Mixed breeds

[Mister B]

I think that Buff cross is going to look cool.

 

[feather forest]

I don't know anything about this, but I wanted to say fascinating topic and one that I've often wondered about! Glad you brought it up!

 

[Michael OShay]

I was thinking the same thing about how cool the BA/BO cross looks.

 

[donrae]

Mine are only six weeks old, but here are some pictures of "what popped out" in crosses with a Black Australorp Rooster...

With a Barred Rock hen

With a Buff Orpington Hen

With a Delaware Hen

So these are some good examples of sex linkage with the barring gene. The non-barred rooster over the barred hens (Rock and Delaware) produced barred cockerels. They had white spots on their heads when they hatched, so they could be easily sexed at hatch.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

It is surprising the temperament differences that you get from some of these otherwise similar sex links. For example, we have had both Black Sex Links (RIR X Barred Rock) and Brown Sex Links (RIR X White Rock). You would think the temperaments of the two hybrids would be essentially the same since they are both bred from the same two breeds (with only color in the Plymouth Rocks being difference) and yet, the Black Sex Links have been consistently a little more docile and friendlier than the Brown Sex Links, no matter what hatchery we got them from or whether we bred them ourselves. It is an interesting phenomenon.

What I find interesting is the temperament difference between different strains of Red Sex Link. We've had Golden Comets, Golden Buff, Red Star and now ISA Brown. The difference between the ISA Brown and the others is AMAZING. I have too many chickens to tame them, and I just expect 15 week old pullets to run from me like I'm a cross between a fox, a hawk, and the devil and to not even come for treats until after they lay their first egg and calm down.

I haven't treated this batch of pullets any differently than any other cohort I've had, yet these ISA Brown crowd up to me. They got out the other day and I called them and they all followed me home, 75 pullets in a procession behind me like I was the Pied Piper. When I open the pullet house in the morning, they all crowd to the door and I pet them all before they jump outside. It's almost bewildering, they are so much friendlier than any other chicken breed we've ever had, including perennial favorites like Buff Orps and Australorps.

 

[Michael OShay]

These particular temperament differences are probably largely due to the different breeds used in their development. Golden Comets are Production Red X R.I. White, Red Stars (or Red Sex Links) are RIR X Delaware, Golden Buff (or Gold Sex Links) are RIR X R.I. White, and ISA Browns are RIR X White Leghorn.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

These particular temperament differences are probably largely due to the different breeds used in their development. Golden Comets are Production Red X R.I. White, Red Stars (or Red Sex Links) are RIR X Delaware, Golden Buff (or Gold Sex Links) are RIR X R.I. White, and ISA Browns are RIR X White Leghorn.

There is no possible way that an ISA Brown is a RIR x white Leghorn. White Leghorns have a white gene that is not the same as the silver gene used to create RSL. Any cross with a White Leghorn will result in a white bird with some possible leakage, and cannot produce a sex link in any way since the white gene is so dominant all chicks will turn out base yellow no matter the gender. Tetra Tints are a commercial RIR x White Leghorn cross, and they are yellow with black spots at birth and white with red leakage in adulthood and are not color sexable at hatch.

In addition, all the production strains of red sex link have been bred by their respective companies for so long that the parent stock is pretty far from what we'd think of as a standard RIR, etc. in the same way that you'll never breed a commercial quality white broiler in your backyard even if you could get a white Cornish to cross with a white Rock.

I just find it interesting that there is so much difference between the strains since we tend to say here on BYC that all RSL are pretty much equivalent. However, I have not found this to be true at all. I'm hopeful that the ISA Brown lay better than the other strains of RSL that I've had as well as having a better temperament. Their "product sheets" seem to suggest that they will.

 

[Michael OShay]

Actually, you have a valid point. ISA Browns are sex link crosses that involves more than two breeds. The original birds were probably RIR X R.I. White, but later some White Leghorn was added and possibly a couple of other breeds as well. I've had ISA Browns and they are good layers (probably a little better than the other Red X White Sex Links I've had) although the best Sex link Layers I have had were Black Sex Links (but only by a slight margin) because they layed a little better in cold winter weather.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

Actually, you have a valid point. ISA Browns are sex link crosses that involves more than two breeds. The original birds were probably RIR X R.I. White, but later some White Leghorn was added and possibly a couple of other breeds as well. I've had ISA Browns and they are good layers (probably a little better than the other Red X White Sex Links I've had) although the best Sex link Layers I have had were Black Sex Links (but only by a slight margin) because they layed a little better in cold winter weather.

I should try a batch of BSL I suppose. I always go with RSL simply because I find them so much more attractive than BSL. I have to have some pretty birds around to make up for my Tetra Tints, which are the ugliest birds I've ever seen. They have rusty red leakage around their necks, and more than once I've freaked out thinking it was dried blood.

 

[Michael OShay]

I agree with about the appearance of tetra tints. I've never bought any for that reason. How do they compare with your other hybrids as layers?