Red Sex Link
A Red Sex Link is a first-generation hybrid chicken, not a breed that reproduces true. Hatcheries create it by mating a red or gold male line, often Rhode Island Red or New Hampshire, to a silver or white female line such as Delaware, Light Sussex, Rhode Island White, or White Plymouth Rock, depending on the program. The chicks can be sexed by down color: pullets hatch buff, red, or brownish, while cockerels are much lighter. Adult hens are usually red-brown with some white feathering and are bred to lay brown eggs heavily.
Red Sex Links are common backyard and small-farm layers because they mature early, convert feed efficiently, and are usually easy to handle. Their high egg output calls for a dependable layer ration, calcium access, and monitoring for reproductive strain as hens age. Hatching eggs from Red Sex Link hens will produce mixed, unpredictable offspring, and the color-sexing advantage is lost after the first generation. Names such as Golden Comet, Red Star, and Cinnamon Queen may refer to similar but not identical hatchery crosses.
