Home bred sex links

[lazy gardener]

I'd like to start this thread to share info regarding our home bred sex linked birds. Include pics if able, info regarding the cross used to produce the sex linked bird, and details about the resulting sex linked birds health, laying history, and behavior.

My first was RIR x PBR. Produced 1 pullet, 3 cockrels. The pullet is a beautiful solid black, with beetle green/purple sheen. Very small comb which was black until she reached puberty, then started turning red, though still darker than most chicken combs. She is an excellent layer (first egg at 16.5 weeks), but had vitamin E encephalopathy as a chick, still does the moon walk, and a bit of head shaking. I'll not cull her, but definitely won't let her play in the gene pool.

This year's sex links are EE x PBR. Hatch was equally divided between cockrels and pullets. The pullets are solid black with that lovely beetle green/purple sheen. They all have one white toenail. Tiny black combs, just now showing some red. Tiny little wattles. Nice sized pullets with erect tails resembling EE. First egg at 18 weeks: beautiful dark blue/green. These girls are at the top of the pecking order among this year's chicks. (BSL, Dom, RCBL, SLW, Pioneer)

so, next year's planned sex-links will be: EE x Dom and SLW.

 

[Michael OShay]

I haven't bred any Black Sex Links myself in a while. All of the current ones I have are hatchery bred. But in the past I have crossed RIRs with BRs and bred them, and like my current batch, they were friendly, egg laying machines.

 

[lazy gardener]

Thanks for the input. I'd like to encourage home production of sex-links... mostly to take the "mystery" out of the process of producing SL birds. It is so easy to produce a quality sex linked bird, and have fun in the process while ending up with an end product that won't be found in the hatcheries. The back yard flock owner can produce a sex linked bird that will have the qualities specific to their "wish list". My own wish list includes a SL bird with small comb, which produces a colored egg. Bingo. Got it with my first planned cross!! And, these weren't even eggs from my own flock. I need to give credit where credit was due... just knew the birds in a friends flock, and she had the right mix!!

 

[Michael OShay]

Thanks for the input. I'd like to encourage home production of sex-links... mostly to take the "mystery" out of the process of producing SL birds. It is so easy to produce a quality sex linked bird, and have fun in the process while ending up with an end product that won't be found in the hatcheries. The back yard flock owner can produce a sex linked bird that will have the qualities specific to their "wish list". My own wish list includes a SL bird with small comb, which produces a colored egg. Bingo. Got it with my first planned cross!! And, these weren't even eggs from my own flock. I need to give credit where credit was due... just knew the birds in a friends flock, and she had the right mix!!

Sounds like an exciting project. It will be interesting to see how your attempt at an SL bird with a small comb and colored egg turns out. Be sure and post your results. Good luck with your Sex Links.

 

[donrae]

Nice thread! I have a ton of sex link cockerels running around this year

. I don't have current pics of most of them, but my main pen is a splash Ameraucana over various mixed breed barred EEs. I didn't take into account the need to have dark enough down to see a head spot, but fortunately they're also sexable by leg color. Light legs are male, dark are female. I'm raising up barred Holland and cuckoo Marans to put under him for next spring, my plan being to have sex linked blue hens that lay blue eggs

I think those could be good sellers, and if they aren't, I'd love to have them hanging around here! The cockerels are blue or splash barred, not much to see there although they are pretty birds.

I did have a sex link pullet from a mis-mash of mixed breeds..I took this rooster and hen



and got these chicks


I asked Marvin/niclandia about them, he said the gold chick was a sex linked female, the silver chick could be either gender. I sold the silver bird, so I'll have to wait for the buyer to let me know in a few more weeks what gender it is. So, that wasn't a perfect sex-link cross, but it was a start. Here's my thread explaining the genetics behind the parent birds..
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/906357/genetics-sex-link-question

 

[Michael OShay]

I asked Marvin/niclandia about them, he said the gold chick was a sex linked female, the silver chick could be either gender. I sold the silver bird, so I'll have to wait for the buyer to let me know in a few more weeks what gender it is. So, that wasn't a perfect sex-link cross, but it was a start. Here's my thread explaining the genetics behind the parent birds..
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/906357/genetics-sex-link-question

Those are some nice birds you bred. Chicken genetics is a fascinating subject. Good luck in breeding those perfect sex links.

 

[lazy gardener]

My EE x PBR sex links have put on some nice size. One of them produced an egg about a week ago that is, I think the biggest egg I've gotten from any of my birds. The eggs aren't as dark now, but are a beautiful shade of blue/green. Pea combs are staying nice and tight. Birds are bigger than any of my other birds... including last year's hens. If I posted one complaint about this mix, I'd say that they have quickly risen to the top of the pecking order of this year's chicks, and are holding that position well.

 

[Michael OShay]

If I posted one complaint about this mix, I'd say that they have quickly risen to the top of the pecking order of this year's chicks, and are holding that position well.

My Black Sex Links are at the top of of my pecking order. Of course the rest of my hens are all very docile breeds; Black Australorps, Bufff Orpingtons, and EEs.

 

[donrae]

What color is your EE? Did the hens get much leakage from his color, or are they pretty much black?

 

[lazy gardener]

They're solid black. The rooster was reddish colored with black tail feathers. No leakage, though some may show up after their first adult molt. They're producing a very nice green egg. One of them from last week was massive. Last year's sex link was RIR (production) x PBR, and that gal has a small tight straight comb, and very little leakage. You'd really have to look hard to see it, and it didn't show up until after her first big molt.