Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
This is when breeders make use of the sex chromosomes in the hen and roster. These birds
are specially hybrid to produce different colors for pullets, cockerels and chicks.
Sex link cross breeds are breed so that the cockerel chicks are a different color from the
pullets. This makes it easier to differentiate between the sexes when they are chicks. The
basic colors of the chicken are red, or gold and black. These Sex-Link chickens are hybrid
so will not breed true. Some of the most popular are:
·
Black Sex-Link Cross:
These chickens are a cross between a Barred Rock hen with a Rhode Island Red or New
Hampshire rooster. The cockerels and pullets will both have black down but the cockerels
will have a white dot on the top of their head.
·
Red-Sex Link Cross:
This is a cross of a Rhode Island Red or New Hampshire rooster and either a White Rock,
White Laced Wyandotte, or Rhode Island White hen. The pullets are buff with red and the
cockerels are white.
·
Fast Feathering Growth:
This is used to differentiate between the sexes of broiler types of sex link chicks. The dif-
ference in sex can be seen by the different growth of the primary and covert feathers in
chicks that are 1 to 3 days old. The primary feathers are long and covert ones short in this
variety.
·
Slow Feathering Growth :
The covert feathers are long and primary ones short on slow feathered varieties. The sex of
the chicks can be seen from this in chicks that are 1 to 3 days old. The males will be slow
in feathering and the females grown their feathers fast.
