Red Sexed Link Oppinions...

[NYREDS]

Make your own. I also would prefer the RIR over Delaware for laying prowess, but might use a NH over a Delaware for larger carcass?

Many of the commercial RSLs are actually 4 way crosses to get the result they desire, which is egg laying extraordinaire, of course.

Why would the New Hampshire male result in a larger carcass? Rhode Island Reds & New Hampshires have the same standard weights.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Why would the New Hampshire male result in a larger carcass? Rhode Island Reds & New Hampshires have the same standard weights.

Agree. Around here, the NH tend toward a slightly larger carcass, as the Reds are simply not up to snuff. We don't even see very many real Reds, mostly productions posing. Not that the NH are up to type either, for that matter. Finding full bodied roosters of either RIR or NH around here is a tough.

 

[GSDBESTK9]

I got them from TSC and they were just labeled as Red Sex Links.

 

[Chris09]

Hello everyone! Ok so Red sexed linked, golden Comte's, red stars, ect... The names go on and on. Basically they are a cross between a Red colored Rooster and a white colored hen.
So I have found RIR and New Hampshire roos are the most common. For the hens White Rock, RI White, or Delaware.

Now don't get me wrong, I know there are other cross's out there. My question is What breed of Rooster and what Hen are the best to use to make the best Red Sexed link?

Thanks!

Are you just wanting egg layers or egg and meat.

If your going for Egg and Meat a R.I. Red / Light Sussex is a very good cross.
If your just wanting egg then a R.I. Red / Columbian Leghorn or even a Brown Leghorn / Columbian is good.


Chris

 

[Mary_Ann]

Hi Everyone,

I gave my heritage breeds to a 4H kid and got 11 red-sex-linked pullets. they are a cross between a RIR roo and a White Plymouth Rock hen. They've just started laying and I'm getting 7 - 9 eggs a day. I think two haven't started laying - no egg squat yet) They have already outproduced the heritage breeds by 100% - can't wait until they are in full swing. Most eggs right now are medium, one was extra large from 24 week old girls! So glad I made the switch!

 

[AinaWGSD]

Production breeds (including hatchery plymouth rocks) are going to outproduce heritage breeds hands down in the first two years of laying every time. Unfortunately, in addition to being egg machines these little hens are also cancer machines. We processed a few spent production hens this spring, including a few red and black sex-links, and we kept having "What is that?!?" moments while cleaning them as we found cysts, tumors, and internal laying issues in many of the production birds. They'll lay circles around a heritage bird the first few years, but the heritage birds will lay for a much longer period of time before burning out or developing reproductive related diseases so in the end it's probably pretty even as far as eggs over the lifetime of the bird.

 

[bigbama]

Greetings to all;
I've been enjoying this forum for sometime now. Recently retired from the U.S. Army after 32 years and decided to raise chickens as a hobby. I can't say that I'm new to chickens because I was raised in rural Alabama by my great grandparents who pretty raised or grew every thing we ate. However it has been over 40 years since I had to deal with the little critters. So getting to the point. I have thieteen 21 week old pullets. Yesterday I found an egg about the size of a bottle cap in a nest box. If this mean the pullets are starting to lay how long will it take to get a standard sized egg or is this just a random thing? Any insight will be greatly appreciated.

 

[draye]

Greetings to all;
I've been enjoying this forum for sometime now. Recently retired from the U.S. Army after 32 years and decided to raise chickens as a hobby. I can't say that I'm new to chickens because I was raised in rural Alabama by my great grandparents who pretty raised or grew every thing we ate. However it has been over 40 years since I had to deal with the little critters. So getting to the point. I have thieteen 21 week old pullets. Yesterday I found an egg about the size of a bottle cap in a nest box. If this mean the pullets are starting to lay how long will it take to get a standard sized egg or is this just a random thing? Any insight will be greatly appreciated.

First off

, from Mabelvale, AR.
Sometimes it doesn't take too long to get regular sized eggs. Sometimes just a bit longer. With sexlinks though those little eggs are unusual, I've only only a couple that start out like that.

 

[Peep_Show]

I just LOVED my Cinnamon Queens: RIR x SLW

They laid steadily daily and were very hardy.

 

[bantam fan]

Hi can anyone tell me how to sex bantams? I'm a bit worried about one of my 'hens'.