The Sussex thread!

[Deerfield Acres]

I was going to make a trip up to Waverly KS tomorrow but the breeder is under water just like that. She is having a terrible time. Plus my DD is having trouble recovering from a tonsillectomy, so I need to wait until she is feeling better.

Guess what I am bringing home, once I get to make the trip? Silver Sussex! I can't wait! She has 4 pullets and Walt'z Ark is going to fix me up with a suitable cockerel.

 

[8machines]

I wanted 2 today here in Jackson, CA. My hubby said no. We have 14 hens now. I was so sad

 

[Deerfield Acres]

I made it back with my pullets today! Got the girls all settled in. Will try to take pics tomorrow -- it's supposed to actually be sunny!

 

[Johnn]

The camera just LOVES Dorothy!!!

I love Dorothy, too! I may quote and repost her pic several more times! (Just kidding) I love her thick neck and that roundness... I just want to scoop her up and give her a hug. She would probably disapprove.

Thanks both. And Yeah, she probably would disapprove! She doesn't even like me much! She likes the camera, but wont let me give her a stroke unless foods involved!

 

[Faraday40]

After reading this thread for a while, I'm convinced my mutt, Precious, is partly Sussex. She doesn't just "talk" but screams her silly little conversations. It used to be a whining, begging, "treeeeaats" noise as she followed me around. Now (age 3) its "TREATS! TREATS! TREEEATS!" she calls as I do the daily chores. Precious is also my camera hog. She poses very well but can be a photo bomber if I dare try to take a pic of another chicken.

Here's where I learned not to take a pic with a hen in my lap.


How dare you take a pic of that Orpington!


Even when severely molting, Precious strikes a pose for the camera!


Baby Precious with her BFF


We have a sweet, beautiful, purebred Coronation Sussex, but Precious ALWAYS steals the show.

 

[microchick]

I just got my first Sussex lady. She is an approx 2 month old speckled little girl and really a sweetie. At the moment we are trying to merge her and two young Welsummer girls with our flock of almost 12 week old Buff Orpingtons and Welsummers. Things have been progressing slowly. We have them in their own coop and a section of the run fenced off temporarily with 4 foot poultry netting where they can see one another and interact through the fence.

There has been the usual fence pacing and trash talk, but tonight I went out to feed and water and noticed that suddenly there were extra Welly hens in the main run. Ok two had jumped the fence somehow and seemed to be doing okay. No major fighting. Not bad for only 72 hours. So I let Speckles out with the main flock and stood back ready to intervene if needed. Alpha rooster, a big Buff boy named Fubar immediately comes over and pecks her head. Not too hard. Just sort of saying, Bow in my presence and show me proper respect, before he went strutting off.

Next 3 Buff girls approach her with three head pecks. 'I'm alpha here don't you forget it' 'I'm beta don't YOU forget it!' 'I'm a Buff Orpington and you're not and don't forget it.'

Seriously. I didn't see Pixie or Peanut get one peck but poor little speckled Speckles was picked out. Was it because she wasn't a Welsummer or a Buff? Was it because her coloring is differrent but really not so different really from the Welsummers? The two younger Wellies escaped back to their coop so I swooped in, picked up Speckles and returrned her to her coop.

How should we proceed? Give the fence more time? Try them together again with supervision? I hate to leave her by herself if her two Wellsummer friends are with the main flock. I know all about pecking order having raised chickens before. But how long ahould we give them to work it out before intervening. Speckles is such a sweetie. I don't want to see her injured.

 

[Faraday40]

I just got my first Sussex lady. She is an approx 2 month old speckled little girl and really a sweetie. At the moment we are trying to merge her and two young Welsummer girls with our flock of almost 12 week old Buff Orpingtons and Welsummers. Things have been progressing slowly. We have them in their own coop and a section of the run fenced off temporarily with 4 foot poultry netting where they can see one another and interact through the fence.

There has been the usual fence pacing and trash talk, but tonight I went out to feed and water and noticed that suddenly there were extra Welly hens in the main run. Ok two had jumped the fence somehow and seemed to be doing okay. No major fighting. Not bad for only 72 hours. So I let Speckles out with the main flock and stood back ready to intervene if needed. Alpha rooster, a big Buff boy named Fubar immediately comes over and pecks her head. Not too hard. Just sort of saying, Bow in my presence and show me proper respect, before he went strutting off.

Next 3 Buff girls approach her with three head pecks. 'I'm alpha here don't you forget it' 'I'm beta don't YOU forget it!' 'I'm a Buff Orpington and you're not and don't forget it.'

Seriously. I didn't see Pixie or Peanut get one peck but poor little speckled Speckles was picked out. Was it because she wasn't a Welsummer or a Buff? Was it because her coloring is differrent but really not so different really from the Welsummers? The two younger Wellies escaped back to their coop so I swooped in, picked up Speckles and returrned her to her coop.

How should we proceed? Give the fence more time? Try them together again with supervision? I hate to leave her by herself if her two Wellsummer friends are with the main flock. I know all about pecking order having raised chickens before. But how long ahould we give them to work it out before intervening. Speckles is such a sweetie. I don't want to see her injured.

My Coro Sussex is at the bottom rank. The others no longer peck at her, but she also stays clear when an alpha hen goes by. As long as the Sussex is not bloody & can eat/ drink, there's no problem. The head pecks were probably the flocks' way of introductions. If they really didn't want her, they would have all out attacked or pecked hard enough to draw blood. Try slipping her in after dark. Once they wake up on the roost together, things go smoother. I always do it when I know I can be around in the am to keep an eye on things.

 

[microchick]

Thanks Faraday.

My husband and I have discussed doing that. I reinforced their fence this morning, went back out to check on things and one of the Buff hens had gotten in...don't ask me how, I think the little snot is pouring herself through the poultry netting, LOL, in a sort of hen osmosis. Things weren't doing to badly. She was doing a little chasing and pecking but nobody was getting hurt. I let them alone for awhile, went out and switched her out with one of the older Welsummer hens. Both those original girls are gentle natured and were hanging with the two newcomer Wellies yesterday without any conflict. I figured that it was a way for them to be exposed to one another without being overwhelmed.

I'll try to get a picture of Speckles sometime today and post it. I think she's beautiful.

 

[purplehenfarms]

I would like to buy young pullets of the speckled Sussex. I live in the Kansas City metro area. I would like perbred. If anyone has some they want to sell pm me. They will have a good home. I have six 4 months chickens I got this February and spoil them rotten everyday. They will be pets at my home.

 

[3riverschick]

I would like to buy young pullets of the speckled Sussex. I live in the Kansas City metro area. I would like perbred. If anyone has some they want to sell pm me. They will have a good home. I have six 4 months chickens I got this February and spoil them rotten everyday. They will be pets at my home.

If I may, Many breeders have closed their breeding pens for the year. Waltz's Ark breeds in the high plains of CO. so their breeding season starts later in the year. Note they raise everything naturally. Folk say their Sussex are good quality.
They have several colors of Sussex including Speckled.
Best,
Karen


Cornerstone Poultry http://www.cornerstonepoultry.com/
Waltz's Ark www.naturalark.com/poultry.html
http://www.featherauction.com/detail.asp?id=3926&n=Rare-Breed-Juvenile-Pairs-and-Trios
Sunset Meadow Farm http://sunsetmeadowfarm.com/

There are several strains and mixtures of strains of Light Sussex in the US.
1. Dinger line, the old American line. Considered a bit inbred and smaller than usual. No website
2. Bradshaw line. The Aussie line imported by Greenfire arms. Considered over-height and too fluffy by APA Standard. Usually DQ for excessive fluffiness at APA shows. greenfirefarms.com/
3. Ron Presley line. Developed by Ron. See HPBAA for details on 1-5.
4. Ron Presley, Bradshaw, Dinger, Grisham crosses. Various combination of 2 or three of these lines and strains to compensate for faults and to combine virtues in the various three lines.
5. Grisham is mentioned as a strain, but, currently, I only see it mentioned when already combined with Dinger. HBPAA has more info on Grisham..

Canadian and English strains in the US:
1. Waltz's Ark in Colorado ( www.naturalark.com/sussex.html ) has strain of pure Canadian strain of Light Sussex; a flock of Greenfire Light Sussex. And strain of Canadian/Greenfire crosses. He keeps the three flocks separate.
2. Lynnrae Troples in NW PA, USA has at least one hen of Dinkle , A Canadian strain she brought down to combine with Marans to make a Columbian Marans. See HBPAA for details.
3. Walt Boese pure English strain Light Sussex, MT. ( Facebook page only ) Imported thru Canada years ago. Walt shows and wins nicely in APA shows with his pure English Light Sussex. He has show quality stock and let me obtain some last Dec. Not the place to go for stock to cross with other strains and lines. ( Walt is not breeding poultry anymore)
4. Read more about strains at the parent Club website, American Sussex Association: americansussexbreeders.webs.com/ And at the Heritage Poultry Breeders Association of America website: www.hpbaa.com/Sussex_History.html
Best Regards, Karen Tewart