Heritage breed egg laying vs black sexlinks

[LeslieMiikal]

Hi! My sexlinks have started laying daily this week, none of the heritage breeds have yet though. I'm wondering what to expect? I have 2 Amaracaunas, a Barnevelder, a Silky, and 2 buck eyes, and a Brahma. Also, yay for egglaying season!

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Sexlinks are a hybrid and generally lay earlier in their life than other breeds. Your chickens may take up to 6 months before they start laying. Heritage breeds tend to lay later and slower but for a longer time than production breeds.

 

[Acre4Me]

How old are the birds?

Our heritage breeds varied in start age. We had one start at 20 weeks, all the way up to 44 weeks old (all had same hatch date). We started with 6 heritage breeds across 17 chicks. Currently we also have 2 breeds that are 6 months old. One has been laying for weeks and weeks. The other hasn't laid a single egg and it should lay a blue egg, so it should be obvious as it is our only one that would lay a blue egg.

If your purpose is to get eggs, and lots of them, then the production birds like sexlinks or white leghorns are the way to go. Heritage breeds can be very good layers, but are not going to be as good as production types (of course, there can be exceptions to this).

Good Luck.

 

[LeslieMiikal]

The birds were a few days old back last June, so hopefully they'll start soon! The sexlinks are on their second season as is the silky. I bought the heritage breeds as I didn't realize how fast the production breeds can "wear out", so I'm hoping to have a combination of birds to make up the difference

 

[Acre4Me]

The birds were a few days old back last June, so hopefully they'll start soon! The sexlinks are on their second season as is the silky. I bought the heritage breeds as I didn't realize how fast the production breeds can "wear out", so I'm hoping to have a combination of birds to make up the difference

My guess is that they were impacted by the waning light. after the equinox in June, light decreases a bit each day. Shortest day length is in Dec, and begins to lighten more each day. Chickens needs 14 hours of light each day. If you don't have supplemental light, then they are just relying on daylight. Of course sexlinks are made to lay like machines, and were bred for that purpose (and to visually determine females at hatch).

We have supplemental light in our coop, but have it on a timer and it turns on in the early morning, off during regular daylight hours, then on again for a couple more hours. they laid great until it was cloudy and very overcast/grey for several days on end. Then, they reduced laying. I guess bc they hardly had light for a few days. Then 2 started molting, and one went broody. Finally, they are starting to pick back up (the ones not molting or broody).

 

[LeslieMiikal]

My guess is that they were impacted by the waning light. after the equinox in June, light decreases a bit each day. Shortest day length is in Dec, and begins to lighten more each day. Chickens needs 14 hours of light each day. If you don't have supplemental light, then they are just relying on daylight. Of course sexlinks are made to lay like machines, and were bred for that purpose (and to visually determine females at hatch).

We have supplemental light in our coop, but have it on a timer and it turns on in the early morning, off during regular daylight hours, then on again for a couple more hours. they laid great until it was cloudy and very overcast/grey for several days on end. Then, they reduced laying. I guess bc they hardly had light for a few days. Then 2 started molting, and one went broody. Finally, they are starting to pick back up (the ones not molting or broody).

I had wanted to leave the light on for daytime, but it gets so cold here that if the birds were laying then the eggs would freeze if I didn't get there soon enough. We had about 5 weeks of anywhere from -25°C to -40°C

 

[LeslieMiikal]

It was a generally horrible winter lol.

 

[Acre4Me]

It was a generally horrible winter lol.

Yes. Yes, it was horrible.

Guessing you might be in Canada since you are posting in Celsius. We also were at the -25C (which is around -13F), with wind chills around -40C (which is -40F). But, thankfully it didn't last for 5 weeks this year. But, the winter never gets a goodbye party, but Spring sure gets a welcome party.

 

[Mosey2003]

The sexlinks will out-lay heritage birds, yes. For 2 or 3 years. Your heritage birds will start picking back up once there are 14 hours of daylight or more.

 

[LeslieMiikal]

Thanks for all the input everyone