Red Sex Link chickens are one of the most productive brown egg layers a backyard flock can have, which is exactly why so many new chicken keepers end up hearing about them early. But despite how common they are, they are often misunderstood. They are not a true breed; they are not meant to reproduce consistently, and their high production comes with tradeoffs. This article breaks down what a Red Sex Link chicken is, how the cross works, what kinds are most common, and what to expect if you keep them for eggs.
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What Is a Red Sex Link Chicken?
A Red Sex Link is a hybrid laying chicken developed for brown egg production. These birds are called “sex links” because males and females hatch in different down colors, making it possible to identify sex at hatch with a very high degree of accuracy.
Genetics
Red Sex Links are created by crossing a gold-based rooster (s+/s+) with a silver-based hen (S/-). The offspring can be sexed at hatch because the hen passes the silver gene only to her sons, while the rooster contributes the gold gene to both sons and daughters. The males hatch out a light yellow color, and the females hatch out a reddish color. When mature, the females are red with white undertones and the males are white with red or gold leakage.
Sex chromosomes in chickens are ZZ and ZW. ZZ is male, and ZW is female. Male chicks receive a Z chromosome from their father and their mother. Female chicks receive a Z chromosome from their father and a W chromosome from their mother. The silver gene (S) is located on the Z chromosome. When a silver hen (S) is crossed with a gold rooster (s+), she passes her Z chromosome carrying the silver gene only to her sons.
Red Sex Links are such productive layers due to hybrid vigor or heterosis. When you cross two lines that both possess good egg production, you can create offspring that have even better egg production. This is accomplished by crossing two selectively bred inbred lines. The male line may be selected for vigor, body size, egg production of the grandmothers, etc. The female line may be selected for egg size, feed-to-egg conversion ratio, and production. When these two select lines are crossed, the offspring will inherit the good qualities of the parents, resulting in higher egg production than either of the previous lines.
The caveat of hybrid vigor/heterosis is that it only goes one way. Using Red Sex Links for breeding does not yield uniform high production offspring. If Red Sex Links are bred together, the next generation loses the ability to be sexed at hatch by down color. Check out our Chicken Cages for breedering and genetics.
Types of Red Sex Links
There are many breeds that can be used to create a Red Sex Link; however, commercial Red Sex Links come from strains bred for egg production. Today, only four types of Red Sex Links are sold:
Golden Comet is a cross between a Rhode Island Red rooster and Rhode Island White hens. The females are red with underlying tones of white and lay large brown eggs.
Red Star is a cross between a New Hampshire rooster and Rhode Island White hens. The females are a gold color with white undertones and lay large brown eggs.
ISA Brown is a cross by the French Institut de Sélection Animale (ISA) developed in 1978. It is a selective cross of Rhode Island Reds and Rhode Island Whites. Female offspring are reddish brown and lay large brown eggs.
Cinnamon Queen is a cross between a Rhode Island Red and Silver Laced Wyandotte. The females are reddish brown with flecks of black, a rose or single comb, and lay large brown eggs.
Common male breeds used to breed commercial Red Sex Links: Rhode Island Red or New Hampshire
Common female breeds used to breed commercial Red Sex Links: Production strain Rhode Island White, Light Sussex, production strain Delaware, or White Plymouth Rocks.
Egg Production
If egg count is the main reason people choose Red Sex Links, this is where they stand apart from most other backyard chickens. Red Sex Links are popular because they usually lay right through their first winter and lay well the following winter when most breeds have completely stopped laying eggs. In commercial settings, Red Sex Links lay 300-320 eggs a year.
In non-commercial settings like a backyard flock, on a homestead, or pasture, they lay about 250-280 eggs a year because the chickens are allowed to go through a natural molt. On commercial farms, most egg layer flocks are terminated after 12-18 months of production when the hens are one and a half to two years old.
Red Sex Links are the highest egg producers around, rivaled only by the commercial White Leghorn. As a result of their high production, most Red Sex Link hens don’t live more than 4 years. Even as Red Sex Links get older, their production doesn’t slow down. When a Red Sex Link hen reaches her third laying cycle, she will be producing 180-200 eggs a year.
Such high production eventually takes its toll on the body. That level of output comes at a cost, especially as the hen ages, which is one reason these birds often have shorter lifespans than slower-producing breeds. Common health issues include infection of the reproductive tract, cancer, ascites, egg yolk peritonitis, and heart failure.
Breeding Red Sex Links
A common question regarding Red Sex Links is whether one can breed their own. The short answer is yes. You can make your own Red Sex Links by crossing a gold-based male over silver females. Will you achieve the same hybrid vigor as a commercial Red Sex Link? It may be close. A fun home experiment can be to breed your very own Red Sex Links.
Can you breed two Red Sex Links together? Yes, you can. Will they create more Red Sex Links? No, they will not. Why not? Red Sex Links are a terminal cross; they are the end result of a specific breeding program, and due to their genetics, they cannot be bred together to make more offspring with the same characteristics.
Final Thoughts
Red Sex Link chickens are popular for one simple reason: they are built to lay. For backyard keepers who want strong brown egg production, they can be an excellent choice, especially in the first few laying years. But they are not a true breed, and they are not meant to reproduce consistently from one generation to the next. That combination of high production, hybrid vigor, and limited breeding potential is what defines them.
Written by:
Aryeh Wiesel
