Silver Lake Ranch

Background

Sex linked chickens are hybrid chickens. They are a cross between two standard breed chickens. Black sexlinks are the result of crossing a Rhode Island Red or New Hampshire Red rooster with Barred Plymouth Rock females. Because they are not a true breed, but a cross, they do not breed true, meaning, if you breed a male Black Sex Link with a female Black Sex Link, you will not get sex linked chicks. There are several varieties of Sexlink Chickens that are broken into two categories, Red Sexlinks and Black Sexlinks. Black Sexlinks are sold under a variety of names including Black Sexlinks, Black Stars, Shaver Black and Bovans Blacks.

Characteristics

Black Sexlink chickens lay lots of brown eggs, on average 300 per year. They are predominantly sold as layers but many people use them as dual purpose birds as they are heavier bodied than specific egg laying breeds. They are hardy to all climates and do well in varying temperatures, laying through snowy winters with a heat lamp.

Physical Characteristics

Black sexlink chickens can be sexed by color at hatching, hence the name. All the chicks will hatch with black feathers but the cockerels (males) have a white dot on their head. The pullets (females) will be all black. Mature pullets/hens will have a greenish tinge to their black feathers and often times have reddish golden feathers on their chest, neck and head. The have medium combs that are not too susceptible to frost bite. Their feet are brown. Cockerels weight about 8 pounds and pullets 6 pounds.

Temperament

Black Sexlinks are not an aggressive breed of chicken. They are very personable and like attention. They are quite vocal singing an egg song when they lay. They will also talk to you when you are around them. They will go through an annual molt where they loose a good portion of their feathers. Those they do not loose will look scruffy.

Feeding

It is important for the health of your chickens to provide a good diet. There are many varieties of laying chicken food to choose from and a bit of trail and error will be needed to find what is successful for your birds. The crumbs are popular but do cause a lot of waste and it crumbles to powder. Pellets are less wasteful but some birds do not like them. Scratch is not a very healthful diet as it is mostly corn. Supplementing with table scrap vegetables is always a good option. Chickens have a gizzard to grind up their food so will often “swallow” small rocks to help grind up their food. It is also important to provide Oyster shell or shell grit to help them with digestion and to provide trace minerals. They need fresh water daily as they have a tendency to add dirt to their water.

Housing

Chickens need somewhere to scratch around in during the day. Free range, that is allowing the birds to wander free is popular but they will destroy your garden as well as catch bugs. An enclosure big enough to allow the birds to move around in their own space is all that is really needed. An area 6ft x 10ft is adequate for 4 pullets. They need a place to roost, or sleep, off the ground at night. They also need nesting boxes. Often they will nest in the same box but it is a good idea to have several. Some birds like covered nesting boxes some like open boxes. It is a good idea to bed the boxes with hay or straw. It is important the birds have somewhere to get out of the sun and wind. They also like to take dust baths, that is, roll around in the dust. Chickens are susceptible to mites and parasites. Research what is prevalent in your area and determine the best treatment.