black sex links

[kbeagle]

Can anyone tell me is black sex links chicken a good meat bird, and how old do they have to reach before i kill them for meat.

 

[Brunty_Farms]

They are a good choose for a dual purpose breed. They are hybrids which make them have heterosis a.k.a "hybrid vigor". The makes the F1 offspring grow at good rates and lay better do to better genetics. Pretty much there isn't any inbreeding like many pure breed lines.

The males should be barred and the females a black with a orange hackle... but it depends on what kind of rooster you use. I believe the hen has to be a barred rock no matter what but I could be mistaken.

But yes, they will make a good DP breed meaning that the hens are a good choice for eggs and the males make a good table bird at about 18 weeks.

 

[kbeagle]

thank you jeff, can you tell me what kind of cornish hens i should buy to hatch in my bator?

 

[Brunty_Farms]

Are you referring to the Cornish Hens that you buy from the store? Because all these are, are cornish x rocks processed at about 4 weeks of age instead of the average 6-8 weeks.

If your looking for hatching eggs you can get them at www.moyerschicks.com

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I had RIRs. Mom-in-law had BRs. Mom had incubator. We switched roosters and ate eggs for a week and then started saving to fill Mom's incubator and all the roosters were barred and all the hens were black with the rust colorings on the chest. We kept the hens and ate and sold the roosters. Later on we got rid of some of our older hens.
I have RIR eggs incubating now, but I wish I had them with a BR roo because I will be selling the pullets and putting the cockerals in the freezer......possibly caponizing and it would be much easier to sex if I knew for sure by the colorings. Some roosters are late developers afterall.

 

[Brunty_Farms]

In order to get the sex linkage the hen has to be a barred rock... or it won't work...

The males will turn out barred and the hens will have the hackle like you were describing.