The Sussex thread!

[Pozees]

I have 1- 3 1/2 week old Speckled Sussex chick (our bator hatching didn't turn out too well) & I've never had Sussex before. Does anyone have pictures of chicks that age that I could look at? At what age can you tell what sex a Sussex is? I only have American Games & Bantams to compare with.

Thanks for any help

I read a few threads along this line - I have 5 Speckled Sussex pullets nearly at POL but I knew they were pullets when I got them at 8 weeks of age, so there was no guesswork. Here is one thread with pics that may help:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...uess-lots-of-informative-pics-from-members/10

Love this breed Another thread mentioned stature but hard to compare with only one.

Good luck! Any pictures?

 

[math ace]

I have 1- 3 1/2 week old Speckled Sussex chick (our bator hatching didn't turn out too well) & I've never had Sussex before. Does anyone have pictures of chicks that age that I could look at? At what age can you tell what sex a Sussex is? I only have American Games & Bantams to compare with.

Thanks for any help

This is a super hard breed to sex. Basically, you are looking for large combs. Keep in mind that some males will have smaller and paler combs in their youth and some females will have larger combs... Uggh... I have the hardest time sexing this breed. I've had several hatches over the last couple of years and all I can say is UGGGH!

 

[sooky]

big girls fluffy bums fleshy faces... bit creepy really

 

[alohachickens]

Not from Aussie stock. They are so phenotypically different from US APA stock , they get DQ'd in the ring. There are some nice US strains.
Ron Presley think has let go his strain but it is in the hands of some good preservationists. Check around on the Net. Also try the
Breeder's Directory at the Parent Club, The American Sussex Association.
Best,
karen in western PA

How are the Aussie ones different?

 

[call ducks]

Quote: Size
Flulffyness
grab bag of bad googdies...
inbred
Genetics and not the "Genetic Diversity" that every wants.

I know that there were several dozen eggs sent down to the US within the last years to help breeders in the US. When you compare North American bred Light Sussex to aussie line light sussex (as long as the NA sussex were bred in a good way) you well see a difference. And it's crazy!

 

[3riverschick]

Size is the big attraction in the Aussie birds. They go for physical size and plumage which makes the bird look bigger. Ok to understand the difference an excellent read is the 8 page 1921 timeless essay on the Light Sussex by veteran breder and poultry judge William White Broomhead. He later became President of th British Poultry Association. It can be read online at: http://tinyurl.com/afbq753
The APA ( and historically) the Sussex breed should be 9lbs. for males and 7 lbs. for females. Aussie males run to 13 lbs. The females run large also. Plus the Aussie birds have loose feathering (what we call fluffy). Personally I don't believe Geenfire Farms ever meant for there to be a clash in breed type with the US and Aussie Light Sussex. i really think he wanted to help the breed diversity. However, melding the two breed types needs a carefully thought out linebreeding program of several generations with judcious back-crossing to get the latter generations into APA compliance. Aussie birds are DQ's at APA shows because of their divergent breed type.

These are the four main Light Sussex lines which are available in the US. Bradshaw, Grisham, Dingle, Ron Presley.
Only Bradshaw is Aussie. Dingle is the old man of the woods. Not sure where Grisham and Presley got
their start. Some have diluted Bradshaw with some or all of the other 3 US lines.
I did find out how to breed closeness of feather into Sussex or any bird in which it is needed or desired. Select for improved egg production. An increase in 25 eggs per bird per year will result in more closeness of feather in that bird.
Look for pure strain Speckled Sussex birds from Tony Albrittion in ID, Gary Overton in OH, Walt Reichert in KY, . Then buy a trio (1 male, 2 females) or quad (2 males, 2 females) from them as started birds or adults. Don't start out in Sussex with eggs or chicks. It is the perfect time of year for this as the breeders will b trimming their flocks for overwintering.
Stay within your strain with Speckled Sussex because they are a tri-color breed.
There is also a national breed Club , The American Sussex Association.
http://www.americansussexbreeders.webs.com/
If you incubate any Sussex this time of year, they won't be good winter layers. The breed was designed to be an excellent winter layer so the chicks could be raised early and crammed for the table in time for "Derby" time in the early English springtime. That said, historically, the best winter layers are hatched in Feb. thru end of March. It's too late in the year for that, obviously, however your best bet now would be to get with breeders starting to thin their flocks for the winter and pick up some started birds ..or older breeders which you can hatch your own chicks from early next Spring , as noted. if you want show birds or birds linebred to type, buy from the best and never cross them with any utility strain.
The tricolor (Speckled) bird is one of the most difficult to breed for color. It took decades for the master breeders to set proper color in their flocks. It can be lost in one generation. Contact veteran breeders now to get on their lists for Fall birds. Expect to pay bucks for them, but that amount will be piddly compared to the decades of work they took to create their superb flocks. The Ohio National is this weekend in Columbus. Buy there or arrange to pick up birds from breeders there. Veteran breeders in Speckled Sussex (large and bantan) are Gary Overton, OH; Tony Albritton(ID); Rev. Ashbrook(OH?); Rob Mongold, (OH); and in KY there's Walt Reichert whose large fowl Speckled Sussex are tearing up the show in at the highest levels (see Poultry Press pics). Bill Fox (OH) recently bought a flock from either Ashbrook or Overton.

Best Regards,
Karen in western PA, USA

 

[Pozees]

Size is the big attraction in the Aussie birds. They go for physical size and plumage which makes the bird look bigger. Ok to understand the difference an excellent read is the 8 page 1921 timeless essay on the Light Sussex by veteran breder and poultry judge William White Broomhead. He later became President of th British Poultry Association. It can be read online at: http://tinyurl.com/afbq753
The APA ( and historically) the Sussex breed should be 9lbs. for males and 7 lbs. for females. Aussie males run to 13 lbs. The females run large also. Plus the Aussie birds have loose feathering (what we call fluffy). Personally I don't believe Geenfire Farms ever meant for there to be a clash in breed type with the US and Aussie Light Sussex. i really think he wanted to help the breed diversity. However, melding the two breed types needs a carefully thought out linebreeding program of several generations with judcious back-crossing to get the latter generations into APA compliance. Aussie birds are DQ's at APA shows because of their divergent breed type.

These are the four main Light Sussex lines which are available in the US. Bradshaw, Grisham, Dingle, Ron Presley.
Only Bradshaw is Aussie. Dingle is the old man of the woods. Not sure where Grisham and Presley got
their start. Some have diluted Bradshaw with some or all of the other 3 US lines.
I did find out how to breed closeness of feather into Sussex or any bird in which it is needed or desired. Select for improved egg production. An increase in 25 eggs per bird per year will result in more closeness of feather in that bird.
Look for pure strain Speckled Sussex birds from Tony Albrittion in ID, Gary Overton in OH, Walt Reichert in KY, . Then buy a trio (1 male, 2 females) or quad (2 males, 2 females) from them as started birds or adults. Don't start out in Sussex with eggs or chicks. It is the perfect time of year for this as the breeders will b trimming their flocks for overwintering.
Stay within your strain with Speckled Sussex because they are a tri-color breed.
There is also a national breed Club , The American Sussex Association.
http://www.americansussexbreeders.webs.com/
If you incubate any Sussex this time of year, they won't be good winter layers. The breed was designed to be an excellent winter layer so the chicks could be raised early and crammed for the table in time for "Derby" time in the early English springtime. That said, historically, the best winter layers are hatched in Feb. thru end of March. It's too late in the year for that, obviously, however your best bet now would be to get with breeders starting to thin their flocks for the winter and pick up some started birds ..or older breeders which you can hatch your own chicks from early next Spring , as noted. if you want show birds or birds linebred to type, buy from the best and never cross them with any utility strain.
The tricolor (Speckled) bird is one of the most difficult to breed for color. It took decades for the master breeders to set proper color in their flocks. It can be lost in one generation. Contact veteran breeders now to get on their lists for Fall birds. Expect to pay bucks for them, but that amount will be piddly compared to the decades of work they took to create their superb flocks. The Ohio National is this weekend in Columbus. Buy there or arrange to pick up birds from breeders there. Veteran breeders in Speckled Sussex (large and bantan) are Gary Overton, OH; Tony Albritton(ID); Rev. Ashbrook(OH?); Rob Mongold, (OH); and in KY there's Walt Reichert whose large fowl Speckled Sussex are tearing up the show in at the highest levels (see Poultry Press pics). Bill Fox (OH) recently bought a flock from either Ashbrook or Overton.

Best Regards,
Karen in western PA, USA

Wow - thank you for posting this! I am a long-time fan of Speckled Sussex, and suspect it will be some time before I know enough about breeding them to try and obtain quality breeding stock, but this is such excellent information!

 

[mountainvieworchards]

Size is the big attraction in the Aussie birds. They go for physical size and plumage which makes the bird look bigger. Ok to understand the difference an excellent read is the 8 page 1921 timeless essay on the Light Sussex by veteran breder and poultry judge William White Broomhead. He later became President of th British Poultry Association. It can be read online at: http://tinyurl.com/afbq753
The APA ( and historically) the Sussex breed should be 9lbs. for males and 7 lbs. for females. Aussie males run to 13 lbs. The females run large also. Plus the Aussie birds have loose feathering (what we call fluffy). Personally I don't believe Geenfire Farms ever meant for there to be a clash in breed type with the US and Aussie Light Sussex. i really think he wanted to help the breed diversity. However, melding the two breed types needs a carefully thought out linebreeding program of several generations with judcious back-crossing to get the latter generations into APA compliance. Aussie birds are DQ's at APA shows because of their divergent breed type.


Best Regards,
Karen in western PA, USA

Hi Karen

I have some of the Bradshaw (Green fire) line of light sussex and have been breeding this line for three years. My experience has been different to your description of the line. I have not had a rooster who was more than 11 pounds. I have been satisfied with their size which is typically 9 to 10 pounds. I breed my larger females in order to keep the male size up. I find that my excess cockerels make a nice roasters at about 6 pounds dressed weight. I have entered my birds in APA shows and have not had a DQ with this line, to the contrary my pullet won best English in an APA show. I purchased my Bradshaw line light sussex from two different sources, neither of which was Bradshaw, and they look pretty much the same. These birds have good sussex type and color and I have not found any of the problems with them that you described.

I am curious to hear from others who have actually worked with the Bradshaw line as to what their experiences have been.

I would like to see the speckled sussex in this country where roosters consistently reach 9 + pounds with broad flat backs, instead of the basketballs that most people are breeding.

Andy

 

[Arielle]

Andy,

Can y ou help my understanding of broad backs V. basketballs and how this translates in the body. Wider back is to also make the ribcage wider? Does this include increasing the muscle mass?

Pardon me as I am a newbie and have lots to learn.

 

[OwlLover]

Hey, does anyone know a lot about Coronation Sussex? I will be getting some tomorrow, and am considering breeding them.