Hybrid Sex Links vs Heritage Breeds

[JacinLarkwell]

I had a red star that lived to almost 9 before she went down hill quite fast. I don't know if the last 2 years she was laying anything though since we had other birds laying the same color eggs.

I also have a calico princess who is almost 2 and still laying like a pullet. Even now in the middle of winter, she lays every 2-3 days. *Going to add that she lays eggs with meat spots regularly. Unsure ifnthis will ever affect her noticeably as they're quite small, but it's at least half the eggs she lays that have them, prpvalt more like 2/3

And yes, sexlink is not guaranteed tobmean high production. I can make pure sexlinked Cochins or sexlinked silkie crosses that are unlikely to lay anywhere near a red or black star sexlink, but all 4 of those can be sexed at a day old

 

[nuthatched]

You're right. Production reds aren't sex links, but Golden Comets are sex linked, right? And they are used frequently to be high producers. That's what I meant. I think. Maybe.

I have no idea, I don't think I've ever had a golden comet, at least it wasn't sold under that name. It makes sense for hatcheries to sex link high production mixes just for ease and speed with sexing so I think most high production are sex linked. But you could cross two good old heritage breeds to create a sex link and they won't lay better then the breeds that go into it. Every chicken is an individual entity and everyone's set ups or feed is different so it can't be across the board for anything.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I have no idea, I don't think I've ever had a golden comet, at least it wasn't sold under that name. It makes sense for hatcheries to sex link high production mixes just for ease and speed with sexing so I think most high production are sex linked. But you could cross two good old heritage breeds to create a sex link and they won't lay better then the breeds that go into it. Every chicken is an individual entity and everyone's set ups or feed is different so it can't be across the board for anything.

Sort of like everyone seems to make an "all flock", but it means different things, and everyone seems to make a "layer", again, meaining different things once you look at the nutrition label, the "Golden Comet" is a trade name, used by a couple hatcheries. In theory, its a Rhode Island Red over a White Leghorn, but some of the hatcheries have their own custom line of RIR-like over Leghorn-like producing a red sex link bird that they may sell as a "Golden Comet" or any of a half dozen other common names.

Hoover's, where I got my Goldens (via TSC) uses a White Rock (or used to, now they don't say). SImilar crosses are called Cinnamon Queens, ISA Browns, etc... Hoover's Cinnamon Queen is now a RIR x SLW, while for most others its RIR x RIW. For a while, a few hatcheries seemed to be using New Hampshires instead of RIR for their sires.

I've sort of given up on trying to keep track. All meaning is being smudged out of the names.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Sort of like everyone seems to make an "all flock", but it means different things, and everyone seems to make a "layer", again, meaining different things once you look at the nutrition label, the "Golden Comet" is a trade name, used by a couple hatcheries. In theory, its a Rhode Island Red over a White Leghorn, but some of the hatcheries have their own custom line of RIR-like over Leghorn-like producing a red sex link bird that they may sell as a "Golden Comet". Hoover's, where I got my Goldens (via TSC) uses a White Rock (or used to, now they don't say). SImilar crosses are called Cinnamon Queens, ISA Browns, etc... Hoover's Cinnamon Queen is now a RIR x SLW, while for most others its RIR x RIW. For a while, a few hatcheries seemed to be using New Hampshires instead of RIR for their sires.

I've sort of given up on trying to keep track. All meaning is being smudged out of the names.

Yep. All the same bird more or less, from what I understand.

That being said, my one girl, Jessamine, is a pretty great bird - curious, friendly, sassy. I rescued her from the high school where I used to work. An FFA student had started a flock of leghorns, australorps, and red sexlinks. She kept them at the school's farm (which was a joke and very poorly maintained). They were largely left unattended. They were given water occasionally and fed broiler ration. Then the kid graduated, and they were pretty much forgotten about. When I finally saw them during a campus tour for incoming students, it was rather shocking. I won't go into details, but it was horrible (carcasses, egg bound hens, vent gleet, wounded roosters, rotting eggs, etc). A friend and I were going to take all of them. I took two.

This caused a big problem at the school with the ag teachers. The ag teachers thought that since they were just chickens, they were fine. That was normal, and these chickens were all going to die soon anyway because they were so old, so who cares? Well, Jess weighed 2.2 lbs when I got her. She had gleet, lice, mites, and bumblefoot, but was better off than a lot of them. Now she is over 4 lbs, healthy, and fully feathered.

I share this to show that even in those awful conditions, Jess was hardy enough to survive. The australorp I rescued along with her died as a result of salpingitis a necropsy revealed was caused by e coli that the tech believed came from living in filthy conditions.

So, I think it depends a lot on the individual bird and how it is kept. I think any hen that was bred for high production is going to be more susceptible to reproductive problems, though.

 

[gtaus]

We have 24 at the farm right now, adding 15 next year plus 5 for my own yard, and 15 the following year, from then on will only replace when there is space. Am hoping we will get enough eggs to continue to sell at the farm stand every spring summer & fall. Otherwise we will have to get yet another coop & add more! My aunt (she owns the farm property) has already said she does not cull her hens and will let them live out their lives.

I think it's really easy to get attached to your laying hens. As far as egg production, I would ask around to people in your area how long their chickens are good layers. I think where you live makes a big difference. Again, the more experienced chicken owners where I live have almost all told me that I can expect good egg production for the first 2 years and then not so many after that. In my limited experience, I had good egg production for the first 2 years, but this third year not good at all.

You might not currently want to cull your chickens when they stop laying good, but give yourself some room to rethink that decision later on. I had 10 laying hens and would average about 7 eggs per day when they were laying good. Into their third year, with 7 hens still in the flock, I am only getting 1 egg total every other day. I don't have unlimited room in my chicken coop, so if I want more egg production, I will have to cull the non laying hens to make room for younger hens. I am OK with that, but I do understand some people have chickens as pets and that decision is harder for them.

I am in a financial position where I am personally not very concerned about the cost of feed to keep a flock of 7 non laying hens alive until they naturally pass away. Chickens don't live all that long anyway. And I can get store bought eggs locally for less than $1 per dozen. So, the economics of having a backyard flock really work against me IF egg production was the only consideration. Because I have limited room in my coop, I will have to replace my non laying hens if I want to continue to provide backyard eggs for the family.

I do enjoy the fresh backyard eggs, and I do enjoy having a small flock at home. I will have to admit, that I also enjoyed my 10 chickens more when I got 7, 8, 9, or even 10 eggs per day as compared to now when I only get 1 egg every other day. Their feed costs are currently far exceeding the egg production and if you intend on having 50 chickens, you too might find that at some point in their life that you are feeding 50 chickens and only getting 5 eggs per day. Feed costs for 50 birds is just as much if they are giving you 40 eggs per day, or only 5 eggs per day.

I have been raising small animals for about 50 years, and most of that time have gone into tending the small animals with the idea that someday they will end up on the dinner plate. It's easy for me to harvest meat chickens that live only a short time and are bred for the table. I find it a bit harder to now reach a point where I have to cull my non laying hens that have provided me with so many wonderful eggs for 2 years. But I also know that I will quickly get just attached to a new flock of chicks and enjoy them as much as my past flock(s).

 

[Iluveggers]

I think it's really easy to get attached to your laying hens. As far as egg production, I would ask around to people in your area how long their chickens are good layers. I think where you live makes a big difference. Again, the more experienced chicken owners where I live have almost all told me that I can expect good egg production for the first 2 years and then not so many after that. In my limited experience, I had good egg production for the first 2 years, but this third year not good at all.

You might not currently want to cull your chickens when they stop laying good, but give yourself some room to rethink that decision later on. I had 10 laying hens and would average about 7 eggs per day when they were laying good. Into their third year, with 7 hens still in the flock, I am only getting 1 egg total every other day. I don't have unlimited room in my chicken coop, so if I want more egg production, I will have to cull the non laying hens to make room for younger hens. I am OK with that, but I do understand some people have chickens as pets and that decision is harder for them.

I am in a financial position where I am personally not very concerned about the cost of feed to keep a flock of 7 non laying hens alive until they naturally pass away. Chickens don't live all that long anyway. And I can get store bought eggs locally for less than $1 per dozen. So, the economics of having a backyard flock really work against me IF egg production was the only consideration. Because I have limited room in my coop, I will have to replace my non laying hens if I want to continue to provide backyard eggs for the family.

I do enjoy the fresh backyard eggs, and I do enjoy having a small flock at home. I will have to admit, that I also enjoyed my 10 chickens more when I got 7, 8, 9, or even 10 eggs per day as compared to now when I only get 1 egg every other day. Their feed costs are currently far exceeding the egg production and if you intend on having 50 chickens, you too might find that at some point in their life that you are feeding 50 chickens and only getting 5 eggs per day. Feed costs for 50 birds is just as much if they are giving you 40 eggs per day, or only 5 eggs per day.

I have been raising small animals for about 50 years, and most of that time have gone into tending the small animals with the idea that someday they will end up on the dinner plate. It's easy for me to harvest meat chickens that live only a short time and are bred for the table. I find it a bit harder to now reach a point where I have to cull my non laying hens that have provided me with so many wonderful eggs for 2 years. But I also know that I will quickly get just attached to a new flock of chicks and enjoy them as much as my past flock(s).

Makes total sense. Bus since I buy shavings and my aunt buys feed (at least til we start selling eggs), if she doesn’t want to cull it’s up to her. She may change her mind once this spring egg sales will be used for feed costs & supplies. In my upcoming backyard flock, I am getting 4-5 chicks, with intent to wait a few years & add 2 more for a max of 7 once production wains. I’m undecided what to do when all of them stop, but at least that will give me 4-5 years to think it over.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I think it's really easy to get attached to your laying hens. As far as egg production, I would ask around to people in your area how long their chickens are good layers. I think where you live makes a big difference. Again, the more experienced chicken owners where I live have almost all told me that I can expect good egg production for the first 2 years and then not so many after that. In my limited experience, I had good egg production for the first 2 years, but this third year not good at all.

You might not currently want to cull your chickens when they stop laying good, but give yourself some room to rethink that decision later on. I had 10 laying hens and would average about 7 eggs per day when they were laying good. Into their third year, with 7 hens still in the flock, I am only getting 1 egg total every other day. I don't have unlimited room in my chicken coop, so if I want more egg production, I will have to cull the non laying hens to make room for younger hens. I am OK with that, but I do understand some people have chickens as pets and that decision is harder for them.

I am in a financial position where I am personally not very concerned about the cost of feed to keep a flock of 7 non laying hens alive until they naturally pass away. Chickens don't live all that long anyway. And I can get store bought eggs locally for less than $1 per dozen. So, the economics of having a backyard flock really work against me IF egg production was the only consideration. Because I have limited room in my coop, I will have to replace my non laying hens if I want to continue to provide backyard eggs for the family.

I do enjoy the fresh backyard eggs, and I do enjoy having a small flock at home. I will have to admit, that I also enjoyed my 10 chickens more when I got 7, 8, 9, or even 10 eggs per day as compared to now when I only get 1 egg every other day. Their feed costs are currently far exceeding the egg production and if you intend on having 50 chickens, you too might find that at some point in their life that you are feeding 50 chickens and only getting 5 eggs per day. Feed costs for 50 birds is just as much if they are giving you 40 eggs per day, or only 5 eggs per day.

I have been raising small animals for about 50 years, and most of that time have gone into tending the small animals with the idea that someday they will end up on the dinner plate. It's easy for me to harvest meat chickens that live only a short time and are bred for the table. I find it a bit harder to now reach a point where I have to cull my non laying hens that have provided me with so many wonderful eggs for 2 years. But I also know that I will quickly get just attached to a new flock of chicks and enjoy them as much as my past flock(s).

So well said!

 

[Aunt Angus]

Makes total sense. Bus since I buy shavings and my aunt buys feed (at least til we start selling eggs), if she doesn’t want to cull it’s up to her. She may change her mind once this spring egg sales will be used for feed costs & supplies. In my upcoming backyard flock, I am getting 4-5 chicks, with intent to wait a few years & add 2 more for a max of 7 once production wains. I’m undecided what to do when all of them stop, but at least that will give me 4-5 years to think it over.

Yeah, it's easy for me to talk about letting hens live beyond their laying years because I think of them as pets, and I've got the room. My current coop is close to its limit, but I'm building a larger one in the spring. I have 12 chickens now (11 hens, 1 rooster). I started with 4, and I've added 2-3 each year with the intention of keeping the eggs coming even after my older girls quit. I plan to get to 20. But I know it's not that way for everyone, and I appreciate that.

I also have 5 ducks, and I hope to do the same with them, but they require a lot more planning and resources. And because i already have more eggs than I know what to with, I hope to add geese, who are adorable and lay less frequently.

I think it's great you're planning ahead! It will save you a lot of headaches and money.

 

[bigz1983]

The only sex linked breeds we have had were ISA browns.
Most of ours got egg yolk peronitis(internal laying) and died around 2-3 years old.
If they don't get that they can live a long time I think we had one live to be 5.
Our ISA browns laid more eggs than our heritage breeds across the board in general winter, summer and even when they got old they still outperformed the heritage breeds.

 

[cmom]

My oldest pure Rhode Island Red hen, recently passed at 8 years old. Good luck and have fun...