show quality speckled sussex ??

[fowlman01]

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The two Standards are still different. The Unification Committee's were disbanded, but both Standard Committee's are trying to make the descriptions of all breeds the same and consistent. The tail feathers on Hen #1 are doing something strange. They are not laying right for some reason.. I would not worry about the comb on either bird. The picture of hen#2 is not good enough to make much of an evaluation, but in the one picture it looks a bit crow headed. (long narrow head.)

Walt

Edited to add an omission (tail #1)

 

[Stevenson]

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WELCOME aboard Stevenson.....

WAIT on the speckled sussex pictures.

At 10 weeks of age they are really too young to give a serious opinion.

Just enjoy their unique personalities at this point. They need to be pushing 5 months before serious feed back can be given.

Just like the delawares do a lot of color change before the juvie molt, so will the speckled sussex.
The only thing you could start evaluating at 10 weeks of age is the comb....

PLEASE, read the previous pages when you get a chance.
I am going to try to keep this thread focused on finding OR producing show quality speckled sussex.
I want EVERY page to contain information worthy of re-reading.

Fantastic. Will do on the pictures. I have asked a couple of times on the Delaware forum about what age you can honestly tell about the quality of the chicken, but to this point I had not gotten a response. I am glad to get a better idea!

 

[snowbird]

From what I understood in the beginning this was to be for Speckled Sussex, there is already a picture of a crow headed female SS.

 

[math ace]

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Thanks for popping in. I always appreciate when you get a chance to pop in.

 

[Buns]

I am really late in joining this awesome discussion, but have some SS that I would very much like to be a part of the evalution process. I am willing to cull and do whatever I need to do to improve the flock. If the group is going to critique heads and necks first, may I send head/neck pictures of my girls for this purpose? Thank you. ~ Mary

 

[snowbird]

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Hi Mary, sounds great bring on the head and neck and shank pictures.

 

[Buns]

Thanks for letting me participate! Hen #1 appears to have some strange praying mantis looking thing on the back of her neck... I do not know what it is, but it sure makes for a weird lookin' picture.

Hen #1

Hen #2

Hen #3

The only thing I would ask as the birds are critiqued is to include some type of suggestion as to how negative findings might be corrected through breeding. If I must move some birds to the "eatin' eggs only pen", that is fine, too. Thank you all so much!!

 

[math ace]

Buns,

So nice of you to join us. THANK YOU for letting us critique your girls.
I am NEW to the breed, so I am going to give it a shot and then Don ( Snowbird) can jump in correct anything I mess up! LOL

HEN #1 has the best looking head / neck combination. The width of the head matches and flows into the width of the neck.
She appears to have the best comb too. The comb and wattle size look good too.

Hen #2 and Hen # 3 appear to have thumb print combs.
Hen # 2 has too long / oval of wattles


I think hen #2 has the beak we are looking for. Hen #1's beak is wrong somehow and too light in color.

OK Don, jump in and let me know where I went wrong.

Thanks again Buns for letting me practice my skills on your girls!

 

[fowlman01]

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To me #1 has the worst head by far. I would need a straight on shot to be certain though. If we are going to do this, try a straight on and a side shot. It will be much more revealing.

Walt

 

[math ace]

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Oh WALT, you must explain..... Why do you say it is the worst head ? ?
I thought we were looking for a "balance" , a sturdy neck with a sturdy head......
Clearly, I don't grasp what the SS head should look like - YET -