Sex-linked question

[jhudson]

I have been keeping this hybrid for several years now, and really enjoy them. I was thinking about breeding my own, but read that even though I have the correct parents, the offspring will not be anywhere near as good egg producers as those that I get from hatcheries. They were saying that hatcheries have much better breeding stock. Any thoughts on this? Jim

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

That's a lie...and truth.

In quality, breeders have better birds, but in production, the hatchery will have the better producers.

They have been working on their strains for several generations and have chosen birds that look somewhat like the standard calls for...but also produce many, many eggs. They keep their lines safe by selling the chicks from the mixture of two different lines. They are just able to keep more birds that have the ability to lay eggs ridiculously well.

HOWEVER, being that these chicks are from lines that have been known as large producers of eggs, they should work very well for the purposes you are wanting to use them for.

You could do an experiment. See if your birds breeding will produce as many eggs as the hatchery sex-link within one year.

 

[digitS']

Jim,

Well, you asked for a "thought" and that's about what I have to offer:

In the US, it seems to me that the red sex-links are the ones kept for the commercial production of brown eggs. I realize that the black sex-link is very popular in the UK but it seems that "hardiness" there is a very important concern so, I'm thinking, that it is the backyard chicken keepers who provide the greatest market both here and in the UK for the black sex-link.

Hatchery Barred Rocks are fairly productive birds. Production Reds are likely to be highly productive. A red sire of that breed over a BR dam will probably produce every bit as good offspring as what you could buy commercially and maybe better. It will certainly have a degree of hybrid vigor. That is just my thought . . .

If it is the black sex-link that appeals to you, I think it is very reasonable to breed your own.

Steve

 

[jhudson]

I like to red sex-link better. I was going to Put a RIR roo over a Delaware or RIR hen. I may just try a few and see what happens. Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[digitS']

Quote:
Well, that RIR roo over a RIR hen won't . . . I don't understand that, eh

?

Steve

 

[jhudson]

This is from the feathersite page....Two other crosses are obtained with Rhode Island White x Rhode Island Red, and Delaware x Production Red. These two crosses are simply called Red Sex-Links. Males hatch out white and, depending on the cross, feather out to pure white or with some black feathering. Females hatch out buff or red also depending on cross, and they feather out in one of three ways.

 

[digitS']

Ah, you meant RIW . . .