These prolific egg layers are an excellent addition to any backyard flock. But when do Golden Sexlink Chickens Start Laying Eggs, and how many eggs can they lay?
Here we will discuss everything you need to know about the Golden Sexlinks chicken. Read on to learn more.
The Golden Sexlink chickens are robust dual-purpose birds with excellent egg-laying capabilities. They have more substantial amounts of meat than most crossbreed chicken breeds.
Golden Sexlinks Egg Production
This chicken breed is known for its exceptional egg production capabilities. Under good care and proper nutrition, a Golden Sexlink hen can lay five to six eggs in a week. This translates to around 300 to 330 eggs in a year.
They will start laying eggs at the age of four months. This is considered quite early compared to most other breeds of chicken.
They will continue laying eggs up to the age of two years, although some may go beyond two years. After two years, the egg-laying rate will drop significantly, although the birds will continue laying eggs occasionally.
Golden sex link hens lay brown eggs. Although they have a diminutive stature, they tend to lay huge eggs and may even lay abnormally large eggs.
Unfortunately, these prolific layers are not the broodiness of chicken breeds when it comes to incubating their eggs. They are a good option for chicken keepers who do not have a rooster but want eggs to eat.
If you want to raise Golden Sex Link chicks, you will need to place your fertile eggs in an incubator or under a brooding hen.
Their eggs will not produce Golden Sex Link birds but rather mixed crossbreeds. Since Golden Sex Link chickens result from a cross between two Rhode Island chickens, they are extremely hardy birds.
The lovely golden eggs will continue to hatch through the winter. They might slow down a little bit, but they will not stop completely.
History Of Golden Sex Link Chicken
This breed was developed in the 1950s by breeding the Rhode Island Whites and Rhode Island Reds. You can tell the sex of your chicks on the day of hatching, and the outcome is usually adorable little chicks.
Chicken breeders have been using several chicken breeds for breeding these adorable birds. Some of the common breeds used include Cherry Eggers, Rhode Island Whites, Rhode Island Reds, and New Hampshire chickens.
In the early 1930s, Rhode Island Red chickens were used by breeders to produce New Hampshire chickens for their early maturity and large brown eggs.
Like other sex-linked birds, you can sex a Golden Sex Link chicken as soon as they lay an egg. You will just have to look at the coat of your chicks to figure it out.
Sex link chicks usually have striped feathers and are light brown in hue. The color of the yolk for a male Golden Sex Lick chick is usually yellow.
Lifespan Of Golden Sex Link Chicken
Although the Golden Sex Link chickens have a good temperament, they have a shorter lifespan than most other chicken breeds. On average, these hybrid birds will live for around four to five years.
A pet Golden Sex Link bird will not survive for long even if you keep them in a cage. The short lifespan makes it a perfect chicken breed for backyard chicken keepers who want to raise a flock on their small farms.
Although they are resilient and versatile, their huge combs are vulnerable to frostbite. Since they are active foragers, they are low-maintenance and self-sufficient.
Golden Sex Link Chicken Characteristics
Like other breeds, Golden Sex Links have unique characteristics that make them unique from other chicken breeds. Golden Sex Link hens are usually reddish-brown and brown.
On the other hand, roosters are usually white, although they may have some sprinkling of bright reddish feathers. Both roosters and hens have yellow legs.
Unlike chicks of other breeds of chicken, it is usually easy for one to tell the sex of a Golden Sex Link chick. Female Golden Sex Link chicks have a buff color and beautiful stripes around their feathers, while their male counterparts are light yellow.
Female chicks will come in different shades ranging from red to yellow. Some female chicks may have yellow feathers with red splotches.
Size And Weight
A mature Golden Sex Link hen weighs between 2 and 4 kg, while mature roosters weigh 3 to 6 kg. The weight and size of these birds will depend on the strain and age of the Golden Sex Link bird.
For instance, a Golden Sex Link hen will lose weight over time because of the prolonged egglaying. Golden Red Sex link chickens will also get larger with time than Golden Black Sex Links. Besides, older chickens will be bigger than the young ones.
Personality And Temperament
Golden Sex Link birds generally have a nice temperament. They are one of the most friendly chicken breeds that you can add to your backyard flock. Besides, they are some of the easiest breeds to handle.
These tiny chickens are docile and non-aggressive. It is not usual to find one of the following you around the backyard.
They are gentle most of the time and will not be nervous if you try handling them. In addition, they may not be bothered by disturbances such as movements and loud noises.
Because of their friendly, docile, and gentle nature, they are good for backyard chicken keepers and those seeking to venture into chicken keeping.
Since they are good pets, they are also suitable for families with kids. Since they have a pleasant temperament, they are likely to be victims of harassment from other chickens in the flock.
Therefore, you will need to ensure that they are raised alongside chicken breeds that are friendly too.
Care And Health Issues
Generally, Golden Sex Link chickens are easy to maintain and care for. They are healthy and hardy birds that will easily do well in both hot and cold environments. However, they will need proper care in order to be excellent meat and egg producers.
Feeding And Nutrition
Your chickens will need a chicken feed that will meet vital nutritional requirements. Their feed should include a formulation that will help maximize the egg-laying as well as the growth potential of every bird in the flock.
They will need to be provided with chicken feed containing proteins, irrespective of whether the bird is a rooster, hen, or chick.
However, the amount of protein offered should vary depending on their sex, age, and size. For instance, hens will need plenty of protein to boost their egg-laying capabilities.
Since these birds are excellent foragers, you can allow them to free-range. This will ensure that they get extra proteins as well as minerals and vitamins.
Alternative protein sources for your birds include cooked eggs, fish meals, mealworms, and sunflower seeds.
Golden Sex Link chicks will also require plenty of protein to aid their body growth. Chicks with protein deficiency are likely to experience stunted growth.
Providing them with protein feeds will also ensure that they develop feathers quickly and withstand cold climates. Roosters do not require as much protein as hens and chicks.
Calcium is a vital mineral that should not lack in the diet. The mineral will help form strong eggshells and enhance the circulatory system of your birds. In addition, your birds will need plenty of clean water.
Housing
Thinking of how and where to house your chickens is crucial for raising Golden Sex Link chickens. These birds are natural foragers and will require a grass area where they can forage for plant materials and bugs.
They will also need a good structure where they will roost at night, get protection from predators, and lay eggs.
Depending on the type of predators in your location, you can seal specific coop areas or completely seal the backyard.
Your birds will also need several nest boxes as they will be laying eggs a lot. You can consider one nest box for every three hens in the flock.
Although these chickens will spend most time outdoor, they will require shelter from the cold, especially in winter.
Therefore, you will need to ensure that your coop has enough heat lamps to keep the birds warm during the cold winter months.
In addition, your flock will need bedding to stay comfortable. Be sure to change the bedding from time to time and spray it with pesticides to control mites.
Health Problems
Although Golden Sex Links are awesome chickens, they also experience their fair share of health issues like other breeds of chickens.
They are susceptible to bacterial diseases like colibacillosis, which can make your bird experience difficulties, ruffled feathers, and diarrhea.
They are also susceptible to Fowl Cholera. The symptoms of Fowl Cholera include rapid weight loss, lameness, and loss of appetite.
In addition, you will need to keep an eye on parasites. External parasites like lice and mites can infect your flock with life-threatening diseases.
Therefore, you will need to deworm your chickens and fumigate your backyard if you detect the presence of external parasites.
Conclusion
Golden Sex Link chickens are prolific layers that start laying eggs when they are four months old. They lay brown eggs that are large-sized. Under good care and proper nutrition, these prolific layers will lay 300 to 330 eggs in a year.
