show quality speckled sussex ??

[GreenRiverHen]

Hi Woodsy---Your hen is lovely. I've seen your name on the Ontario board. You're in Quebec--I think? I'm in Pickering, Ontario.

I regrettably missed the show in Milton. Your birds were there? I heard that the Sussex were something to see!! How exciting!

I'm new to this and I'll be posting pics of my birds soon for some advice. Most of them are 4 1/2 months--two started laying Christmas morning

I would love to hear your thoughts along with all the others here.

Leighanne

 

[Woodsy]

Yes, two years ago I picked up a couple of cockerels from Mr.Overton and put them on my best females from a well known long time Canadian breeder. I hatched almost 200 and culled to 10 pullets. I am hoping to put one of the same cock birds on his daughters this spring. Unfortunately, I'll only be able to hatch 80-100 due to my son working on his bantam rock project. Wish I could hatch as many as I wanted!!! But made a promise to the wife.

Here are a few pics from this spring and summer.

















I have lots more pics, but everything you see I have kept and will most likely be breeding.

Have a great New Year!!! My website is www.erpoultry.weebly.com

Cheers,
Brian Woods

 

[memphis]

Wow! Not usually speechless, but that's all I got...wow!

 

[Arielle]

Brian keep us posted. I expect you can still make progress with 80-100 chicks. What features did you think you want to focus on for the next year?

 

[Woodsy]

Good question!!! Size and consistent type is the main focus my breeding will be focused in the 2014 season. (Good width and length in the body. I also need to work on fullness in the tail. Some of my pullets have a whipping type tail. I like them a little more spread! Most of the smut (Peppering) in the feathers has been breed out over the past few years, this has really helped with the evenness of the speckling. Other than that, pretty much size and type!!!




This is my pullet that won the Ontario Poultry Breeders show in November. There was very good competition and I was extremely surprised when the winner was announced.

 

[Arielle]

Really a lovely hen-- and to put her next to the ideal portrait, is WOW!! When you say size-- what weights are the birds now, and do you dress them for eating? IF so what are the dress weights?

I wonder if you might have an opinion--

I have not culled my roosters yet because I am stuck on one "problem" THe males allhave a larger bar thean the females on the breast area. Looks like white flecks on black. It this a typical rooster coloring, or should they have a smaller black bar and plenty of red showing?

 

[Woodsy]

Good question! Depends on whether you plan on showing your males. If not, often a lot of black on the chest results in darker mahogany pullets. However, ideally you want the barring to be similar to the females. Hope that helps.

Cheers,

 

[zinia8]

Woodsy beautiful birds. Someday I would like to hatch out that many birds.
We had some nicer weather today and the
birds got to get out. Tried to get some pics but they were not cooperative.

 

[math ace]

Hello,

I am fairly new to this forum. However, it seems to me this is one of the best Speckled Sussex threads that I have come across in some years. . . . This spring I hatched 200 and have culled down to 8 pullets and 2 cockerels. Hoping to do the same this spring but costs a lot of $$$$$ to feed 200 birds plus ducks etc. etc. Anyways, I love this thread and it seems to me that there are a lot of dedicated SS breeders out there. . .

WOW!

Woodsy it is so nice to have you join us.
I am so glad you like this thread. When I started this thread, my goal was to have an educational thread that focused on the SS.
There are many Sussex threads out there, but few that focus on the SS with a nod towards acquiring, breeding, or raising Show Quality SS.

200 birds is a lot of birds! I have raised about half that amount this year and can so understand that expense that goes into that project.

When does hatching season start in Canada?

What system / procedures do you use to condition your birds for showing?

 

[Arielle]

Good question! Depends on whether you plan on showing your males. If not, often a lot of black on the chest results in darker mahogany pullets. However, ideally you want the barring to be similar to the females. Hope that helps.

Cheers,

COnsidering that most of my girls are of the deeper tones of mahogany, that may explain it. I have only one hen that is a light mahogany. My personal preference is that I enjoy looking at the darker coloring. Ironically the black barring is more noticable on the lighter hen though.

My birds are not show quality, or I don't think so. ANd I'm ok with that. I bought them to be meat and eggs. ANd a pretty picture that I fell in love with, as well as the friendliness of the birds.

Thanks for the input I can re look at the boys and see if I can cull a few now.