Guide to Sexlink Chickens: Top Tips

If you’re a backyard chicken keeper looking for a breed that can produce a large number of eggs, then Sexlink chickens might be the perfect choice for you. These hybrid chickens are becoming increasingly popular due to their fast growth and high egg production.

In fact, you may easily find sex-links or hybrids in your local farm and feed stores, especially the black and red varieties.

Key Takeaways

Sexlink chickens are a hybrid breed known for their fast growth and high egg production.
Black and red Sexlinks are the most popular varieties, but there are other feather colors to consider.
With our top tips and takeaways, you’ll be well on your way to raising your own flock of Sexlink chickens.

What are Sex-Link Chickens?

Sex-link chickens are a popular hybrid crossbreed of chicken that are bred for their high egg production rate. They are produced by crossing two purebred parent breeds with distinct physical traits, resulting in chicks that are easily identified upon hatching by their different feather coloration. This is through feather color genetics that are sex-linked traits in poultry.

The males and females have different color fluff upon hatching, which makes it easy to differentiate between them with this characteristic of automatic sexing in chickens upon hatching.

Hybrid Chickens

The term hybrid is often used when describing poultry breeds, but what exactly does it mean? Hybrid refers to a combination of two or more genetically distinct populations.

Hybrid chickens are those that are produced from cross breeding of two or more purebred, or heritage chicken breeds to create an offspring with desirable characteristics that are not found in either parent breed.

Hybrids are typically bred to increase a certain desirable trait. The trait is usually for hardiness and egg production as well as meat production in meat birds.

To create sexlink chickens, two pure breeds or heritage breeds are crossbred for the purpose of producing chicks that can be sex-determined upon hatching.

Beautiful Sapphire Gem Chickens have bright red combs

Special Note: Sexlink plus Sexlink does not equal Sexlink

Since Sexlink chickens are a crossbred to begin with, when bred together they will not produce actual sexlink chicks for offspring.

The resulting chicks may have a wide variety of feather colorization as well as different characteristics from the parent chickens.

Sapphire Gems are no exception. These grayish hens with a blue to lavender hue may not hatch the same coloration as the parent stock.

So, please note that the growth, egg production rate, weight, and color will vary when breeding sexlink to sexlink.

But, here’s an extra bonus: with sexlinks you will easily avoid getting unwanted roosters in your flock as all the cockerel and pullet chicks are identifiable by their feather color.

Dual-Purpose Chickens

Chicken breeds that have a good egg production rate along with good meat production are considered dual-purpose breeds. Sexlink chickens offer both so they are also considered a dual-purpose breed.

Other qualities of hybrid chickens include unique plumage color, good temperaments, and a great overall body conformation.

You May Also Enjoy:

TIPS for RAISING BABY CHICKS | Raising Chicks for Beginners

CHECKLIST for RAISING BABY CHICKS {Free Printable!}

On the Homestead | Your Guide to Original Homesteading

young sexlink chick peaking in the grass looking for something to eat

Benefits of adding Sex Links to Your Backyard Flock

Now that you know what sexlink chickens are, let’s see why so many people like sexlinks and what the benefits are of keeping them in your backyard flock.

1. Higher Egg Production

The most important reason why sex link chickens are so popular for backyard flocks is that they are excellent egg layers.

The egg-laying capabilities of sex-link chickens are very good. All varieties of sex link chickens, lay a large number of eggs, producing 250 to 300+ large, brown eggs every year.

These hybrid chickens mature earlier which means they will start laying eggs sooner than most heritage breeds. This is beneficial for your feed-to-egg conversion rates. Just remember, your girls will eat as much feed whether laying eggs or not.

So, along with the fun of having chickens for fresh eggs, economics plays an important part, too!

Once in their prime, at about 18 months of age, sexlinks can give you as many as five to six fresh eggs a week but remember this number of eggs is dependent on many factors such as: feed quality, weather conditions, stress levels, breed of birds, and housing.

You may be wondering how long do red sexlinks lay eggs? Sexlink chickens, in general, lay for approximately two years. The reason there life span is less is that these chickens are bred for fast growth, early maturity with a high lay rate.

But, the downside is that they have a relatively short life span.

2. Male and Female Baby Chicks are a Different Color

The ability to identify the sex of newly hatched chicks by feather color is a huge convenience for commercial hatcheries as well as backyard flock owners as the chick coloration is different between male and female.

This physical feature helps identify hens from roosters very easily. Even as chicks, you can tell the two apart with just a look.

This eliminates the chances of getting a rooster in the mix, which is a possibility when you’re buying a purebred chicken breed.

This is one of the top reasons why this hybrid breed is growing so quickly in popularity .

3. Sexlink Chickens have a Good Temperament

Another huge benefit of these hybrid bred chickens usually have exceptionally friendly personalities temperaments. They are active birds yet somewhat laidback and they typically get along with other breeds easily.

4. Meat Potential

Another main reason for the popularity of this breed of chickens is that they are also an excellent option as a meat bird.

Although they are primarily raised for egg production, the quality of their meat is a huge plus for the farms.

This makes these chickens dual-purpose and increases their value for the flocks and farms that they are a part of.

5. Sexlink Chickens Do Not Breed True

These hybrid chickens are not the best choice for breeding as their offspring will not be sex-linked. This means you will not be able to tell the males from the females upon hatching.

In order to get true sexlink chicks, you must breed two pure breed parents. Typically, this is one barred and one non-barred parent.

An example of this is to get a Black Stars, it is usual to breed a non-barred Rhode Island Red rooster over a Barred Plymouth Rock hen.

6. Reduced Broodiness

Egg production is one the main reasons for crossing various breeds of chickens. Plus, qualities like hardiness, temperament, good feed-to-egg conversion rates and body size are also considered when choosing breeds to cross.

But, one quality like broodiness is usually bred out of good egg laying crosses.

Broodiness is when a laying hen decides to lay and keep a clutch of eggs to set on or to incubate in order to hatch baby chicks.

A hen will stop laying eggs as soon as she has enough eggs in her clutch. The typical clutch size can range from 8 to 12 eggs.

Even though broodiness has been bred out of sexlinks, you might still end up once in a while with a sexlink hen that wants to set on a nest full of eggs.

A broody hen can cause many problems with egg productions, especially when they cease to lay any eggs for 3 to 4 weeks.

Sex link hens do not go broody very often but just be aware that it may happen.

So, backyard chicken owners who want their flock to produce eggs but who do not want to raise chicks should definitely consider sexlink chickens.

Recap of the Benefits of Sexlink Chickens

Benefits	Explanation
Higher Egg Production	Excellent egg layers, producing 250 to 300 large, brown eggs every year
Male and Female Baby Chicks are a Different Color	Easy to identify the sex of newly hatched chicks by feather color
Good Temperament	Friendly personalities and temperaments
Meat Potential	Excellent option as a meat bird
Reduced Broodiness	Broodiness is usually bred out of good egg-laying crosses

More chicken information for you:

Which Heritage Breeds Are Cross-Bred for Sexlinks

All Sexlinks have a single red comb and clean, non-feathered legs and feet. They are hardy, productive and typically have a good temperament.

Just always be cautious and aware of the roosters regardless of the breed or temperament.

Brown Egg layers

Black Sex-Link Chickens or Black Star Chickens: Non-barred rooster like a Rhode Island Red rooster over a barred hen like a Plymouth Barred Rock. These lay large brown eggs. These birds are also known as Black Rocks.

Male chicks will have black fluff upon hatching with a yellowish-white spot on their heads. Females or pullet chicks will have dark brownish black fluff without any spots on their heads.

Black Sexlinks are one the Top 8 Best Black Chicken breeds.

Red Sex-Links or Red Star Chickens: Crossing a Rhode Island Red rooster with either a Delaware hen, white Plymouth Rock, or a Rhode Island white hen. These are consider red sex-link chickens.

Many of the red and golden colored sexlinks look very similar to one another with reddish feathers and white petticoats. Petticoats are the white under feathers on the back end of pullets near their tail-feathers. They are quite fancy! Red sex-links also lay brown eggs.

Male chicks will have yellowish-white fluff with maybe a little black on them and females or pullets will have reddish tinted or buff colored fluff upon hatching.

Golden Comet: New Hampshire Red Rooster over a White Rock hen will give you the Golden Comet. They lay brown eggs.

Cinnamon Queens: New Hampshire Red Rooster over a Silver-laced Wyandotte hen will give you the Cinnamon Queen hybrid. These also lay brown eggs.

Isa Brown Hens: Crossing a Rhode Island Red rooster with a white hen that has some white leghorn genes. These will also lay brown eggs. These are also called Rhode Island Red crosses.

White Egg Layer

White California: California Gray rooster with a White Leghorn hen. These white sexlinks lay white eggs.

If you would like further information on sexlink chickens, this is a must read for a more in-depth understanding on hybrid sexlinks.

if you are interested, Here are Some Top Heritage Breeds:

Close up of a Black Sexlink Hen who has a red comb.

Final Thoughts on Sexlink Chickens

The main takeaway is the sexlink chickens are a crossbred that are bred for ease of sexing baby chicks upon hatching as well as being perfect for backyard poultry keepers and poultry farms alike because they are hardy, thrifty, and highly productive.

As hybrid chickens continue to gain popularity, new research will likely reveal additional advantages that can help farmers achieve success in their operations. The cost of the chicks might be slightly less than heritage breeds. This is a nice benefit especially when coupled with sexlinks earlier maturity rate.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some of the top hybrid chicken breeds?

Hybrid chicken breeds are becoming increasingly popular due to their desirable traits such as high egg production and fast growth. Some of the top hybrid chicken breeds include the Rhode Island Red, Leghorn, Plymouth Rock, and the sexlink breeds.

How long do sexlinks typically lay eggs for?

Sexlink chickens are known for their high egg production, which can last up to 2-3 years. However, the number of eggs laid may decrease after the first year.

What are some differences between sexlinks and other chicken breeds?

One of the main differences between sexlink chickens and other breeds is their ability to be sexed at birth based on their feather color. Additionally, sexlink chickens tend to be more docile and tolerant of heat and cold weather.

Can sexlinks be accurately sexed at birth?

Yes, sexlink chickens can be accurately sexed at birth based on their feather color. Male and female sexlinks have different colored feathers, making it easy to distinguish between the two.

Are sexlinks better for egg-laying or meat production?

Sexlink chickens are primarily bred for their egg-laying abilities and are known for their high egg production. However, they can also be used for meat production, although they may not be as efficient as other meat breeds.

Are there any problems with Sex-link chicken breeds?

While sexlink chickens are generally healthy and hardy, they may be more prone to certain health issues such as egg binding and reproductive problems due to their high egg production. It is important to provide them with proper nutrition and care to prevent these issues.

Top Tips & Takeaways

Here are some top tips and takeaways to keep in mind when raising sexlink chickens:

Sexlink chickens are a popular hybrid breed known for their high egg production and fast growth. They are a great option for backyard chicken keepers.
Black sex links and red sex links are the most common types of sexlink chickens and can be easily found in farm and feed stores.
Sexlink chickens are generally tolerant to heat and cold weather, making them a good choice for various climates.
When breeding sexlink chickens, it’s important to identify cockerels from pullets early on to avoid overcrowding and aggression.
Sexual dimorphism is visible in adult birds, but in some breeds, it’s also visible in the babies.
Provide your sexlink chickens with a balanced diet that includes a good source of protein, such as mealworms or crickets.
Keep your coop clean and well-ventilated to prevent the spread of diseases and parasites.
Regularly check your sexlink chickens for signs of illness or injury, and seek veterinary care if necessary.
Consider adding nesting boxes and perches to your coop to provide your sexlink chickens with a comfortable and safe living space.

That’s a Wrap…..

Poultry farmers as well as backyard enthusiasts will benefit from hybrid birds with their increased egg production, easy going temperaments and better disease resistance…plus, as you will find out, they are just super nice birds!

All-in-all, sexlink chickens are a fantastic option for just about any flock!