Sex link Pros & Cons

[chickie_momma]

4 of my new chickies are red sex links. I was just wondering if anyone had any info of health problems, or anything I need to watch out for with sex links?

Thanks!!!

 

[KrisRose]

Their eggs are x-large and they are not that big of a hen. So mine are prone to be egg bound. So far they have resolved it themselves.
Very nice hens.

 

[The Squawk Box Fresh Eggs]

i have quite a few red sex links (shaver reds)

Pros: x-tra large and sometimes SUPER JUMBO eggs, very friendly, very gentle, quiet, afraid of the things there supposed to be afraid of, immune to most health problems.

cons: terrible foragers...constantly wanting feed, egg binding prone (i had one hen die from it), roosters are just as aggrssive as RIR roos, small size.

 

[chick4chicks]

I have 5 Red Sex Links and they are great. They started laying at 15 weeks. Nice birds too. They let me hold them.

 

[BawkinOnTheBench]

Are Red Sex Links the same as Red Stars? And black sex linked as Black Stars?

 

[chickie_momma]

How profilific (sp?) are sex links?

 

[Jarhead]

We have a black star (same thing as sex link, just a different term). Ours is just a 3 week old chick, but it is the biggest spaz of any of our 10 little hens. It is the smallest of them, but the most assertive and aggressive. It hates to be handled and freaks out every time. We have a pretty good mix of chicks - EEs, white leghorns, barred rocks, australorp, and black star. In terms of the chicks attitudes as far as the different breeds we have goes, the EEs (mutts) are the calmest and friendliest, then australorp, barred rock, leghorn, black star. I can say if she does not calm down she will probably never have a chance to lay an egg, she will be roosting in my cast iron pan.

 

[Mahonri]

My red sex link(star) is HUGE and I can imagine that she will have big eggs. She is 20 weeks today and still, no eggs
She runs from our Delaware roo but he catches her every once in awhile and appears to have been successful in doing his thing.
My black star is also good sized, loves to be held, loved and petted, but at 19 weeks today, no eggs

 

[Heather J]

My red sex link lays huge eggs, I have to put them in jumbo cartons because closing large egg cartons breaks them. She can be bossy with the younger generation, and she doesn't mix much with the other hens, but they all grew up together and she was added later, so it could be a class system issue. Very sweet, lets me pick her up and pet her when none of the others will.

 

[silkieluvr]

My red sex linked layed 6 HUGE eggs per week without fail even when she was molting and through the winter, and very often she would lay 7 eggs per week!!