Light Sussex Thread!!!

[toddie75m]

So a question to anyone else with light Sussex:-

"Whats the 'typical' POL in terms of weeks?"

I was expecting 21 weeks, yet at 23 weeks i am still waiting for a few of my early hatch to produce? The appear healthy, are eating & drinking well. Comb colour is becoming brighter & i suspect its just a case of being patient, but it would be good to hear from anyone with more experience in this matter.

 

[3riverschick]

So a question to anyone else with light Sussex:-

"Whats the 'typical' POL in terms of weeks?"

I was expecting 21 weeks, yet at 23 weeks i am still waiting for a few of my early hatch to produce? The appear healthy, are eating & drinking well. Comb colour is becoming brighter & i suspect its just a case of being patient, but it would be good to hear from anyone with more experience in this matter.

Hi,
My first generation started POL at 39 weeks. The next season their daughters hit POL at 29 weeks.
This year they are still chicks so will have to wait till next spring to find out.
Best,
Karen

 

[toddie75m]

Thanks a million for the info Karen as i was starting to worry we had egg eating, albeit i couldn't find any evidence. Still i am happy to hear the girls are not abnormal....just taking there time.

 

[Maddly]

Hi! Can anyone who has experience with Light Sussex tell me if hens ever have a green sheen in their tail feathers? We have one 14-week-old Light Sussex who looks like a hen, sounds like a hen, and acts like a hen, but seems to have a bit of green in her tail. We bought her from a farmer who sexed the chicks and was very sure she was a girl, and so were we, but now I'm starting to worry because we can't keep roos within city limits here. Thanks in advance!!

 

[3riverschick]

Hi! Can anyone who has experience with Light Sussex tell me if hens ever have a green sheen in their tail feathers? We have one 14-week-old Light Sussex who looks like a hen, sounds like a hen, and acts like a hen, but seems to have a bit of green in her tail. We bought her from a farmer who sexed the chicks and was very sure she was a girl, and so were we, but now I'm starting to worry because we can't keep roos within city limits here. Thanks in advance!!

Very black feathers can have a "green sheen" to them. Albeit they are not in actuality "green " feathers. This is correct. What you don't want to see is a purple sheen. That is improper and due to injury, genetics or improper diet.
Best,
Karen

 

[CathyC]

Hi Toddie
My pullets from Chicken Scratch Poultry started laying at 24 weeks.
Cathy

 

[CathyC]

Hi Karen
In the 1920s breed standard it says the tail is carried at 45 degrees.
https://archive.org/stream/cu31924003091398#page/n229/mode/2up
But you are liking the flat back with the tail coming fairly straight off the back.
What did they mean by 45 degrees? Is it the angle below the top of the tail?
Cathy

 

[3riverschick]

Hi Karen
In the 1920s breed standard it says the tail is carried at 45 degrees.
https://archive.org/stream/cu31924003091398#page/n229/mode/2up
But you are liking the flat back with the tail coming fairly straight off the back.
What did they mean by 45 degrees? Is it the angle below the top of the tail?
Cathy

Yes, I am a fan of the tail which comes off the back a little less than 45 degrees. The higher the tail set, the shorter the back seems to become. But there should be some lift to the tail. 35 degrees works for me.
The angle of the tail is measure from the root of the tail to the tip. The topline of the back is used as the base from which the angle comes forth. ---------/ tail
back

 

[3riverschick]

I think the more we encourage or allow these obviously upright tails (more than 45 degrees) , the less we will see the long back noted in "General Shape and Carriage" in that Standard. Remember the Sussex's production qualities are so closely linked to its body type that literally if it doesn't look like a Sussex, it's not a Sussex. That long back is one of the major hallmarks of the breed. Basically anything that defines correct body silhouette is a major hallmark of the breed. length of back, depth of body, carriage of neck, shape of head, size and carriage of shanks, shape of feet, width and depth of body, angle of tail and angle of carriage of wing, etc. all of these characteristics interplay with each other affecting both meat and laying virtues to create a carefully balanced dual purpose breed. Balance is the byword in Sussex. It should look like neither a meat or an egg breed but a careful melding of both. An historically "meat" breed which has been tweaked enough to produce a quality egg layer which still meets all the qualifications of a classic meat birds. That's why we see continued warnings from the elite breeders not to let the egg qualities infringe on the classic type in the breed.

 

[CathyC]

Hi

If one breeds for the size and frequency of egg laying in selecting girls, and for size in the boys, why will that move you away from the breed standard? Has the breed standard changed since the 1920's one published in this chain? It is asking for a long back and the 45 degree tail. Is it not viable to do both?

Cathy