Blue Sex Links?

[RAREROO]

Quote:
Yes that is the main reason for hatching sexlinks is being able to tell the males from females at hatch since a lot of people ( and commercial hatcheries) don't want roos, so with sexlinks they can tell that they are getting pullets. Also, when crossing the two breeds like that, it give hydird vigor making the sexlinks grow faster and be more productive that their parents.

 

[toejam]

I forget where but I heard that.

 

[RAREROO]

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OK but whereever you heard it from, it's not true. Sexlinks are fertile and are able to reproduce as well as any other chicken.

 

[pacetruckguy]

All I know is my Red Sexlinks lay really nice extra large brown eggs. got no rooster, I'm their rooster!

 

[Chickiemama1010]

mine lay really nice, large brown eggs too. they are soooo winter hardy laying all winter, no lights, nothing extra- and fairly sweet & tame chickens too. I did have issues with my roo at one point, but we have reached an agreement as of late and I "tamed' him - no more chasing, spurring, pecking or otherwise undesirable behavior from him. broom meets butt, roo decides to let me win

Once my australorps grow up, I am looking forward to the little RSL mix mutt chicks I will get. They may be broody. They may not. But it will be fun!

 

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

Quote:
OK but whereever you heard it from, it's not true. Sexlinks are fertile and are able to reproduce as well as any other chicken.

Perhaps the confusion comes from references to the fact that they do not "breed true".

They are still just as capable of making babies as any other chicken, but the babies will not be sex-linked. I hatched some F2 Black Sex Links once and the peeps were all over the place between RIR and BR in appearance.

 

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

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K, I'm a li'l confused on something here.

Given the Blue Andalusian genetics...

If you breed any of the following ways this is what you'll get:
Blue x Blue = 50% blue 25% black 25% splash
Blue x Black = 50% blue 50% black
Blue x splash = 50% blue 50% splash
Black x black = 100% black
Splash x splash = 100% splash
Black x splash =100% Blue

Did you used a Blue Splash roo with black barred hens? ANd you got blue barred boys and blue girls?

So, for the purpose of applying the Blue Andalusian genetics to the Blue Sex Link breeding, "barred" is essentially the same as "black"? (as far as not producing splash or solid black or black barred)

Thanks!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
K, I'm a li'l confused on something here.

Given the Blue Andalusian genetics...

If you breed any of the following ways this is what you'll get:
Blue x Blue = 50% blue 25% black 25% splash
Blue x Black = 50% blue 50% black
Blue x splash = 50% blue 50% splash
Black x black = 100% black
Splash x splash = 100% splash
Black x splash =100% Blue

Did you used a Blue Splash roo with black barred hens? ANd you got blue barred boys and blue girls?

So, for the purpose of applying the Blue Andalusian genetics to the Blue Sex Link breeding, "barred" is essentially the same as "black"? (as far as not producing splash or solid black or black barred)

Thanks!

You can breed any barred hen to a non-barred cock and have sex-linked offspring. Usually this is done with birds that are black; in the OP's case, he/she used a splash non-barred bird. Could just as easily used red or buff or even lavender. The normal black sex-links have much sharper contrast in colours between the base colour and the white bars. A bit less contrast with blue and much less if you used buff or a similar light colour.

 

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

Thank you!

 

[michickenwrangler]

If you were to keep breeding red sex links, would production capabilities be passed on? We have a cochin roo and RSL hens and I'm just curious what a combination of the two would produce. The hens are RIR/Leghorn crosses, so I would imagine that if you kept interbreeding RIRs and Leghorns (taking care not to inbreed), they would be productive layers, if not sex linked.

Adorable chicks, btw