Gold sex links, Astro whites, Amber whites?

Leigti

Crowing
7 Years
Oct 22, 2015
1,700
622
266
Walla Walla WA
I have some questions about these chicken breeds/crosses. Should I consider any of these breeds if I am more interested in the long Jevity of their egg laying versus how many eggs the first year? I have read that sex link chickens and the crosses of high production chickens usually end up burning out or having major reproduction issues by two years old. And three different people have told me that golden sex links don’t have these issues. Are they full of baloney?
 
They might be getting their birds from a different source than I am, but a lot (one in three) of my hatchery-sourced sexlinks have had reproduction issues such as ascites and egg-yolk peritonitis. (EDT: I've had about a dozen of these, so sample size isn't the best.)

My best layer (for several years) was a white Leghorn crossed with...something. No idea what. Unfortunately, she was also a bully, so I got rid of her.

My best breed overall for long-term production has been Production Reds. I have had perhaps twenty of these birds, and my three five year olds (EDT: each, not total) average five eggs a week in the summer (with about two each in the winter, because I don't light the coop.) I have had one develop Ascites and she had to be put down.

I also like Australorps.

I've heard that Wyandottes are very good long-term layers, though on the bottom end of the high-egg production scale (200/yr, I think?) they're noted for being good layers in the cold and dark, so they might be ideal for you, in Washington. My second year Wyandotte/EE crosses are pretty fair layers, even in the winter.
 
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I've had two Red Sex Links, and they were the best layers I ever had. I didn't notice them decreasing production at all. Like I said, they were the best layers and I would recommend them to anyone. I had them for about three years and their production didn't slow when the rest of the flock's did. I haven't had any of the other breeds you mentioned.
Are you getting chicks this spring?
 
That's so exciting! I just got chicks. Is this your first time, or have you had chickens before? Good luck, and have fun!
 

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