What is a red sex link?
“Sex link” describes a chicken whose sex can be told by feather colour on the day it hatches. Red sex links are crosses between certain breeds, such as a red-type rooster with a lighter-coloured hen, so that male and female chicks look different. Hatcheries sell them under names including Golden Comet, Red Star, Red Sex Link, Cinnamon Queen and others. Different names can refer to similar birds, and the parent lines may differ between suppliers.
Sex-linked hybrids generally do not breed true, so keepers usually buy new birds rather than breeding their own.
How big do red sex links get?
Red sex links are medium-sized chickens. Many hatcheries describe adult hens as somewhere around 4 to 6 pounds, with males heavier, but this varies by strain and supplier. Commercial-style strains are often kept deliberately smaller for efficient laying, and some backyard lines run larger. Treat any single figure as approximate, and check the hatchery’s description for the line you are buying.
Growth stages
Rough guide, not exact:
- Chicks (0 to about 6 weeks): feed a chick starter and keep them warm under a heat source, reducing warmth gradually as they feather.
- Growers (about 6 to 16 weeks): growing quickly; shift to a grower feed, as your feed supplier recommends. Provide enough space to avoid crowding.
- Pullets (from about 16 to 20 weeks): approaching first eggs, usually around 18 to 22 weeks for these hybrids. Switch to layer feed as laying starts or as advised.
- Adults: reach full size by roughly their first year.
Birds that are much smaller than their flockmates, thin, lethargic, or not growing normally should be checked by a vet with poultry experience.
What influences size
- Genetics and the specific strain
- Feed quality and quantity
- Rearing conditions: crowding, temperature, parasites and illness
- Competition at the feeder, which can leave lower-ranking birds smaller
Sexing at hatch
Because chick colour differs by sex, hatcheries can sell sexed pullets with high accuracy, though no method is perfect. The result is that the males, which are less useful for eggs, are often not raised for backyard sale. If this matters to you, ask your hatchery what it does with surplus males.
Other chicken types can also be sexed at hatch, including some autosexing breeds, and black sex links. Feather sexing and vent sexing are separate methods that don’t depend on colour.
Egg colour and production
Red sex links lay brown eggs. Golden sex links, which are closely related, also lay brown eggs. Suppliers commonly quote a few hundred eggs per year in the first year, but expect less in practice, and lower output in winter, moult and as hens age. For similar birds see Cinnamon Queen pullets and Amberlink chickens. You can also compare with the best chickens for backyard eggs.
Where to buy
Hatcheries, local feed stores and local breeders sell red sex link chicks or pullets. Point-of-lay pullets cost more than chicks but spare you the brooding stage. Ask about vaccination, hatch date and sourcing, and isolate new birds for a few weeks before mixing with your flock.
Next steps
Plan your coop around the larger end of the size range, and have a vet with poultry experience on hand before you need one.