show quality speckled sussex ??

[stormylady]

Combs are only worth about 5 points to the whole "show quality" bird package.
My girls have comb issues too, but they have other more costly SOP issues too.
I am not saying that you should ignore the combs, but I am suggesting that you look at EVERYTHING your hens need.

Odds are, If one cockerel has a nasty comb, then a lot of the boys (if not all of them) from the same source will have nasty combs.
My last SS cockerel ended up maturing at just under 7 lbs. To me that was a bigger issue. I didn't want to use a smaller roo and end up with smaller SS next generation.
He had a nasty comb and I was contemplating using him. The final straw was when I put him on the scale around 9 months and he was under 7 lbs. Some of my hens are the same size that he was LOL...

I have a cockerel that is just starting to look really nice and he is 26 weeks old. . . .
I think until you know your line and know the breed, you will have to wait to see how the bird matures.
I will try to get a pic of this cockerel this weekend. Then I can post pics from chick til now. That might give you some idea of when you could start making some culling desicions.

This a cockerel from a totally different line than my first undersized roo. I think I made the right call to WAIT for a better roo. My girls are 11 months old and I still haven't hatched anything from them.

If you see comb issues and you don't want them in your flock, then be patient and try a different line of SS. Your girls already have messed up combs, so you are RIGHT in wanting / needing a roo with a nice comb to balance out the issues. . . .

Thanks MathAce,

HI, I was just going by what Don (Snowbird) said about my girls, He said that my girls looked good as Breeders but needed help with the combs and that I should find a Large dark Male, (as some of my girls have more white ) with a correct comb. Those were his suggestions to me so just I was just trying to follow his instructions,

The males that I'm getting are still Hatchery but from a DIFFERENT Hatchery then the girls came from so I'm hoping to get alittle different Genetics into them.

All but one of my girls is pretty close or over 7lbs except one and she is very light in weight, but I will still use her eggs for eating as she is a terrific layer but will stay in the pen with my other Mixed laying hens so not to get any of her eggs mixed up with the other girls.

I haven't hatched any eggs from my girls either and they are just about to hit their year mark.

Those were the two suggestions that Don had made, so thats what I've been on the lookout for. If any of the new little guys have a messed up comb I will not be using them or if they are small.

I know its going to take awhile to get all the issues with them straightened out but unfortunately, finiances dictate at the moment I have to take the hatchery route. (LOL).

I was wondering if they were going to have twisted or messed up combs would they show up by about 20 weeks or if I should give them longer.If their combs are good then I can wait on size and give them extra time to see what they will do

Thanks Sandy.

 

[math ace]

I was wondering if they were going to have twisted or messed up combs would they show up by about 20 weeks or if I should give them longer.If their combs are good then I can wait on size and give them extra time to see what they will do

Thanks Sandy.

Twisted or tumbprint combs show up early...By 20 weeks, you will SEE it if you have it!

Let me go back and look at the pics you posted...

 

[stormylady]

Thank you, I should post recent pictures of the girls since they have changed alot over the months.

 

[math ace]

Hi, I'm finially going to get some SS Cockeral chicks, ( 5) around the 24 th,and I'm so excited about it! hopefully I will get at least one that will help my girls comb faults. I was wondering if for the boys you start culling at around 20 weeks like the girls or do we start earlier with the boys since the boys combs develope earlier would you cull earlier too? Thanks for the Info. Sandy.

Here is a cockerel at 10 weeks of age. He has a twist on the front of the comb.... So, if you are looking for comb issues, you will be able to identify them a lot earlier than 20 weeks.



I won't swear to it.... BUT I am thinking that cockerel grew up to have a comb like this one . . .

 

[math ace]

Here is my newest cockerel... He is still young at 26 weeks. He still has a lot of growing to do...

There is a partial white feather in the tail... He didn't always have it, so I am hoping it won't stick around!

His tail angle is too high. I think he is a little too dark on the chest and hackles... but I think he is workable..
His back has nice length...

I have noticed that the SS cockerels seem to be exceptionally fiesty when it comes to protecting their hens..
They are quick to DEFEND their hens . . .

 

[cowchick11]

I took these photos when I was working on another project so they are not all of the angles that I should have done but I was also by myself and just getting them as they went by. There are 3 hens and I hope I kept them straight as I went through. Only the sneaky one that hatched out chicks this last Aug. has a band on her leg. So, they are SS1, SS2 and SS red (band).
SS1




SS2









SS Red





All kinds of things to critique, combs, white feathers, black checking. They are feed store hatchery girls and they are just in the layer flock but I also like some things about each of them as well including the one broody. Take a look.

 

[math ace]

I took these photos when I was working on another project so they are not all of the angles that I should have done but I was also by myself and just getting them as they went by. There are 3 hens and I hope I kept them straight as I went through. Only the sneaky one that hatched out chicks this last Aug. has a band on her leg. So, they are SS1, SS2 and SS red (band).
SS1





All kinds of things to critique, combs, white feathers, black checking. They are feed store hatchery girls and they are just in the layer flock but I also like some things about each of them as well including the one broody. Take a look.

I really wish we had some SS experts on this thread.... I don't see snowbird (Don) on BYC much any more....
I do not consider myself an expert... I am just learning like the rest of the posters on this thread.

The thing that strikes me the most is the color of these SS.... The color is so dark that is reminds me of Walnut.

I've had SS breeders tell me that the really good SS have very distinctive coloring. I've had other folks (Judges) tell me that the color does not translate into photos well. Still, I've had other folks with computer experience tell me that each monitor will distort the color differently. I say all this because until I see a really good SS in PERSON, I don't truly know what "Mahogany" color we are looking for! I've been to several shows and have yet to see a REALLY GOOD example of an SS. That is not my personal opinion. I am just going by what won awards and what didn't.

Karen, you seem to know a bit about the SS.... What do you think about the color of these SS.... Is this the Mahogany that we are looking for or is it a little too dark with chocolate undertones as opposed to having red undertones OR does it really matter at all?

Cowchick11.....What kind of lighting were you using when you took these photos? Natural lighting or with a flash.... Are the photos a good representation of their true color?

 

[cowchick11]

Math Ace - I was using my flash because it looked extra dark in the hen house with snow outside the door. We only have one or two lights in there at a time and they are not very bright. They are very dark, I would say mahogany, but they also have extra black on several of their feathers. That makes them look more dark also. Not sure what to make of the orange shafts down the center of their feathers, correct or not. Looks like some kind of bleed through?

 

[math ace]

Math Ace - I was using my flash because it looked extra dark in the hen house with snow outside the door. We only have one or two lights in there at a time and they are not very bright. They are very dark, I would say mahogany, but they also have extra black on several of their feathers. That makes them look more dark also. Not sure what to make of the orange shafts down the center of their feathers, correct or not. Looks like some kind of bleed through?

I've had some with that orange streaking through them too.... It shouldn't be there, but no one has been able to tell me how it got there

I kept one or two of the birds with the orange streaking just to do some experimental breeding with and see what the next generation produces...
With these birds being so dark, have you opened their wing feathers to see if they are hiding any white wing feathers?
I would think that would not be an issue with them being so dark, but look and see when you have a chance.

SNOW outside - you have got to be kidding! We are looking at a high of 90 today!

 

[cowchick11]

I have not specifically looked for white feathers but you can tell from the photos that there is the possibility. I think it is the red banded one that has a white feather sticking out. I'll have to grab them some evening and look.
They extended our studded tires until April 14th.

So, I took them off the farm truck last week and this week (because we haven't had snow for two weeks) I will get them off the car. I was in hopes that this would be a slightly drier spring for us than last year but we just had record breaking rain fall/snow fall for March

. We'll see how April does!