Best hen for redsex links

[ThatGuy]

Been getting into chickens more and more looking to start selling redsex links. I have chosen to go with RIR rooster and nore sure whats the best hen to use. I hear white rock is good as well as white leg horn but i know you can use like RI White or a delaware what ones best or is there Thanks

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

If it was up to me, I would just get the White Rocks. Leghorns are really flighty. Plus both the RIR and the WR are brown egg layers, thus the resulting offspring will produce brown eggs for sure.

Do you have a market for sex-links in your area? Sex-links are really common around here, but most people just get them from the feed store for about $1.65 a chick. Try to think of how much it is going to cost you to produce the sex-link chicks (housing, food, parent stock cost, etc.) and compare that to how much you would want to ask for each chick. If the cost per chick is more than $2/chick, personally I would stick to producing a purebred, dual-purpose breed instead that you could sell for eggs or meat production.

 

[Pele]

I agree that White Rocks are the best. That way you get big robust hens that mature early. Also, I agree about the leg horn or RIR cross, both are generally less than human-friendly.

My Gold Comets are the RIR x White Rock mix, and they're hilarious, docile, and talkative. Especially my largest girl Darla; that girl will update me on a daily basis about the neighborhood gossip while sitting on my knee (at least that's the only thing I can think of that takes so much talking about

). People will come back year after year to get hens like that.

 

[Fred's Hens]

You'd best get the Delaware.

WR don't commonly have the silver gene needed. Leghorns don't either.

Without the silver gene, you'll make no sex links with your RIR roo.

 

[Fred's Hens]

You'll also need a plan for all the roosters you'll be creating. No one will buy those. Just sayin'. 99% of RSL rooster are destroyed at hatch. It's a hard thing to say, but that is the reality.