Sex Link Chicken

Sex link chickens are a recently developed chicken specifically for the purpose of laying large quantities of eggs for commercial or domestic use. They are often sold commercially.

General
Sex Links are a breed of chicken which range in color and and design depending on the specific variation of sex link which is purchased. Sex links are normally a cheap and reliable breed which can lay eggs continuously for long periods of time if given the proper diet. They are often used along-side Rhode Island Red chickens to produce large quantities of eggs for commercial sale.

Golden Sex Link
Golden Sex Links are the most widely used and purchases species of sex link on the market which originate from Rhode Island Red Chickens and other similarly colored laying chickens.

Dark Sex Link
The Dark Sex Link chicken is very similar in behavior to the Golden Sex Link Chicken but has a much different feather coloration and pattern, being mostly black with either brown or white speckles. The originate from a cross-breed between Australorp Chickens and Plymouth Rock Chickens. As a sex link, they are relatively calm and regular layers.



Red Sex Link
Red Sex Links are a variation nearly identical to the Golden Sex Link but have reddish feathers similar to a Rhode Island Red chicken. They are often sold together with Golden Sex Links, or mistakenly called Golden Sex Links. They have the same laying habits as any other sex link chicken.

Red Sex Link (White Variant.)
There is also a variation of Red Sex Link which may appear more white than there usual red and blonde coloration. This coloration is more common on roosters than hens.

Behavior
Sex Links of all colors are typically quite docile and calm with none to minor flightiness similar to other domestic laying birds. Even roosters may be relatively docile if they are regularly raised around humans, but may peck hens during mating.

They are normally very low in the pecking order if their are more dominant or wild chicken breeds within the same flock, but roosters may climb to the top of the pecking order due to their size and nature.

History
Sex Links were first developed by selective breeding in the 1970's to be used in battery laying chambers to produce large quantities of eggs, but in the coming decades also became a popular chicken breed in the domestic market as well being sold by large poultry and farming corporations around the United States.

By the 1990's, they had become an industry standard along-side the Rhode Island Red Chicken.

Bantam
They are little to no Bantam-type sex link breeds due to their history of becoming a commercial layer rather than an Ornamental chicken, though smaller variations due exist in the local markets.

Chicks
Sex links as chicks are relatively hardy compared more Ornamental chicks, they require lots of seed to maintain their development.