Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

[okallthis4eggs]

Four brown or red birds are Golden Comets. Notice the white tail feathers.

 

[okallthis4eggs]

Hmm...the black sex link I know lay standard light brown. I wonder if all red sex links lay speckled. I've heard of those lol.

Not all of them will lay speckled eggs. I don't know why. I have at least one who does not lay speckled eggs

 

[showbarnmom]

Well, heck. I need speckled eggs. Guess I will stick with Welsummers.

What I need is no more birds....but alas just bought 4 more!

 

[okallthis4eggs]

Well, heck. I need speckled eggs. Guess I will stick with Welsummers.

What I need is no more birds....but alas just bought 4 more!

cheeka has a Maran laying speckled eggs. Darker than the Comets too. Lots of choices for speckled eggs. Wonder why eggs taste better with speckles?

 

[showbarnmom]

I can't get my Maran to lay. Bought her because she lays terra-cotta red/orange eggs. I just want the fun/different egg colors. Still haven't found local olive eggers.

 

[gilcamp4]

With Sex Links you have the right birds to get that 20 a day. Laying machines they are. Are they all Sex Links?

i have 7 black sex licks and 8 red sex licks then we have10 rir counting the rooster and a couple that look like the sex licks there are 3 of them 2 they said are delawarens

 

[gilcamp4]

Hmm...the black sex link I know lay standard light brown. I wonder if all red sex links lay speckled. I've heard of those lol.

my red and black sex links lay large brown eggs i do not get speckled eggs,

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Quote:
Haha! You know the RIR rooster over a BR hen will give you black sexlinks too. Too bad she won't lay any eggs for you, though.

 

[BullChick]

Sexlinks are the reason I was keeping my "oops" rooster from the hatchery. When a local woman came to get the White Rock rooster I didn't want, I told her to go ahead and take the RIR. I have two other LF roosters that are not hatchery stock. Score one for them. The BCM is a great husband. Score 2 for him. The other is an EE carrying the blue gene. His score 2. The RIR was on the bottom of the totem pole.
Anyway, I was sorry for his fate, but decided if I wanted sexlinks in the future, roosters are still literally a dime a dozen.
Cheeka, interesting story. I hope you do get a better egg count now. Of 29 females, I only got three eggs today. That may be my fault. We had quite a morning! They may have been traumatized!
OK, I get a lot of speckled eggs too. But not on a regular basis. I can get them from the Golden Buffs and the BCM.
Question. Actually, two questions. First, isn't it always the father's gene that determines egg color? I would like to hatch my Leghorn's eggs. I have never candled a white egg, and the idea of the chick being so easy to see is exciting. Then there is the fact that as I said above, the fathers are an EE and a BCM. So I would know the father at birth. Then the body shape/size will be interesting to see.
Second question. I am (as many others seem to be) thinking I am going to raise a turkey next year. I believe breeders are best for chickens.. When it comes to turkeys, I think a hatchery is just fine. You can specify male/female, and have a better chance of getting the right sex (with a male averaging 33#, and a female, 18# I want a male!) and it is only going to live for six months.
Do you guys think breeder is still a better choice for meat birds?

 

[okallthis4eggs]

Quote:
Haha! You know the RIR rooster over a BR hen will give you black sexlinks too. Too bad she won't lay any eggs for you, though.

Yes I knew that. My last hatch was Delaware's and BR's. That was my intention. I now have four Delaware hens and six BR hens. Well 5 1/2 BR hens.

and one RIR rooster