What exactly are Sex-Link chickens?

[carress]

Quote:
heheehe

add to that a search on 'chicks' in NYC classifieds;P

 

[rebeccakeesee]

Their also called red star or black star and make eggcelent layers even through the winter months.

 

[Chirpy]

By the way, never google "Black Sex Link" without your search safe feature turned on. lol

We have 'Child Safe' on our computers and I get so frustrated when I try to look up things on sex-link chickens and my computer says I can't have access. I'm actually very thankful for the software ... it's just funny when I can't even get into some chicken threads!​

 

[wendy]

we have four black stars and 11 red stars or sex link, i like saying stars, i don't want to explain that to children yet!!! lol!!! we of course still have our barred rocks, but my favorites are the red stars, i just love them!

 

[SoCal-chick]

Hi, this sex-link thing is confusing to me. Anyone have info on Gold Sex-links? I just got some fertile eggs to put under my broody hen and I was told they were RIR/Gold Sex-Link mix. Would I be able to tell the chicks' sex when they hatch?

 

[Rhode Runner]

Hello everybody. Just registered on BYC. I'm in Cambridge England. There seems to be a little confusion between Auto Sexing breeds and sex linked birds. Saw this thread so registered to try and cast some light on the difference.

So here we go:-
Auto sexing breeds are pure breeds that were developed in the 1920's at Cambridge University, England by Professor Punnet and Mr Pease. The plan was to create a breed that allowed the breeder to eliminate the cockerels at day old and raise just pullets for eggs. Some of these breeds are recognised by the Poultry Club of Great Britain and are certainly far from extinct. They breed true, have a written standard and can be sexed at day old. Some breeders in the UK specialise in Auto sexing breeds and even show them at poultry shows. For anybody really interested there is more information with pictures here.

http://www.autosexing.co.uk/

Sex linked birds

All chickens are genetically either silver or gold. If a gold cockerel is covering silver pullets. The progeny can all be sexed at day old. The chicks with silver down will be cockerels and the chicks with gold down will be pullets. The most popular of these matings was Rhode Island Red (cockerel) X Light Sussex (pullets). This does not work the other way around i.e. LS x RIR. Unlike the autosexers the progeny of Gold x Silver will not breed true. It is therefore what is known as a terminal mating. Hybrid birds are all terminal matings. The hatcheries do not want their customers to be able to replicate the bird. As you say in the States mutts. We say mongrels.

I hope this has explained the difference between the two terms. It has probably also thrown up a lot of ancilliary questions.

Allan

 

[silentrunning]

Thanks, That was very informative.

Doug

 

[()relics]

I use an RIR rooster and White leghorn Hens(with a silver trait) to get replacement egg layers for my flock...Only hatch a few every year keep the pullets, at 18-21 weeks they begin to lay non stop, and sell the cockerels...easily separated at hatch. There are,I'm sure, 1000's of "secret recipes" for sex links...this is just what works for me.

 

[luvv4life]

This forum has been most helpful. At the feed store, I saw these "sex-link" chicks and have been trying to figure out exactly what they are and how you tell the difference. Allan from England had great information to share, thank you all so much.
Laura

 

[Cherrypie]

I just purchased a "brown-black sex-link" pullet. Could anyone help me figure out what kind of combination she might be? Her chest feathers have tons of brown but the feathers on her back are black with a greenish cast.

She's with her roomies in the photo, the RIR and the Marans.

Thanks!