show quality speckled sussex ??

[math ace]

I am behind the eight ball and trying to get caught up!

Let's see if I can get some pics posted of the stock from Walt Reichert that I have culled down to.

These birds were 28 weeks old when the pics were taken.
This guy weighed in at 6lbs 13 oz.

This is by far the best cockerel that I have hatched from Walt or from the many other sources that I had tried.
His disposition is as it should be too. I have had issues with the previous SS that I have raised being undersized OR the roosters being nasty.
This guy is right on target for size and is showing no signs of attitude. I am very pleased with him

 

[math ace]

28 weeks old and I have two pullets from Walt Reichert.

I think they are lighter than they should be. Their color is good, but the size concerns me.
I have a delaware pullet from the same hatch is she is considerably bigger than the SS pullets.

The one SS pullet is a little too dark, but I will take too dark over too white any day!

Here they are...





The next pullet is the one that is a little too dark, but she is the bigger of the two.
Downside is she has a funky comb issue too...





I am disappointed with these pullets due to their size and personality issues. They are very skittish. Normally, my SS pullets are very inquisitive and friendly. These ladies are last to leave the coop, last to come to me for treats, etc. Their hatch mates are ameraucana pullets that are smaller than them. Hence, the SS pullets aren't last because they are being bullied. They are last simply because they are more skittish.

At 28 weeks of age, one pullet weighed in at 3 lbs 6 ounces and the other weighed in at 4 lbs 10 ounces .

 

[mrheinz77]

I talked to one of the judges after the show about my pullet. He really liked her form but she was immature. I'm finging that my SS are not friendly either. Below is the best picture of her that I could get. She constantly paced.

On a positive note, Art Rieber said he could help me with a cockerel from his spring hatch.

 

[math ace]

On a positive note, Art Rieber said he could help me with a cockerel from his spring hatch.

Art Reiber is another winner at the shows and has stock tracing back to Gary Overton.

As far as your pullet pacing in the cage, I have seen others make comments about conditioning their birds for the shows. They put them in cages a couple of weeks ahead of time and get them use to be in the cage and taken from the cage. It sounded like a good idea to me.

 

[GhostRider65]

hey all just an update, my hen is doing great, tried putting her back out but my flock had forgotten her so had to make an outside pen she gets to be out during the day so they get used to her again...she is such a sweet heart I can't believe she is still with me, when I picked her out from behind that last log I though for sure no matter what I could do she would not make it......but she is tough....WOW even, I took some pictures just now of her fighting with herself in the mirrored front of my stove, when I get them sized I will post em here... thanks for the well wishes and prayers cuz they worked....Kim

Ok puictures and great news she laid her first egg since her ordeal, a soft shelled one but I didn't expect her to lay again until spring after all she's been through,,,,,,,,,,,...... WHAT A CHICKEN HUH

 

[cowchick11]

I am behind the eight ball and trying to get caught up!

Let's see if I can get some pics posted of the stock from Walt Reichert that I have culled down to.

These birds were 28 weeks old when the pics were taken.
This guy weighed in at 6lbs 13 oz.

This is by far the best cockerel that I have hatched from Walt or from the many other sources that I had tried.
His disposition is as it should be too. I have had issues with the previous SS that I have raised being undersized OR the roosters being nasty.
This guy is right on target for size and is showing no signs of attitude. I am very pleased with him

Dang on the weights of those pullets MathAce! Coloring looks ok to me along with the amount of white. Can't really see the comb very well on the one that has comb issues. Mine are somewhat skittish but not so much that they are flighty, just not overly friendly. I'm thinking that next weekend is looking good to weigh mine just to see were they are at now. I think they will be down somewhat in weight because of the colder weather.
I love the cockerel! He seems like he is right on target and is already within the appropriate weight range for a cockerel. More would be better but he is within the 20% range, awesome!!! I think he stands just a little to upright but his coloring and tail look good and I LOVE his breast! What a chest that boy has.

 

[cowchick11]

Math Ace,
Are you talking about the missing or super tiny blade on the second girls comb?

 

[cowchick11]

Cage training would be well worth the time/effort if I had a set or two of the double wire type cages and the same size cages that they have at the shows. Most birds will settle in by their second or third show. Most of mine have settled in by the second. I try to cage train at county fairs, they are usually cheaper than APA shows.

 

[mrheinz77]

My pullet was caged for a little over a week. I wasn't even sure if I was taking any until right before the show. My other 3 LF breeds that were caged the same amount of time were fine. I do know I need to decide sooner and condition them longer.

 

[cowchick11]

I just recently read, and of course can't remember where, that several of our SS lines are overlapping and have been passed through/along several breeders.

It was something like Tony Albritton and somebody else both got their line from Overton or Ashbrook and they both got their lines from similar places or something like that.

It gave a 30-50 at least year history of the lines of these SS. Anyway I really wish now that I had copied it when I read it so I had that info.

I know what I posted above is not correct but it was something to that effect. If anyone knows or has read that also can you please repost it???

I could have read it here, or on the heritage thread I've been reading through (that I just spent about 3 hours trying to skim back through almost 200 pages =2000 posts), or maybe I read in a magazine or Poultry Press or something???? Tried to do some searches and came up with unrelated stuff. Thanks for your help if you have this info somewhere!