Determine sex of a Rhode Island Red Chick?

[debbytingen]

I want to raise my own chickens with a Rooster and hens. I was told that a Rhode Island Red chicken is the best. I purchased
8 Rhode Island Red Hens and I was told that you could get a white Rhode Island Red Rooster and you could determine the sex. The boys would be white and the girls would be reddish brown. They should be here tomorrow. I want to get a Rooster and I was told that this will not work. I was told that you have to get a sex-link hen and a sex-link rooster. I am so confused. The hens I just bought were $300+ dollars and the sex-link hen is way, way cheaper and is a better chicken, meaning that they lay more eggs and eat less. Can I get a sex-link rooster and breed to the Rhode Island Reds? will I be able to tell the difference in a male and a female by color. What kind of Rooster do you have to get to breed to a sex-link hen in case I get some sex-link pullets in May of this year. I guess I need to go to school and study chickens.. I want to raise them and sell them but I have to know the sex.
Thank you! I hope I have not confused you.

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

If you want PURE Rhode Island Reds, you need to breed a RIR hen to a RIR rooster.

If you cross the RIR to a Delaware rooster, you'll get Red Sexlink offspring. The female offspring will be red and males will be white. They won't be pure, but you'll be able to tell their gender after hatching.

A sex link bred to a sex link DOES NOT produce chicks that can be sexed after hatching.

This will help:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/261208/sex-linked-information

 

[debbytingen]

I found a RIR Rooster but he is half Black Australorp and RIR. Can I use him to breed to a White Delaware Hen and the girl chicks will be red and the boys will be white? Or does it have to be a full blooded RIR for it to work?

 

[tadkerson]

I found a RIR Rooster but he is half Black Australorp and RIR. Can I use him to breed to a White Delaware Hen and the girl chicks will be red and the boys will be white? Or does it have to be a full blooded RIR for it to work?

Green Family Farms is correct.


You have to breed birds that are purebred (full blooded) if you want to sex the chicks at hatch, The half RIR/australorp rooster will not work.

You can not cross a rhode island white over rir hens and get sex links. None of the birds you have mentioned will work to produce sex linked offspring. You can not cross sex links to get sex links.

Rhode island red can be an auto-sexing breed if a person has the skills to breed the birds in the correct manner and have an eye for the distinguishing characteristic. It would appear you are a novice so I would not recommend this for you.

My advise to you.

1. Get a purebred RIR male and cross with the RIR hens you have and sell the chicks as straight run. Meaning the chicks will not be sexed. People buy chicks this way all the time. Keep back some of the RIR males and females to use as breeders every two years. Keep two or three good males as breeders

2. Purchase some purebred delaware hens. Then cross them with a RIR male. This cross will produce sex linked offspring. While you are at it purchase a delaware male; this way you can hatch your own delaware birds. Sell them straight run and keep back some hens to cycle ( every two years) into your sex linked production pens. Always have two or three superior males to use as breeders.

You could use rhode island white (RIW) if the genetics are correct in the RIW.

3. Stop listening to those who told you the information in your posts. The information is incorrect.

Tim

 

[enola]

When you have reached your goal of producing sex-links, what are you planning to do with the baby roosters?

 

[debbytingen]

Thank You very much for your information. I wish I had listened to you before.
I have another question. Do baby chicks that I raise, have to have a vaccine when they are a day old?
The Mother and Father has had a vaccine against Maericks disease from McMurray Hatchery.
Quote: Quote: Quote:

 

[debbytingen]

Sell them to a good home. Once I get all of my questions answered. Hopefully I will be successful. Everyone needs advice from experts from time to time. I really appreciate all of the info I have received.
I am glad you are out there. I still need advice on the Marek;s disease shot for the day old chicks. I need to knowm the time limit once they are born. Do I buy the medicine and the needles and what size needle.
I would imagine it would be tiny, very tiny. Is it premixed or will I have to mix it? Where can I get it? I have 48 eggs in the incubator and they will hatch in 10-12 days. The chicks are half RIR and Deleware. I call them Delareds.

 

[tadkerson]

Sell them to a good home. Once I get all of my questions answered. Hopefully I will be successful. Everyone needs advice from experts from time to time. I really appreciate all of the info I have received.
I am glad you are out there. I still need advice on the Marek;s disease shot for the day old chicks. I need to knowm the time limit once they are born. Do I buy the medicine and the needles and what size needle.
I would imagine it would be tiny, very tiny. Is it premixed or will I have to mix it? Where can I get it? I have 48 eggs in the incubator and they will hatch in 10-12 days. The chicks are half RIR and Deleware. I call them Delareds.

I would not worry about Mareks. Coccidiosis is serious and must be avoided in chicks. Medicated feed will prevent the problem.

Tim

 

[lazy gardener]

I wish you the best of luck trying to sell a sex linked rooster. In my area, I'd have to pay someone dearly to take one off my hands. But they are tasty, even if they don't pack on the meat the way a meat bird does.