying genetics in your rooster's lineage. Second, real ISA browns are bred from patented, carefully selected hens and roosters. Breeding out of those lines will not give you the same great results. You will be diluting the genetics. Lastly, you will not get sexlinked chicks so you will be feeding the males until you figure them out, sometimes until they crow. That's a lot of feed for a bird that will never produce an egg. That being said, your resulting hens will probably be good egglayers, but not great like the original ISA's.

Thank you so much "briteday". I guess I'm just going to have to find a way to get me some ISA Browns to the Bahamas.

 

[CayuseRanch]

Quote:
Too many variables to really know. One variable is the laying genetics in your rooster's lineage. Second, real ISA browns are bred from patented, carefully selected hens and roosters. Breeding out of those lines will not give you the same great results. You will be diluting the genetics. Lastly, you will not get sexlinked chicks so you will be feeding the males until you figure them out, sometimes until they crow. That's a lot of feed for a bird that will never produce an egg. That being said, your resulting hens will probably be good egglayers, but not great like the original ISA's.

Thank you so much "briteday". I guess I'm just going to have to find a way to get me some ISA Browns to the Bahamas.

Tell you what, you buy me a ticket to the bahamas and I will go out of my way to find those ISA browns from you and deliver them personally.

 

[Sorin]

Like FredsHens said the sex links are fantastic layers. I have one black sex link, and she gave me 4-5 eggs a week through a very hard, cold, long winter. Now that the weather is better, I get 6 a week from her, she actually laid 2 in one day once. If you can get a hold of a Barred Rock and a RIR you can make your own sex links. Like Fred said, it may not lay quite as good as a hatchery one, but it would be worth a try.