What's the difference between red sexlink and production red?

[nuthatched]

Just curious, I was asking someone about their chickens, they had production reds, I asked if that was the same as a red sexlink, they didn't know and neither do I!
Thanks!

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Just curious, I was asking someone about their chickens, they had production reds, I asked if that was the same as a red sexlink, they didn't know and neither do I!
Thanks!

Production Red is a cross between Rhode Island Red and New Hampshire Red.
Suppose to give "hybrid vigor", better egg production. It is not a sex-linked cross.
Red Sex Links are various crosses that give sex linked chicks, usually white males and gold/red females.
Many different breeds can make this cross and hatcheries usually all have their own "recipe".

 

[nuthatched]

Production Red is a cross between Rhode Island Red and New Hampshire Red.
Suppose to give "hybrid vigor", better egg production. It is not a sex-linked cross.
Red Sex Links are various crosses that give sex linked chicks, usually white males and gold/red females.
Many different breeds can make this cross and hatcheries usually all have their own "recipe".

Thanks!
Do you know how to tell the hens apart from each other as adults?

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Thanks!
Do you know how to tell the hens apart from each other as adults?

That is a little trickier! In general the red sex links often have white under feathering and the production reds may have some black feathers especially in the tail area from the New Hampshire parent.
Though most RSL have either a RIR or NH parent as well (the father) so it can be difficult to tell the difference.
If you google images of both you can see they can be very similar in appearance.

 

[BleuSaphir]

Was my past hen a hatchery quality RIR or Production Red?