Speckled Sussex Rooster

I have 3 Speckled Sussex roosters that are 18 weeks old. What do you guys thing about them? Sorry for the poor quality photos.

Number 1:


Number 2: (His comb is not correct)


Number 3:

I, personally, like the first one. He has a more even body shape and more spangling/speckling than the other two (plus the second one, you stated as having an incorrect comb type).

I like the first the most a well. He seems to have better coloration and more correct body type.

Figures. I sold the first one! So between the other two?

Caught a picture of both of them together. I think #2 is in the front and #3 in the back.

I would choose number 3 possibly then. However, I am not sure. Number 3 looks almost scrawny in the picture and angly. However, number 2 looks very long and lengthy. Based on the last picture you posted, I would still go by number 2. Pictures can be very deceiving and one angle or picture looks very different than the next.

I've read the SOP. What am I looking for with body type? Long back? Big and full body?

What appeals to you about #2? I agree that #3 does look scrawny. From the front and top he looks thinner.

Sorry for the bad pictures but chickens don't make the best photo subjects

Going by the Standard of Perfection, set forth by the American Poultry Association (2010 edition), here is my rundown of why I like number #3 better rather than #2.

#3 beak is slightly shorter but still has the slight curve as what the standard calls for. His head is also slightly larger and shorter in overall appearance.
In my opinion, #2 does not also have the neck that #3 has. #2's is short and looks very stiff in both pictures while #3 has a gentle curve and blends well into his body. In the pictures, it looks like #2 has more hackle feathers though, which is good.
Both have good blending in their breasts, but as I said, #2 is scrawny. Being a dual purpose breed, you want them to be meaty (it just takes a little longer to get to a good butchering size). Body though, you want a long body. #2 has a longer body, but it does not blend well, so I would have to give the points to #3 (who's body is still moderately longer, but just not as long).
As for color, they both kind of miss out. I think this is just because they are young. Speckled Sussex develop better coloring with age.

This is just my take on the standard and what cockerel I would choose. As a breeder, interpreting the standard and breeding chickens to the standard as you read it is your job. You may read it differently than I do, and if you do, you should breed the chickens to how you read it.
Below I'll post pictures as to what my females look like. They received Champion and Reserve Champion Speckled Sussex and then went on to win Champion and Reserve Champion English in my last show a few weeks ago. They received a several comments from about 3 judges on how pretty they were. I believe the girl with the blue band had beaten out the one with the green band.
I do not breed Speckled Sussex, so I may not be best suited for answering questions about them, but I will try to help!

Hi tws,
I am going to be blunt. None of these males are breeding worthy.
They lack proper body silhouette. You can't improve your flock with them.
They lack the full, deep, long body which is the critical hallmark of the breed.
No, age isn't going to help. The basic structure isn't there. You need another roo.
One from a vintage top show strain. This is a good time of year to pick one up. The
breeders are downsizing for overwintering. Pick one from the Overton, Albrittion,
Reichert strains or flocks very closely related to these strains. Your male is 1/2 your flock.

Here is a classic breeding plan, successful over multiple species for over 100 years.
It is used for setting breed type and concentrating virtue in a pedigree. It can start
with only 2 (preferably unrelated) birds.

Get the very best you can afford. This method concentrates virtues and faults, you must
have a top quality bird in at least sire or dam ( preferably both, but at least the male for this
program to work because you will be going back to him multiple times) . Because this is
Speckled Sussex, you must get a male from a vintage show strain because it takes many
years to stabilize the color genes enough to get the proper Speckled pattern to reliably reproduce.
You must have that color stability in your male if you are going to inbreed on it to stabilize the
coloring in your flock. Otherwise you will just be spinning your genetic wheels. Speckled Sussex
is a tri-color variety and the toughest color in the breed to do correctly.

1. Breed him to your females. ( Hold back the 2 best males from this breeding, you will use one of them
in a few generations. The 2nd boy is extra insurance in case you lose one before he is needed).
2. Take the daughters and breed them back to their father.
3. Then take the granddaughters and take them back to your original cock ( their grandfather).
4. Take the females and breed them back to their great grandfather ( your original cock).
By now you will have birds which are about 7/8's the gene pool of the top quality male.
5. Take the females from the #4 breeding and breed them back to the male you held back
from breeding #1. This is actually a linebreeding, not an inbreeding ...because you are breeding
a female which is 7/8's the the original male to a boy who is only 1/2 the original male.
6. Take the siblings from the #5 breeding and breed them together.
7. Take the best male and female from the #6 breeding and start the program over again at Step #1.

You can keep this up indefinitely.

Best Regards,
Karen in western PA, USA

Further reading and breeder contact information :
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/429217/show-quality-speckled-sussex/1970#post_13960416
Posts 1974 , 1978 and 1980 .

Thanks for the info 3riverschick. I'm just getting started and really haven't studied up on breeding. I had 6 males and picked the 2 I thought were the best. According to the breeder I got these from they are from Reichert and Overton lines but I'm not sure how far removed they are.