Light Sussex Thread!!!

[hickchick02]

I set 12 eggs from my new Light Sussex quad last night. Hopefully it will be a more pleasant experience then all these shipped eggs I have been incubating.

 

[LONDON HENS]

My light sussex chicks getting really really big!





Having some fun in the sun!!

 

[Birdybooo]

Hi everyone, I was just wondering what the general consensus for the personalities of the Light Sussex are? I have a little 14 weeks pullet that is actually picking on my 26 weeks Wyandotte. She picked on the other older girls as well and even drawn blood twice from the 26 weeks SLW. Do they become calmer and friendlier as they get older?

 

[gadgetgrl]

Hi,
I have some 19 week old light sussex and they are very flighty. Not at all friendly like most descriptions of the breed. I got them at 2 weeks old and it took me three weeks to get them to eat out of my hand. They will follow me around the yard now, but they do not like being handled at all. As far as being around other chickens my biggest hen seems to want to be around my 8 week old chicks. She got into their pen the other day and was just hanging with them. I'm not sure what the other 2 would do. Good luck on your guys.

 

[kjgoodman]

I have a couple 7 week old light sussex chicks. any characteristics that set apart roos from hens? I keep gonig back and forth....

 

[3riverschick]

Quote: by now the males should have more developed combs and wattles than the females. If you don't see any differences, then maybe you have all one sex.
Best,
Karen

 

[kjgoodman]

Here is a pict from about a week ago or so. they both pretty much look the same.
Thanks for the help!

 

[3riverschick]

Here is a pict from about a week ago or so. they both pretty much look the same.
Thanks for the help!

Looks like a pullet to me.
Best,
Karen

 

[el pollo rey]

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.
 Best,
 Karen

Karen, why would you not start out in Sussex with eggs. ? I would love to establish a breeding flock and eggs are my only option what is the disadvantage to this method of obtaining stock ?

 

[3riverschick]

Quote: Well then that is where you will start. We all do the best we can with what we have available. I don't do eggs any more for 2 reasons. 1. Viability. 2. I know the chicks have been culled at least once for quality. Speckled Sussex need to be older when you finally decide which to keep. 12-16 weeks old, because they are a tricolor breed. Started birds are best to start in this variety. But all that aside, if all you have access to are eggs, go for it! Can you get them from anywhere? Or just in Costa Rica? If you have access to them from the US Mainland, then see if you an explain this to the veteran breeders who usually don't ship eggs and see if you can get them to make an exception for you. Ask if they will help you cull the chicks for quality by internet and photos. That way they the breeder has input to make sure the birds you are starting off with from his/her strain are quality examples. If it is in your budget, buy a couple of dozen more eggs that you planned on hatching because of the low hatch rates sometimes seen in shipped eggs.
Best,
Karen in western PA, USA