New chicks for the laying flock . . .
Some Red Sex Links and some tiny banties -- I 'll try to get better pictures soon.
What's this about Sex Links? I hear you whispering. . .
Here's what Wikipedia says:
"Sex-links are cross-bred chickens whose color at hatching is differentiated by sex, thus making chick sexing an easier process. Sex-links come in many varieties, few of which are a true breed. As hybrids of laying or dual-purpose breeds infused with extra vigor via heterosis,
sex-links can be extremely good egg-layers which often produce 300 eggs
a year or more depending on the quality of care and feed.
Two common varieties are the black sex-link (also called Black Stars) and the red sex-link (also called Red Stars). Blacks are a cross between a Rhode Island Red or New Hampshire rooster and a Barred Rock hen. Red sex-links are a cross between a Rhode Island Red or New Hampshire rooster and a White Rock, Silver Laced Wyandotte, Rhode Island White or Delaware hen. "
Impress your family and friends with your chicken knowledge and your ability to toss about words like heterosis.
14 comments:
Crap, Vicki... there's no way I could repeat that, unless I was reading it. Impress someone? Not hardly.
So it is the hen that decides what kind of breed you get? Women are very important!;)
Thank you for your comment. Here in my country some religious groups consider women to be inferior to men. I am religious but I believe that we are just as men created after Gods image. We must realise that religion is often invented by men, who are trying to show the world how powerful they are. Buddha, Jesus, Gandhi, Dalai Lama are not like that. They are the men I try to follow.
I hope those chicks are soon going to be out and about, enjoying spring sunshine!
Vicki, your visitors stats will undoubtedly show a sharp upturn for this post.
I'll share this with my husband. He's fascinated by the chicks and ducklings at the back of Tractor Supply.
My neighbor is building a chicken coop, and plans to buy full grown chickens, which I've never heard of. But the eggs will be the main point!
Only one of our hens is setting, she has 9 eggs under her. Due to hatch April 2nd, we are excited! XO
ha. i am wondering what kind of hits you will be getting today...lol....cool on the chicks..hahha....
I had some black sex-linked hens once. They were great egg layers, but most of them 'burned out' at about three years (in a flock where you are expected to lay well into your 8 to 9th year! ha). I had one old gal though--she was black with gold neck feathers and she led a very interesting chicken life--including being carried off over half a mile away by a dog--found in the nick of time and nursed back to health, going broody and raising several clutches of chicks, but alas in the end she was one of several that succumbed to brief time of a coyote intruder. Good luck with your little biddies! Baby chicks are so cute.
Tammy
That's what is called professionalism!
A Beautiful Sign Of Spring!
Well...that was interesting! And I love the photos of the baby chicks.
daughter and son-in-law just started raising chickens. Going to have to try to wow them with my new knowledge. I suspect they will laugh at me.
The things you learn from blogs. Never mind the chicks though, I need one of those heat lamps right now!
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