Amberlinks and Comets

[Mr D]

My research into high egg production hens have led me to the Amberlinks and the Comet hybrids. I've been told, by Mt. Healthy Hatchery, that the Amberlinks are a cross between a Rhode Island Red Hen and a Rhode Island White Rooster, where as the Comets are the inverse, a Rhode Island White Hen and a Rhode Island Red Rooster. For some reason, the Comets come out redder, while the Amberlinks come out whiter. So, aside from color and the Sire/Dam combination, are there any differences between these two hybrid varieties?

 

[Kikiriki]

Can't answer your question, directly, but I have gold comets that are great birds. Friendly enough to handle, BIG eggs, nice color on the shells, no health issues until last year (at two years old) one of them started having egg problems...watery whites, thin shells, sometimes no shell. She has now stopped laying at 3 years old.

One had to be culled due to injury (she was awesome, but too smart for her own good...escaped the run while the big puppy was out)

The last of my three is still laying well at 3 years old. 4-5 eggs a week, which is down from her previous numbers of 9 in a row, then a day off. She did stop laying for her molt this past winter for months, which was her first molt (I'm in FL) She started again and her eggs are perfect.

 

[justplainbatty]

Well I just got Amberlinks last May. They pretty much stopped laying through the dead of winter unlike my BO's, RIR's and EE's. Today it is 70* and I just got my first Amberlink egg again. They also lay the smallest eggs of the bunch, but they are a very nice color.

 

[Mr D]

Wow, these responses seem to persuade me against getting these two hybrids. I've heard that hybrids are better layers, but maybe I should go the route of getting RIRs and BOs - maybe even mixing the two...

 

[justplainbatty]

Wow, these responses seem to persuade me against getting these two hybrids. I've heard that hybrids are better layers, but maybe I should go the route of getting RIRs and BOs - maybe even mixing the two...

There are some good hybrid birds. And even though I said what I said about my AL's, they have the nicest demeanor, and somehow even seem to avoid the wrath of the RIR's (very bossy) I have 14 hens and so, it doesn't matter to me about their egg size, one of my 14 is a bantam although her laying days are mostly behind her. What I like is different colors of eggs and so do the people who buy them from me. If you stick to heritage breeds and be careful who mates with who, you can continue the breed yourself. Right now all I can breed true is RIR's. EE's, BSL's,RSL's and PR's are pretty good layers if you want hybrids and large eggs. But, they all breed to mutts. It really depends on what you are looking for.

 

[Michael OShay]

You were told correctly about Golden Comets and Amberlinks. Golden Comet is one of a number of labels under which some hatcheries market their Red Sex Links which are produced by crossing a red gene rooster (RIR, NH, or Production Red) with a silver gene hen (RIW, SLW, Delware, Light Sussex, etc.). Other names under which hatcheries market their Red Sex Links include Red Star, Gold Star, Golden Buff, Cinnamon Queen, Brown Sex Link, Gold Sex Link, Isa Brown, Gold Lines, etc. Amberlinks are a reverse Red Sex Link. I've had both Red Sex Links (including those sold under the Golden Comet label) and Amberlinks. In my personal experience, the Red Sex Links have been the better layers (especially in the cold winter months) with the larger eggs and I would highly recommend them. I actually like the Black Sex Links even better than the Reds. My Black Sex Links have been friendlier than my Reds, and have been even better layers in really cold winter weather. Also they seem to have a longer laying life than the Red Sex Links.

 

[Mr D]

Thanks! Your post has pushed me in the right direction - I've learned much already! Upon further inspection, I've discovered that you can create a Black Star by crossing either a RIR roo or a BO roo with a Cuckoo Maran Hen. I really love the gentleness of the BO, but am not sure of the CM temperament other than what I've read on BYC forum posts. What are your Black Stars mix?

 

[Michael OShay]

Thanks! Your post has pushed me in the right direction - I've learned much already! Upon further inspection, I've discovered that you can create a Black Star by crossing either a RIR roo or a BO roo with a Cuckoo Maran Hen. I really love the gentleness of the BO, but am not sure of the CM temperament other than what I've read on BYC forum posts. What are your Black Stars mix?

You're welcome. You can use any barred breed hen to create a Black Sex Link; Barred Rock, Dominique, Cuckoo Maran, Barred Scots Dumpy, etc. My Black Sex Links are the ones commonly crossed by hatcheries; RIR rooster X Barred Rock hen. I've never had one but I think a Buff Orpington rooster X a Barred Rock hen would make an interesting Black Sex Link.

 

[cwalsh2]

The red sex links sold by many hatcheries, that weigh 5 Lbs. + are crosses between a red RIR, or production red and a rhode island white ore other white hen. Any sold under the ISA Brown, or Amberlink labels, are from intensly inbred production lines developed for large eggs and a small 4.2 Lb. body to give feed conversion rates of 2.14 lbs of feed for every pound of egg. They use both red or brown and white lines and cross them for the sex link, but the parent breeds are much improved and changed from the RIR types we are familiar with. 60% of the brown egg production in the world are from these chickens. The same breeders have done the same thing with their white leghorns, resulting in a 3.8 Lb bird, they call a leghorn that can convert every 2.09 Lb. of feed into a pound of egg.. We know that a standard leghorn weighs closer to 5 Lbs- not the 3.8 Lb Hybrid, developed for extreme egg production. If we can satisfy their protein needs, and keep them comfortably they will really produce for us too.