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Amberlink Chicken Breed – Laying, Temperament, Characteristics

amberlink chicken

Having an Amberlink chicken in your flock pretty much guarantees it a year-round spot on the “Employee of The Month” wall!

With a terrific blend of sought-after traits, the Amberlink is a very well-balanced, all-around performance chicken with an excellent temperament.

A champion egg layer with strong-shelled and beautiful medium-dark brown eggs, Amberlink is also a great forager, significantly better at finding its food than most other backyard breeds.

The Amberlink is a fantastic choice for northern climates, as it is pretty cold, hardy, and heat tolerant.

Amberlink Chicken

Amberlink Availability

First, because of the complex process in breeding Amberlinks, they are not all that easy to come by. 

Amberlinks (or Amber Sex Link Chickens) are hybrids of the ISA Hendrix genetic line. That means that they are the result of mixing two pure breeds.

For Amberlink, the pure breeds could be Rhode Island Reds and White Plymouth Rocks or White Island Reds

These hybrid breedings are unique and complex, though – you may not get similar results if you bred any Rhode Island Red with a White Plymouth Rock or White Island Red.

Also, because Amberlinks are hybrids, you won’t get Amberlink chicks if you breed two Amberlinks together.

So, the complexity of breeding makes things a little harder for common breeders. 

Hybrid Chickens

Also, inherent in the business of hybrid chickens, there are several drawbacks. Here is a list of potential negatives of hybrid or mixed as well as reverse crossbred chicken lines:

    • Hybrid chickens tend not to live as long as pure-breeds. Unfortunately, hybrid hens significantly reduced life expectancy (average 2-4 years vs. 8-10 years for purebred).
    • Compared to most healthy pure-breed chickens, Amberlink hybrids’ shorter life expectancy is directly related to their high egg production.
    • Because they are bred to continue laying through most of the year (i.e., winter), their reproductive systems are never at rest, and the high laying performance also means the hens rapidly use up the calcium stores in their bones. 
    • The cost of this is a strain on their systems as a whole, depleted energy resources and immunity decline, and early death. 
    • These chickens are more likely to be prone to laying problems, such as egg-binding, prolapse, and egg-peritonitis.
    • Again, because of their incredible egg production, more eggs usually equals more chance something can go wrong informing or laying an egg. 

Egg Laying of Amberlink Chicken

  • Laying can be unpredictable after the first year. All chickens tend to slow up production after the first year. Hybrids are no exception.

 

  • In fact, after a hybrid’s second laying season, egg production drops by 15-20% every year, and by the time a hybrid hen reaches old age, egg production, more often than not, has withered up altogether.

 

  • Quality and careful feeding are important for hybrids to meet the demands of very intensive egg production. One would expect to get more eggs OUT OF a hen. We would need to put more or higher quality food INTO the hen.

 

  • Although this seems logical, it is sometimes overlooked when choosing chickens for a backyard flock.

 

  • Hybrids don’t ‘breed true’ – the only way to obtain more of the same hybrid type is to buy new pullets flocks of each of the two parent breeds. Therefore you must maintain parent breeds to have birds to make the cross to produce the sex link chicks. Sexlink crossbred/hybrid chickens can be mated and produce offspring, but color, growth rate, and egg-laying ability will vary much from one offspring to another.

 

  •  Hybrids are less likely to make reliable mothers if you want to hatch some eggs. Because these chickens were designed to mass-produce eggs, not to lay and hatch eggs naturally, most hybrids have lost the instinct to brood.

 

  •  Hybrid layers don’t make the best meat birds. Designed to be egg-laying machines, these chickens use up energy stores for just that. The weight required for a typical meat-laying bird is never fully reached.

 

  • Many traditional pure-breeds are declining due to the popularity of hybrids. The old standard of chicken breeds, ‘Heritage’ or “purebred” breeds, have refused as the hybrids have increased in popularity. This results from primarily economically based decisions made by chicken breeders going for combinations, which are the more prolific, earlier egg layers.

Final Thoughts About the Amberlink Chicken Breed

All in all, it comes down to personal preference as far as deciding to keep hybrid chickens, like Amberlink, or stay with heritage, purebred birds.

Are you looking for a dependable amount of egg layers for a few years and willing to be somewhat vigilant about the quality feeding necessary to accommodate this?

Do you need cold or heat-hardy chickens with a better than the average immune system but are willing to confront possible laying problems due to constant production? 

Do you prefer a flock of even-tempered chickens neither overly friendly nor overly aggressive?

Will you be ok with replacing your hens 2-4 years after your baby Amberlinks hatch when their ‘old age’ creeps in, and they pass away? 

As with every decision, it’s essential to know all the pluses and minuses that may happen as a result. 

Amberlinks are super duper chickens, but owning them does come with a cost. After all, even an Employee of the Month program costs you a parking spot.  

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Amberlink Chicken

11 thoughts on “Amberlink Chicken Breed – Laying, Temperament, Characteristics

  1. I was just wanting to know where I can find the state law requirement that says for picking up chickens you have to buy 6 and for ordering online you only have to purchase 3. This information would be very helpful.
    Thank you,

    1. Many state agriculture depts require minimum six because chickens are considered flock animals. Six minimum prevents buying only one or two birds that would cause unnecessary cruelty on a flock mentality bird.

  2. would love to buy the breed.
    am in Botswana how can you assist even with cocks for breeding with other breeds to produce fertile eggs.

  3. So I have three amber link hens and they are pretty rude. I have raised plenty of chickens and have three light brahmas raised with them. I don’t know if it’s the light brahmas I raised them with, or if I just got unlucky. If you know anything about them or have tips please say!!!

  4. I have 2 Amberlinks and I adore them! But I had no idea they would only live 2-4 years. I spoil my babies and want to take care of them. I am interested in learning more on what they need to be fed? My flock also consist of 2 Blue Plymouth Rocks and 2 Olive Eggers ( 1 of which I am pretty sure is a rooster). They are all only about 12 weeks old.

  5. I have two amber links, and they may be my two favorite chickens. They are smart, affectionate and definitely leaders of the pack. I am sad to learn they have shorter lifespans.

  6. I just bought a bunch of amberlinks (didn’t know much about the breed) – they have such a sweet and gentle nature – I am absolutely crazy about them.

  7. We love our Amber’s. They laid an egg just days before they were five months. Couple of days later, they’re just dishing them out. I have more eggs than I ever imagined! That’s good though! They are so freakin cute and sweet. We spoil them babies. We have them with our Black Stars. They all get along very well. They love, love, love attention and we they see me in the distance they run towards me, trying to get to me. They squak so loudly, telling me to hurry up. They are so funny. They eat out of my hands and they allow me to pet them as well as pick them up without fussing. We’ve named them all. Henny Penny has the largest personality and lets herself be known for all to hear. Very good choice for a bird! We are thrilled!

  8. My amberlink chick is growing slow compared to my Goldens. Eating, drinking, pooping, and behaving normally.

  9. I have 2 amberlink hens and they are bullies! They are 11 weeks old and complete buttholes. They are pure white with no brown on them ( one of the reasons I chose them). I like pretty birds… Anywho, I’m seriously thinking of giving them away if they don’t chill out!

  10. I’m so glad I came across this post! I’ve been considering getting an Amberlink chicken as a pet and was curious about their laying abilities. It’s great to know that they are prolific layers and produce large brown eggs. I also appreciate the information on their temperament and characteristics. I think I’ll have to do some more research to see if this breed is right for me, but thanks for the informative post!

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