I want a good layer like sexlinks but...

[AmazingRachel]

Buff Orpington great layers. Sweet temperament

They only lay 180-200 in their first year ?

 

[AmazingRachel]

Good opportunity to teach your human child that chickens are not children,
they are chickens(either pet or livestock),
and sometimes they die at a younger age than we would like.

Amazing point. I've seen too many people let their chickens roam in their house, ewwww. Respect that they are living beings and leave it at that.

 

[AmazingRachel]

Barred Rocks, Australorps, and Rhode Island Reds are good alternatives. They are dual purpose and heritage breeds so that will last longer. But know that chickens only lay for, at most, 5-6 years.

 

[lazy gardener]

Excellent point made by Aart. Chickens are not LONG LIFE pets. Best for a child to come to terms with the fact that death is a part of life, by facing and dealing with that when she looses her favorite hen, then never facing death until Grand Ma dies. Even the sadder experiences in life are teaching moments, and if handled by a wise parent, they help to form the child's personality. Children should not be insulated from the tougher aspects of life.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

Leghorns aren't very personable though, 'flighty', little hyper.
The laying eggs life of most chickens is only a few yrs. I never heard sexlinks only live 2-3 yrs, yes they are a 'hybrid' but that just means they are a cross of two other breeds, typically rhode island red and barred rock, rir or new hampshire and white rock or delaware.
For kids I'd suggest Easter eggers, kids love those green eggs and they lay quite well.

Leghorns are the best chickens ever. Plenty of personality, and mine loves me

Gary

 

[Beer can]

Wow, leghorn fan club here Lol!
Actually all my birds are a bit flighty (I don't handle them) and leghorns I've had were no more so, just what they're known for.
The friendly one's can be a bit annoying especially when feeding them in sandals

 

[lilmillefleur]

Iv'e only ever had one leghorn who I got as a point of lay pullet, she was not hand raised or anything. She died of reproductive issues and I feel so stupid since I was a noob and didn't do anything about it. She was about as flighty as my other hens. So I guess it's relative. I might try leghorns again someday and hand raise them this time, see how their friendliness compares to other breeds.

 

[Frazzemrat1]

Wow, leghorn fan club here Lol!
Actually all my birds are a bit flighty (I don't handle them) and leghorns I've had were no more so, just what they're known for.
The friendly one's can be a bit annoying especially when feeding them in sandals

I have one, I find them alright... Personality wise, I much prefer the BR or my EE, or the BJG. But, for egg production, the EE and BJG don't enter in the contest. LOL

 

[Abriana]

Chickens lay for two or three years typically, but I heard of a hen still giving an egg a week at age twelve. Lots of chickens (who have homes where they aren’t butchered, mine certainly won’t be butchered!) live up to fifteen years. Some get reproductive issues, or other illnesses. Then it is the kindest thing to put them down so they don’t have to suffer. I’m not sure how long sexlinks live, but I’m sure with the proper care they’ll live longer than 3 years.

 

[GotCoop]

I really want sexlinks because they lay a lot and mainly because I want to tell the hens apart from the roosters they sounded great until I got to the part where they only live 2-3 years and my chickens are like my children and I want them to live a while also because we have a child in the house and they would be sad any advice?

Check out Bielefelders...can identify sex right out of the egg all the way through to adult.