Cinnamon queens

[stormndixie24]

Hello to everyone out their i was wondering about the make up of the cinnamon queen breed as I have acquired two hens this past weekend I guess what I'm trying to know is what breed of rooster I would need to acquire to keep my breed pure as I know that the males turn white if anyone has any info as to what rooster helps make this breed I would greatly appreciate it thank you in advance

 

[Fred's Hens]

It's not a breed. It is a hybrid. Many of them come from commercial hatcheries or from parent stock from commercial strains. Many are not "breeds" as parent stock either, but proprietary "red" roosters are used over proprietary "white/silver" hens. They've been bred for the hen laying houses for decades. The parent stock is no longer really a recognizable breed anymore, if that makes sense. They've really been selected, tested and tweaked for top laying, good feed conversion and so forth.

Of course, local hatcheries can "roll their own" sex links as well, using whatever they have available in the breeding stock that will work.

Bottom line is that in spite of the marketing PR, we will often never really know. It's pretty much trade secrets.
The sex link thing is a one trick pony. In the subsequent generations, they won't breed true. If you breed a red sexlink to red sexlink you get all kinds of interesting things.

 

[stormndixie24]

Ok now I have a better understanding that no matter what roo that I use I will really never get a true cinnamon from my hens and I won't be able to auto sex them

 

[Fred's Hens]

That is correct.

Basically, that is the down side. Are you ready for the upside? LOL

 

[stormndixie24]

Sure I'm ready if its truly a upside lol

 

[Fred's Hens]

There is. The queen is a chicken just like another chicken. But, she's got hot genetics, as I call it. She'll pass that on to her progeny to a large degree. She's got egg laying genetics to spare.

You can either breed toward the white half of her, if you wish, or you can breed toward the red half of her. This depends on what you want out of the future. I wrote about our 4 year breeding of these birds here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/660815/breeding-sex-links-third-generation

You may find it an interesting read. It is an old thread, so many of the earlier photos have gone missing, but later in the thread, there are photos.

 

[stormndixie24]

Thank you for all your info sounds like you have been doing this for awhile breeding chickens I mean one more thing I like the brown egg layers and I have a buff Orpington rooster that has been doing a wonderful job with my flock but my thing is now that I have the queens if put him to work on them would I have lighter roosters at hatching or should I not cross the two breeds together I'm breeding for a more hardy bred of chicken

 

[Fred's Hens]

I like your choice. I would really like to make that cross and see what you get, consistently. I'm a yellow leg, yellow skin guy, while the Orp is white, but still. I think that would be a really great bird. I like putting some size on these light weight layer and mellowing out their rapid growth, too quick to burn out genetics. The Orpington genetics would be great for that goal.

 

[stormndixie24]

Thanks for all your advice and when I get some babies hatched I will post pic's

 

[Fred's Hens]

Wow

Here is a revived thread, running now, with photos of the very cross you''re thinking about. Cool.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/409937/buff-orpington-x-red-sexlink-what-color#post_11267657