CSU - Chicken State University- Large Fowl SOP

[3riverschick]

Hi,
My Light Sussex are a pure English strain from Walt Boese in Montana. I have several ages growing out. adult; 10 weeks, 7 weeks ( plus pics of them as new chicks) ; 5 weeks and 4 weeks. I will have the pics up by Sat. night. That way you can see them develop. Light Sussex are eWh/eWh S/S Co/Co . Their under-color is white to the skin, unlike the eb ( Brown ) based black and white Columbian breeds whose down has some hue of color in it.
The Light Sussex were developed by Mr. Sharpe. one of the three great Secretaries of the English Sussex Club. ( the other two were Mr. Leo Outram and Mr. Clem Watson). Judge Sharpe also wrote a book on the breed. It is available online at Archive.org. The Sussex Fowl: http://archive.org/details/cu31924003091398
Early last century there were three famed poultrymen who were brothers, named Broomhead. The one brother, W. W. Broomhead, was a Sussex Club judge and later went on to become President of the British Poultry Club. William White Broomhead wrote a wonderful treatise on the Light Sussex for "everyman". It was put out by the British Poultry Club right after World War One to teach the average new poultryman about how to correctly breed the variety. Fortunately this wonderful booklet has been scanned online at HathiDigital Trust. For my money, one of the finest outlines of the variety out there. Only 9 pages, worth rereading many times. http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924003137332;view=1up;seq=5

Best Regards,
Karen
Waterford English Light Sussex
in western PA, USA

 

[cracrzy4chicks]

Hi All,
I'll also be lurking. I LOVE the SS. I've only ever has hatchery SS. I hatched eggs from a fellow BYC'er, this spring waiting to see how they develope. They're not hatchery, but not sure if they come from SQ stock. Very excited about this breed and want to learn more about the correct body type and color pattern of the Speckled Sussex.

 

[normanack]

I will edit this post to add text after uploading the pictures; temperamental Internet.

I am going on the Broomfield text cited above. I am quite new to chickens so have little knowledge, but I'm trying to learn. Keen to hear the good, bad, and indifferent points of my birds. Thanks!

First picture: Light Sussex cockerel, 6 months. Enormous -- described by the egg lady down the street as "bigger than a turkey." Protective, attentive, and gentle with the hens, reserved and never aggressive with people. Nicest and prettiest rooster in my flock. Very musical crow -- perfect "cock-a-doodle-doo" with the timbre of a bassoon. Pearly pinkish-white very thick legs, soft but not fluffy white plumage, beetle-green black tail, erect comb.

Same cockerel at 8 months. His back looks short to me.

8-month-old Coronation Sussex hen from the same breeder as the cockerel. Much bigger than all my other (hatchery) hens of various breeds. Again, soft but not fluffy white plumage, gray/lavender hackles. Short back. sloped too much? Floppy comb. Gentle, quiet hen, lays 3 to 4 eggs a week, usually 3. Currently broody.

 

[mrheinz77]

I will post pictures of my small Sussex flock. Included will be the good, the bad, and the ugly (if there is an ugly Sussex). Some pictures are not the best. I will post one bird per post (or try to) Feather condition is rough right now. (Would you prefer the pictures of the birds caged instead of out and about?

Hen Hatched January 2012 from Hot2Pot (not an exhibition flock) Band Blue 25




















This girl has some issues. The first thing I notice is her color. She is lighter than I would like and each feather is not tipped in white. She also has stippling. She also has some mealiness. I would like to see her back wider near the tail, This hen also has a pinched tail (I think). Her comb leaves something to be desired. Her eye color appears lighter in the picture due to the flash. (I kept forgetting to turn it off)

I do like that she doesn't have any pure white feathers in her tail. She does have one in the wing.

 

[mrheinz77]

Hen # 2 Band Green 21 Source Alexandra Douglas Overton line Hatched late April, 2012 5 pounds 13 ounces

This is the hen I showed as a pullet last November. She won Best of Breed but also last place (she was the only Sussex in the show.)



White feather in the wing.



Several white feathers. They are not supposed to be pure white.



I like the width of the back





Green 21 in back. Blue 25 in front for next 2 pictures

 

[mrheinz77]

Next up is a hen hatched from OrangeRibbon's eggs. Hatched April 1 2012. 5 pounds 7 ounces (She looks and feels bigger but the scale doesn't lie.) No number or band. The hen in the pictures with her is Blue 25 again. She is a camera hog.

This hen has a different color red. Her comb isn't the best and she has mealiness. (Is that the correct term, Walt?) She has very little white. She has a pinched tail.

 

[mrheinz77]

Next up is a hen hatched the beginning of June 2012 (I guess she is a pullet for about a week yet.) Source Eggs from Walt Reichert who started with Overton lines. When Gary Overton needs to do an out cross, he does so with birds from Walt Reichert (according to Mr. Overton) Weight 5 pounds 3 ounces Band Green 29

She didn't want her picture taken,



In the middle with No Number on the left and Blue 25 on the right











I think this girl has the best coloring of them all. As she molts several more times, she may end up with too much white. She has a wide back and an open tail, Her comb isn't too bad either.

 

[mrheinz77]

A hatch mate of the previous pullet / hen. Green 49 4 pounds 5 ounces. She just went broody two or three days before I took these pictures. Last time I weighed her, she was 4 pounds 9 ounces.

I do not like her comb. She could use better speckling as well. She does appear to have a nice shape. (I think so, at least)

Her ear lobe also has some white in it at this point but I don't think it is normally there. These girls have been laying like crazy lately. If only I had a cockerel to work with.

 

[mrheinz77]

Just a few more pictures.

I'm not stating where this female originated. I'm showing her to compare the rest of her besides her tail. I checked with the breeder and he/she said he/she has never had any hatch without a tail. I'm wondering if there wasn't some injury when she was young. She is 5 pounds 12 ounces and around a year old. I do not like her comb.

Don't worry, she is in the layer flock. I do not plan on using her for breeding if I ever get a male.

 

[mrheinz77]

Last set of pictures. I promise. Sorry that I posted so many (especially if you are on dial up. ) I tried to get the shots that snowbird requested when he was helping with the show quality Speckled Sussex thread but all poses were not possible in the time between storms and without running out of battery on the camera. If there are additional pictures needed by the instructors, I will try to get them. (If I don't respond right away, send a pm. I sometimes miss updates in my email depending on how many updates I get at a time.

This is my Sussex flock. The Light Sussex cock is 8 pounds 7 ounces. He is an April 2012 hatch. The Light Sussex hen is not wearing her Sunday best but weighs 6 pounds. She is a May 2012 hatch.









I know he is not the best example of Light Sussex but this is an educational thread so I figured I was safe showing his picture. I mainly wanted to show him for a size comparison. He has the Light Sussex hen looking like a mess so there were no pictures of her.

This guy's comb got frosted this winter. He has some lacing in his hackles and tail.

Now I'm off to bed.