Golden/Black Sexlinks- Difference in Names?

[kekstrom]

I have learned so much valuable information because of BYC, so I figured the forum community could help me understand this:
Sexlinks (golden & black) have all these different names they go by... the hatcheries all sell them by different names, and I have seen people posting their chicks or flocks under different names also. So my question is, what is the difference? Are they all exactly the same? Why are their so many different names? Which one is the 'official' name?

Ex: "Golden Sexlinks"
Golden Buffs
Red Stars
Comets
Golden Comets
Isa Browns
Red Sexlinks

Ex: "Black Sexlinks"
Black Star

 

[beetandsteet]

The official name is Sexlink (black, red, golden, and brown). All the other names (stars, comets, etc.) are made by hatcheries, and denote their particular strain of sexlink--some names I think are even trademarked by certain hatcheries. A sexlink is a hybrid, so there can be variations even within the sexlink "type" (for example a Barred Rock hen cross a RIR rooster produces a black sexlink, and a Barred Rock hen cross a Partridge Rock rooster also creates a black sexlink, but the two different strains of sexlink have different ancestry)
A lot of people use the various names of sexlinks interchangeably.
Hope this all made some sense

 

[kekstrom]

The official name is Sexlink (black, red, golden, and brown). All the other names (stars, comets, etc.) are made by hatcheries, and denote their particular strain of sexlink--some names I think are even trademarked by certain hatcheries. A sexlink is a hybrid, so there can be variations even within the sexlink "type" (for example a Barred Rock hen cross a RIR rooster produces a black sexlink, and a Barred Rock hen cross a Partridge Rock rooster also creates a black sexlink, but the two different strains of sexlink have different ancestry)
A lot of people use the various names of sexlinks interchangeably.
Hope this all made some sense

It does make sense, and definitely helps me wrap my brain around the whole thing. Thank you. It seems like they are sometimes interchangeable, but perhaps that is more an assumption that all are the same, when however you are saying they won't be due to the fact that difference crosses of male and female are used. So if I know my Sexlinks are coming from say, Dunlap being advertised as Golden Sexlinks, then they won't be the same as someone who buys them as Comets?

 

[donrae]

Think of the term sex link as a generic name, and the different label of Star, Comet, etc as brand names. Like you can buy generic paper towels, or you can buy Brawny or Scott or whatever other brands there are. They're all basically the same thing, paper towels.

Buying sex linked birds from a hatchery, they're all going to be pretty similar no matter the hatchery. There might be some variations in shading/color, or comb style, but basically you're going to get a reasonably lightweight bird that will churn out tons of brown eggs.

Now, with the genetics involved, it's possible for the backyard breeder to breed chicks that are still sex linked ( sex is linked to the color of the feathers), but not necessarily great producers like the hatchery birds. Several of us breed our own sex links, with different parent breeds.

 

[kekstrom]

Think of the term sex link as a generic name, and the different label of Star, Comet, etc as brand names. Like you can buy generic paper towels, or you can buy Brawny or Scott or whatever other brands there are. They're all basically the same thing, paper towels.

Buying sex linked birds from a hatchery, they're all going to be pretty similar no matter the hatchery. There might be some variations in shading/color, or comb style, but basically you're going to get a reasonably lightweight bird that will churn out tons of brown eggs.

Now, with the genetics involved, it's possible for the backyard breeder to breed chicks that are still sex linked ( sex is linked to the color of the feathers), but not necessarily great producers like the hatchery birds. Several of us breed our own sex links, with different parent breeds.

I have lurked on a few threads and actually seen some members who are doing this. Very exciting and I think very respectful!