Question about ISA Browns

[RAREROO]

What are they, Sex-links or what? Does anyone have any? pics? Aren't they supposed to be one of the one of the best Brown egg layers?

 

[catdaddyfro]

Quote:
Yeah, go to feathersite and look under the sex-links section.

They are a version of a Gold sex-link type hybrid and yes they are probably the best of the brown egg layers right along with production reds and Black sex-links.

catdaddy

 

[Chris09]

Form Wikipedia:
The ISA Brown is a hybrid type of Sex Link chicken, which is the result of crossing Rhode Island Reds and Rhode Island Whites.[1] The ISA Brown is a hybrid, not a true breed. It is known for its high egg production of approximately 300 eggs per hen in the first year.
History
ISA stands for Institut de Sélection Animale, the company which developed the breed in 1978 for egg production as a battery hen. In 1997, the ISA Group merged with Merck & Co., forming Hubbard ISA, so the breed is sometimes called Hubbard Isa Brown. In 2005, Institut de Sélection Animale (ISA) and Hendrix Poultry Breeders (HPB) merged. Institut de Sélection Animale SAS, France (ISA SAS) is now an operational centre of Hendrix Genetics. In March 2005, Hubbard was purchased from Merial Ltd by Group Grimaud La Corbiere, SA.

Here are some pictures... ( Not My Birds )
Rooster:

Hen:

Chris​

 

[patandchickens]

I have a page on them at https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-ISA_Browns

Yes, they lay well, although any advantage over other good sexlink types is probably negligable except in controlled battery-farm conditions.

They are a sexlink, but from very *particular* lines that are held/honed specifically for the production of ISA Browns, so they are one of these things that is sort of halfway to being a breed, in a sense.

I started out in chickens with 3 point-of-lay ISA Brown pullets from the feedstore. I was CERTAIN (and assured my husband!) that there was no chance I would get attached to them, because I am really NOT a bird person -- I just wanted them for eggs. Within about 48 hours they had won me over and my husband has never quite forgiven them

They had great personalities, were calm and friendly and interesting (once they got used to us), and very good layers. Unfortunately all 3 of them died of internal laying issues within their first 2 years. I do not entirely understand why, although being hatched around New Years and pushed for point-of-lay sale may have contributed. Certainly this does not happen to *all* ISA Browns, of course.

Pat

 

[RAREROO]

OK Thanks guys, I have 7 hatchery RIW that I am going to cross with a Buff Orp and a RIR roo to see what I get. I may start a laying flock to sell eating eggs in addition to the hatching eggs from my other breeds.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
That can certainly get you red sexlinks but will NOT produce ISA Browns... it's only an ISA Brown if it had ISA-line parents (they keep special breeding stock for the female and male parents of the cross that produces the ISA Browns, similar to what's done for cornishX broilers).

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[RAREROO]

Yeah I know they won't be ISA Browns, but they should be great layers. If I decided to get some I was going to get them from a hatchery, I was also thinking about some of the Ideal 236 ( I think that's what they call them) for customers who want white eggs. I am usually against speciallized production hybrids, I prefer the good ol Heritage breeds, but if I decided to have a layer flock, I would want great layers so I don't have to have many of them. Also the roo I keep with them would be a Red sexlink, the white ones with the red wings and hackles similar to the ISA in the feathersite pic, I love the color of them.

 

[catdaddyfro]

Quote:
Yes the reason for these hens to die from egg binding/internal laying is from them being fed very, very, high protien diets and also their lighting has been altered to grow them off at an abnormal rate for early maturity as the egg farms do not care about the longivitey of these pullets lives. They will only use them for one laying cycle. Usually about 18 mos. old or first molt they're replaced by another group so on and so forth.

Now on a turn about note, I myself have had these same type hybrids live a normal lifetime without any issues. I say the main reason is they were raised under normal conditions ie: reg. chick rations and only used lights for warm'th or maybe just a few hours of extra light in the evening on short daylight days.

Anyhow they're great layers and I probably will always have some around for fresh eggs, seems like when everybody else is quit for the season those ol' gals just keep on plugging away.

catdaddy

 

[cmom]

The ISA Brown is a French breed of chicken, which is a cross between Rhode Island Red and Rhode Island White chickens. The breed is known for its high egg production of approximately 300 eggs per hen. ISA Browns are now considered by most fanciers a breed of chicken, not just a hybrid. Breeding ISA Brown × ISA Brown will produce ISA Brown chicks, just as crossing Rhode Red × Rhode White will. However, the ISA × ISA chicks generally lay more for they are selected from the best layers. ISA stands for Institut de Sélection Animale, the company which developed the breed in 1978 for egg production as a battery hen. The ISA breeds have been modified over time and the ISA Brown was bred as a result of trying to get the best return on eggs for food given, hence the appeal to the battery farmer.

 

[phasianidae]

the ideal 236 looks and sound like its similar to what Welp Hatchery sells, the California White: YourLinkGoesHere http://www.welphatchery.com/EggLayerTypes/California_Whites.asp