Questions about hybrids/sex-links?

[Zonlover]

Questions for people who own/have experience with red hybrid/sex-links:
Do they really lay 250-320 eggs/year?
How friendly are they?
How good are they for free-ranging?
How resistant are they to predators?
And what is the difference between different hybrids(which hybrids are best for eggs,personality, etc.)?

 

[Shezbug]

bump

 

[AussieBird]

I not quite sure about your mean by 'hybrid', but I have had some sex-links.

I don't count eggs by years, so can't answer that, but they do lay a fair amount of eggs.

They are quite friendly, but I have never actually tamed any (because I don't have the patience).

My chickens free range a paddock through the day and then I lock them up at night.

 

[Zonlover]

I not quite sure about your mean by 'hybrid', but I have had some sex-links.

I don't count eggs by years, so can't answer that, but they do lay a fair amount of eggs.

They are quite friendly, but I have never actually tamed any (because I don't have the patience).

My chickens free range a paddock through the day and then I lock them up at night.

Hybrids and sex-links are the same thing in my mind, because sex-links are not purebred, they are a mix of breeds.

 

[AussieBird]

Hybrids and sex-links are the same thing in my mind, because sex-links are not purebred, they are a mix of breeds.

That would be true for most sex-links except mine as they were pure Sussex, buff/white.

 

[brdfvr]

I have red sex links and mine only took a month of in the hottest weather. Other than that they lay everyday. Even now when the day lengths are getting shorter. They're still going strong. I just got some australorps and they're said to lay like crazy as well

 

[Destiny]

Are any chicken breeds "resistant" to predators?

I have had red sex linked and black sex linked. Both were very good layers. The red sex linked chickens were also the friendliest chickens I have ever had. They are always following me around and show little fear of people. Not nervous or flighty. I don't hand-tame my chickens, but I bet they would be very easy to tame. As far as free-ranging, they do just fine. They are healthy and hardy chickens, in my experience.

It is difficult to compare the different crosses reliably, because they are not standardized breeds. In theory, the cross would be as good as the parent stock, so quality would depend on the hatchery. That being said, I haven't been disappointed with the production of any of the sex-linked chickens I have had over the years. Pick a hatchery you trust and you should be fine. They are a great chicken.

 

[Destiny]

And for anyone who is curious about the genetics behind sex-linked chickens and the different types that are available, this is a nice article that goes over it in detail.

Sex Linked Chickens for Beginners, What they are and how to breed them.

Several people have asked me about this and i have found most sites leave out some important details. This article will explain how they are bred, and how to identify cockerels from pullets. For the record i do not breed hybrid sex links...

www.backyardchickens.com

I have never kept any of the auto-sexing purebred chickens. Mine were all the hybrid varieties. Some day, I want to get some legbars.

 

[Zonlover]

Are any chicken breeds "resistant" to predators?

I have had red sex linked and black sex linked. Both were very good layers. The red sex linked chickens were also the friendliest chickens I have ever had. They are always following me around and show little fear of people. Not nervous or flighty. I don't hand-tame my chickens, but I bet they would be very easy to tame. As far as free-ranging, they do just fine. They are healthy and hardy chickens, in my experience.

It is difficult to compare the different crosses reliably, because they are not standardized breeds. In theory, the cross would be as good as the parent stock, so quality would depend on the hatchery. That being said, I haven't been disappointed with the production of any of the sex-linked chickens I have had over the years. Pick a hatchery you trust and you should be fine. They are a great chicken.

Well, yeah, I guess no chicken is really "resistant", but some chicken breeds would be less good at escaping. Like slower, heavier, breeds.

 

[Zonlover]

And for anyone who is curious about the genetics behind sex-linked chickens and the different types that are available, this is a nice article that goes over it in detail.

Sex Linked Chickens for Beginners, What they are and how to breed them.

Several people have asked me about this and i have found most sites leave out some important details. This article will explain how they are bred, and how to identify cockerels from pullets. For the record i do not breed hybrid sex links...

www.backyardchickens.com

I have never kept any of the auto-sexing purebred chickens. Mine were all the hybrid varieties. Some day, I want to get some legbars.

This is the exact article that I just read this morning. You're right, it is quite helpful.

 

[fashionfobie]

Well, yeah, I guess no chicken is really "resistant", but some chicken breeds would be less good at escaping. Like slower, heavier, breeds.

None are resistant but some are definitely more at risk to predation. For example breeds like the Polish as they have reduced peripheral vision which makes them more at risk.

In terms of breed selection weather tolerance is very important. Get a cold or heat hardy breed whichever suits your region. In my mind this is more important than egg output. High egg laying breeds can have a reduced life expectancy and egg production could hault early. A sturdy and long lived breed may be a better choice for a companion bird.

 

[Zonlover]

None are resistant but some are definitely more at risk to predation. For example breeds like the Polish as they have reduced peripheral vision which makes them more at risk.

In terms of breed selection weather tolerance is very important. Get a cold or heat hardy breed whichever suits your region. In my mind this is more important than egg output. High egg laying breeds can have a reduced life expectancy and egg production could hault early. A sturdy and long lived breed may be a better choice for a companion bird.

I was thinking Black Australorps, Buff Orpington, and Barred Rocks, if I was going to get purebred chickens. Where I live is like in between tropical weather and polar weather(Virginia, USA). I have also toyed with the idea of at some point rescuing 3-4 ex-battery hens.