Most "pet like" breed that is sexlink?

[beany_bot]

Hi, Looking to expand our flock and want to hand rear a couple of chicks, looking for sexlink girls so we can get them from a local breeder day 1. What breeds would you say make good "pets" or likely lap chickens? We bought older pullets last time (Oprs and sussex) and while they eat out your hand they really don't like being handled, so are going to go down the hand raising route this time. But what breed will maximise our chance of lap chickens?

At the moment I'm looking at Welsummers and Cream Legbars but open to suggestions!

Can I get two chicks or best getting 3?

Thanks.

 

[Yardfulla poopers]

I recommend black sex link or sapphire gem.

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

If you can do the feat of finding a Rhodebar let me just say, they’re the most personable breed I’ve had. I’ve raised newly imported breeds, show lines, mixed breeds, and hatchery lines and they’re the breed I feel the most confident about being friendly (plus they’re auto-sexing). All of my five girls would beg to sit on my lap and literally swarm me as I entered the coop. They would knock on my door for treats and even my rooster was calm. In that batch I also had an Orpington Bantam, Brahma, and Cream Legbar and the Rhodebars were NOTICEABLY more friendly than the others (already friendly breeds). They used to be carried by Greenfire Farms but now I don’t believe they are. It’s a real shame because they’re quite the unique breed. I would really recommend against Cream Legbars. While my hen calmed down with age, as pullets all of mine have been nuts and not very personable and had a tendency to pick at feathers (despite given a high protein diet and ample space)

 

[StinkyAcres]

I can recommend Black Sex-Link (a.k.a. Black Star) as well.

My absolute friendliest breed has been my Swedish Flowers. Didn't have to work hard hand-feeding or anything, they are just natural lap chickens.

 

[BoundlessLove]

I’m not sure if Isa Browns are considered sexlinks or hybrids, but these have been a friendly lot.
We had one Isa hen named Caroline that my son singled out and raised as his pet. She would come to him when he called.
And every bit as friendly as my SS hens. (The dog breed of chickens)

 

[EChicky]

I have a golden sexlink and she is amazing. She follows me around everywhere and will jump on my back when I lean down. We even have conversations with each other (mostly me saying random things and her squacking back). We did raise her with a lot of handling so I think that accounted for some of her personality.
Also as a plus she fought off a hawk once and saved her sister. She has earned her spot at the top of the flock!

 

[NatJ]

I’m not sure if Isa Browns are considered sexlinks or hybrids, but these have been a friendly lot.

They're both: hybrids because they come from a cross of two different kinds of chickens (red rooster, white hen), and sexlinks because males and females are color-sexable at hatch (red pullets, white cockerels).

But I think ISA Brown, Black Star, and any of the other common commercial sexlinks will be a problem in this case:

want to hand rear a couple of chicks, looking for sexlink girls so we can get them from a local breeder day 1.

Local breeders are unlikely to be producing any of the common sexlink hybrids.

An autosexing pure breed is more likely to be available. That would include Cream Legbar, Bielefelder, Rhodebar, and maybe a few others. I would expect Bielefelder to be more available than Rhodebar, and calmer than Legbar, so maybe see if anyone is breeding them?

Breeds like Barred Rock and Dominique can often be sexed by color at hatch, at least enough to reliably pick a few females out of a mixed group. (Basically, any pure breed that is black with white barring.)

You might find some breeder doing their own line of sexlinks. It is relatively easy to look up the genetics and cross two breeds to get color-sexable chicks. They won't be exactly the same as the commercially available ones, but could be color-sexable and may have a temperament you want (depending on what breeds are involved in the cross.)

 

[rosemarythyme]

Welsummers aren't sexlinks. The thing with the darkness and clarity of markings can make it more likely that you're getting a female, but I don't know if any breeders have gotten that perfected to the point that they can guarantee male or female.