Sex- linked Information

[vpatt]

Thank you so much for all the information! I will have to read it over.

 

[cmom]

I have a red sex-link......I was told she would start laying about Thanksgiving......so I am waiting and watching. I am guessing she might wait for longer days...not sure. I wondered how many kinds of sex-links there are. Red, black and what else. Do they typically lay thru the winter? Or is there another thread I should check out? Thnx

I live in North Central Florida. My Sex-Links usually start laying around 20 to 26 weeks. Over the years I have had some start laying as early as 16 weeks and others take closer to 30 weeks, but generally it is 20 to 26 weeks. Mine have layed well year around except when they go through their molt in the fall. They still lay but not nearly as often and when they get through their molt they start laying good again.

 

[vpatt]

I live in North Central Florida. My Sex-Links usually start laying around 20 to 26 weeks. Over the years I have had some start laying as early as 16 weeks and others take closer to 30 weeks, but generally it is 20 to 26 weeks. Mine have layed well year around except when they go through their molt in the fall. They still lay but not nearly as often and when they get through their molt they start laying good again.

Thank you.

 

[tommysgirl]

Over the years I have experimented with different breeds to create Sex-Links. With the Delaware females crossed with a Pure Rhode Island Red male. The females grew out to look like Rhode Island Reds and the males more like the Delaware females. Here is a picture of some of the females from the Del/RIR cross. They did not have white on them like other Sex-Links. I don't have the Dels anymore so I can't repeat this experiment again. I was surprised as they grew out. I did this experiment a few years ago. Also I was surprised as I had more females than males. Can't find the picture of the males right now but will look some more.

I did the same thing except with a New Hampshire rooster. The first time I bought chicks I got 2 hatchery red stars which I read somewhere were NH over Del so I was surprised when the pullet I hatched from my own breeder quality Del hen looked like my NH pullets with none of the white on them and also a much heavier body. She lays like a champ though and a beautiful dark red brown egg.

The males look like Delawares with red leakage.

 

[cmom]

Quote: The males definitely looked like Sex-Link males.

 

[PortugalBantam]

I have a black sexlink rooster. I know he won't produce sexlinked chicks. I just want to know will his chicks all be barred?

 

[chicken pickin]

I have a black sexlink rooster. I know he won't produce sexlinked chicks. I just want to know will his chicks all be barred?

I believe he will pass his barring gene on to roughly 50% of his offspring. Since he is only single barred it wont show up all the time.

 

[PortugalBantam]

Cool. I was hoping for some barred chicks. The other chicks I'm assuming would be black. Also out of the 50% that would be barred, they can be male or female right?

 

[dheltzel]

I believe he will pass his barring gene on to roughly 50% of his offspring. Since he is only single barred it wont show up all the time.

That is correct. If you cross him to a barred hen, then all the offspring will be barred, but about 50% of the males will be double barred and the rest single barred.

 

[PortugalBantam]

So cool. Thank you so much. I need to get myself a barred hen then. lol. Right now I have mostly Delaware hens and some some soeckled bantams.