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Thank you NYREDS for posting this for us...
show quality speckled sussex ??
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Thanks Karen. GOod info on the 1/4" of black barring.
The speckles and white increase in number and size with age on Speckled sussex. I have a four year old hen that looks like she was snowed on, but she was very plain with very few and very fine speckles in her pullet year. If you have a bird like her you would wait to show her until two or three and if you have one like her sister that was heavily speckled in her pullet year, waiting will only bring on more white than the judge wants to see,so it depends a lot on the individual.
Andy
Andy
I've noticed some of the speckling is becoming a bit larger on my hen as well, but not as much as I had thought it would. I would have thought I would see some fully white feathers in her 2nd year, but she hasn't changed as drastically as I thought she would. Maybe once she molts again I'll see a bigger difference?
- May 19, 2009
- 8,453
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What I have never been able to figure out is how to make the speckles smaller without losing them altogether.
Best,
Karen
Best,
Karen
- May 19, 2009
- 8,453
- 3,394
- 512
American Poultry Advocate - Volume 31 - 1922
Speckled Sussex—A Worthy Breed
The Speckled Sussex is a breed worthy of our best efforts and while most breeders are breeding poultry on a business basis, many are breeding for pleasure only. Nevertheless alt of us want to see them made a popular fowl.
I took up the Speckled variety after having raised several other breeds. I wanted a fowl having beauty as well as the other necessary qualifications. I found these in the Speckled Sussex, they are very good layers and excellent table fowl. Their type is pleasing and they are a vigorous and hardy fowl, easy to raise and quick to mature. I believe there is no fowl today that can be grown as fast as the Sussex, the pullets begin laying when live to six months old.
To my way of thinking the breeding of Sussex docs not differ materially from any other breed. To obtain success in any business one must like the work and have something definite to work for. In the Speckled Sussex you have the only breed with three colors to work for and you will find it a most interesting undertaking.
Now is the time for the breeder to advertise and give the public what they want. There is always a demand for the eggs and stock of this variety and the future of the Speckled Sussex is bright and should encourage new breeders to take up this beautiful and useful bird. One important question confronting all beginners and some experienced followers of the poultry game is the question of what breed is the best. It is hard to answer but it is my opinion that the Speckled Sussex does not take a back seat for any other breed.
I hope to see the Speckled Sussex as popular as any breed ever was and it can be made so by the co-operation of the members of the National Club, by boosting a breed that is second to none. .
E. R. FIELDS.
President National Speckled Sussex Club.
===============================================
American Poultry Advocate - Volume 31 - 1922
The Speckled Sussex
By E. H. HOFFMAN
La Crosse, Wis. Secretary, National Sussex Club
EVERY breed and variety listed in the American Standard of Perfection, has some good qualification and merit. . Each breed has its supporters and some are more popular than others. We often hear the beginner ask which is the best breed of chickens, not having fully decided what he intends to breed. Invariably I answer this question by saying there is no "best" breed, because what may suit one may not meet the requirements of another. It is a well known fact, however, that the majority of people who keep chickens want eggs and plenty of them and then the next consideration is a-good fowl for table purposes. In addition to these two
principal qualifications
most of us prefer a bird that has attractive plumage. After looking through the standard we find a numiber of breeds that fill these requirements and then we must decide which one we prefer.
As a general purpose breed perhaps there is none that will surpass the Speckled Sussex for the farmer, the small fancier on the town lot as well as the large fancier who raises poultry for exhibition. I will try to briefly give a few reasons why the Speckled Sussex are one of the best general purpose breeds and why more people should breed them for eggs and table purposes. For many years prior to. admitting the Sussex to the standard this fowl was raised in Sussex, England, where they originated. At that time, however, there was no special effort made to breed for plumage, the principal qualification sought was a fowl that would lay a large number of eggs at all seasons of the year and at the same time make the best fowl for market purposes. With that point in view the English have succeeded in giving the poultry world a fowl that is superior to any other for market purposes. There are many American and French breeds that are excellent for table use but I dare say that the Sussex excel them all. Their meat is fine grained, very fine flavored and heavily laid on the breast and other parts of the body.
Another point that must be taken into consideration in the selection of a breed is the length of time it requires to grow a chick to maturity. The Speckled Sussex are a very hardy fowl, grow rapidly and at the age of five and six months the pullets are laying and cockerels make splendid broilers at eight weeks of age. It is these qualifications that have brought them to the front during the past few years, not only among fanciers but also a large number of farmers who have learned of their superior egg laying
and table qualities. The fact that the Sussex fowl is one of the leaders in producing the greatest amount of high quality meat in the shortest time and at the least cost is what appeals to the average farmer. Rapid progress has also been made along egg laying lines and
when we can produce a hen weighing seven pounds and over, laying over 200 eggs in a year, we have the kind of fowl deserving of the name of a dual purpose fowl. Now this is what the Speckled Sussex are doing, not only in one flock but breeders all over the country will say that the general average of their flocks will average close to that figure.
In addition to these general qualifications there is no breed in the standard that lias a more beautiful and attractive plumage than the Speckled Sussex. The general ground color of the male is one harmonious shade of rich, brilliant dark mahogany or reddish brown. The breast should show the three colors distinctly, ground color a rich dark reddish brown, each feather tipped with white, the white being divided from the ground color by a narrow bar of black. The back bar should cut off share and not mix with the white or the balance of the feather. The hackle and saddle feathers should have a rich greenish black stripe through the end of the feather, tipped with white. The best birds from a breeding standpoint should not have the stripe in the saddle run full length of the feather but should cut off about an inch from under the fluff.
Males ow this kind can be used as safe breeders of both males and females. In other words it is not necessary to resort to the double mating system in breeding Speckled Sussex as is the case in many other varieties. While the standard calls for white tipping in the hackle and saddle feathers we often find this lacking in some of the darker males, especially in their cockerel year, but after they moult out the second year the white tipping becomes more prominent. While we all want males with this white tipping, especially for exhibition purposes, it is not wise to discard males that do not show it for breeding purposes. It is far better to use a rich dark mahogany male without tipped hackle and saddle than a light red male that is tipped. By mat I mean that a male bird with an even shade of dark mahogany is far better than one showing orange colored hackle and saddle that is tipped. The day of these lighter colored males is a thing of the past and they should not be used in the breeding pen nor in the show room. By that I do not mean that they should be too dark, running into chocolate, because a Speckled Sussex male must be rich and brilliant and not a dark dull color. The wings of a good male should show the three colors mixed in, but when the wing is folded the wingbow should be a rich mahogany color. Much has been said about the undercolor, but I favor the three colors, slate, salmon and shading to white at the skin. It is quite important that the male heading a breeding pen show a bar of salmon in the undercolor because this strengthens the surface color in the females and helps to bring out that rich ground color, free from peppering and mossiness. In view of the fact that the Speckled Sussex is a tri-colored breed the three colors may be laid on a trifle heavier in some sections than in others. For instance it is quite common to find males that have almost pure white undercolor in the hackle and on the back, while others are a dark slate. Of the two extremes I prefer the one with a little too much white' than one that is too dark, because we must bear in mind that white must appear in all sections and must be properly distributed. For that reason I believe that too much stress has been laid to undercolor and probably many a good breeding bird has been killed simply because of this fact. Females invariably run darker in undercolor than the males and most of them will be found to have a dark slate undercolor, with occasionally a little salmon. (Turn to page 408)
(Continued from page 393)
Great care must be taken in selecting the females in the breeding pen. Like with all other breeds she should be fully matured, of standard size, broad deep breast and all the qualifications that go toward making up a good layer. In color she should be one even shade of dark reddish bay in all sections. The same shade of color should prevail in the breast as on the back as the latter usually runs lighter. A good rule to follow is to have the breast of the male corerspond in color with that of the breast and back of the fentale, that is to say that ^the ground color should be the same shade and each feather tipped with white and divided from the main ground color by a narrow bar of black. All females used for breeding should have a rich ground color free from peppering and the tips should be white and not grey.
Another important point in the selec* tiou of the females is to avoid those that show a heavy black cape around the neck. The standard specifically states that the hackle should be the same color as the rest of the sections and that is "reddish bay each feather tipped With white, the white divided from the bal* ance of the feather by a narrow bar of black." One of the principal defects in Speckled Sussex females is the black hackles ahd that is a section that We must improve and get It in keeping with the other sections, the description of which is the same.
The Speckled Sussex are One of the most beautiful as well as one of the best all around breeds in the standard and it affords anyone great pleasure to breed them. It might be well to call attention to the color of the chicks when they are hatched. In view of the fact that they are tri-colored variety the chicks are not alike when hatched. Some are pure white, some yellow, some reddish yellow with striped backs while others arc brown similar to the partridge varieties. Many who have never had experience with the breed become alarmed over the variety of color among the chicks, believing that they are crossed with other breeds. No matter what color the chicks may be when hatched they all look alike when feathered out and matured.
The standard weights of the Speckled Sussex are as follows: Cocks, nine pounds; hens, seven pounds; cockerels, seven and one-half pounds and pullets, six pounds. They have single combs and pinkish white shanks.
===========================================
American Poultry Journal - Volume 52 - Page 785, 1921
Color of Speckled Sussex.
In mating the Speckled Sussex the first thing to consider is type. The Sussex fowl has a type distinctly its own, and it is a type that is both practical and very beautiful, and breeders should strive to maintain it.
In picking the females for the mating select those having long, broad, deep bodies which slope slightly from shoulders to tail, full, prominent hreasts. low well spread tails, shanks of medium length, good substance and set well apart, strong necks of medium length and broad, deep skulls.
In surface color, tho female should be an even shade of rich mahogany" ground color over entire breast, back and body each feather ending in a black bar with a white tip.
There is a tendency toward peppering in the ground color of the feathers and this must be guarded against, although a small amount of this is not such a serious breeding defect as some people seem to think.
Under color should be slate or slate shading into salmon at the skin.
In wings I like to have the primaries mixed black and white, and the lower half or outer edge of each secondary feather a rich mahogany brown, and the upper hall or inner edge of secondary, black. This kind of wing shows a beautiful brown wnen folded.
Main tail feathers should be black and white, a little more black than white, and the coverts black, tipped with white.
The male to go with these females should be a bird that is full of vigor and vitality and of not less than 9 lbs. for cock or 7 1/2 for cockerel. He should have a long, broad, flat back which slopes nicely from shoulders to tail; a full, prominent, squared appearing breast, low well spread tail: shanks that are straight, strong and set well apart; large neck, of medium length; and a broad, deep head.
His color should be an even shade of dark rich mahogany over neck, back, wing bow and saddle, each hackle and saddle feather to have a narrow black stripe through the center of lower end.
It is desirable to have each hackle and saddle feather tipped with white, but do not be too particular about tipping in these
two sections, as males having very little hackle and saddle tipping will breed good stock. The thing to work for is the proper shade of ground color. One male having the correct shade of mahogany ground color and practically no hackle and saddle tipping is worth a dozen males that are nicely tipped in these sections but have the light red or sandy ground color.
As breeders, use those males whose under color is slate shading into salmon at the base in all sections. The breast, body and fluff surface coior of the male should be the same as that of the back of the females. Wing color, same as that described for the females. Main tail feathers about equally divided in black and white, main sickles, lesser sickles and coverts greenish black tipped with white.
However, it is not always possible to have the main sickle feathers black, as is attested by the fact that some of the winning males in our best shows have almost solid white sickles. From such a mating as is above described one may reasonably expect to get a large percentage of good exhibition specimens of both sexes.
Now about picking out the promising birds amidst the young stock, and on this matter I write for the purpose of aiding the beginner with Sussex to properly select and develop his young stock.
Picking the chicks for color is a comparatively easy task for me, and begins as soon as the chicks are hatched and thoroughly dried. When taking off a hatch it will be noted that some of the chicks have rich yellow-colored bodies with a reddish cast on top, others will be a deep brown with stripes along each side of the back and still others will be very light in color, in fact almost white. This great variation in the color of the chicks is due to the fact that the Speckled Sussex is a tri-colored or three-colored fowl. If the reddish yellow and the brown chicks are leg banded or toe marked and their development carefully noted it will be found that they are the ones that will grow into the best colored fowls. This does not mean that none of the whiter chicks will be of any value in color, as usually there will be a few of them that will develop- into nicely colored birds, but not any appreciable number. Occasionally chicks will hatch almost black and these will always remain too dark in color.
From this it will be seen that one may pick his Sussex chicks for color at a very early age. In fact, so early that some who read this may say it can't be done, but this is not an epistle to the unbeliever. I have followed this plan of selecting for color for several years, and found it satisfactory.
Picking for type requires a little age on the birds. The beginner should not attempt to select for type until his chicks are about twelve weeks old, although I have reached the point where I can pick most of those that will be best in type at a somewhat earlier age. If the chicks are closely observed it will be seen that some of them have long, flat backs, full round breasts and a considerable fullness below the vent. These are the fellows to select for type. The chicks that have slim bodies, flat breasts, long, slender legs and little body formation back of the legs never amount to much in type, and neither do those that have little, short "humped up" bodies. So much for selecting the birds. Now we come to the subject of feeding them.
When the chicks are forty-eight hours old give a feed of corn bread that has been soaked in milk and from which the excess moisture has been squeezed, being careful to give only as much of the feed as will be cleaned up in about 15 minutes. The bread and milk should be the only feed given the chicks for the first three days. After the third day a mixture of grain composed of one part corn, one part wheat, one-half part hulled oats' and one-half part kafir corn ground to the fineness of coffee when ground on mother's old hand mill should be added to the ration. Feed the chicks four times a day, giving two feeds of the grain and' two of the moist bread. Continue with this feed until the chicks are four weeks old, at which time you may discontinue the moist bread and substitute a bolied mash made up of one part corn meal, one part bran and one part rolled oats. You also should at this time increase the size of the grains in the grain mixture.
Any table scraps you have on hand may be added to the cooked mash and will be greatly relished by the birds. Provide plenty of green feed right from the start, and once a day give the chicks all the buttermilk they will drink, if obtainable. If you have no milk, add a little coarse beef scrap to the grain feed after the chicks are a month old. Grit, charcoal and clean water should
be accessible at all times. This constitutes the full feeding course from the time the chicks are hatched until fully matured. It is a method of feeding that is very simple and easy to practice and one that will produce results.
Now a few points on housing. Provide the growing stock with dry, well ventilated houses that are kept clean, free from lice and mites and well bedded. As the weather becomes warmer, usa the coarsest straw* obtainable for litter, and see that it is deep enough to hold the chicks well up off the floor so the air will circulate through the straw under them. Keep the birds off the perches until two-thirds grown, and thus avoid crooked breast bones.
Missouri. John Miller.
=========================================
Speckled Sussex—A Worthy Breed
The Speckled Sussex is a breed worthy of our best efforts and while most breeders are breeding poultry on a business basis, many are breeding for pleasure only. Nevertheless alt of us want to see them made a popular fowl.
I took up the Speckled variety after having raised several other breeds. I wanted a fowl having beauty as well as the other necessary qualifications. I found these in the Speckled Sussex, they are very good layers and excellent table fowl. Their type is pleasing and they are a vigorous and hardy fowl, easy to raise and quick to mature. I believe there is no fowl today that can be grown as fast as the Sussex, the pullets begin laying when live to six months old.
To my way of thinking the breeding of Sussex docs not differ materially from any other breed. To obtain success in any business one must like the work and have something definite to work for. In the Speckled Sussex you have the only breed with three colors to work for and you will find it a most interesting undertaking.
Now is the time for the breeder to advertise and give the public what they want. There is always a demand for the eggs and stock of this variety and the future of the Speckled Sussex is bright and should encourage new breeders to take up this beautiful and useful bird. One important question confronting all beginners and some experienced followers of the poultry game is the question of what breed is the best. It is hard to answer but it is my opinion that the Speckled Sussex does not take a back seat for any other breed.
I hope to see the Speckled Sussex as popular as any breed ever was and it can be made so by the co-operation of the members of the National Club, by boosting a breed that is second to none. .
E. R. FIELDS.
President National Speckled Sussex Club.
===============================================
American Poultry Advocate - Volume 31 - 1922
The Speckled Sussex
By E. H. HOFFMAN
La Crosse, Wis. Secretary, National Sussex Club
EVERY breed and variety listed in the American Standard of Perfection, has some good qualification and merit. . Each breed has its supporters and some are more popular than others. We often hear the beginner ask which is the best breed of chickens, not having fully decided what he intends to breed. Invariably I answer this question by saying there is no "best" breed, because what may suit one may not meet the requirements of another. It is a well known fact, however, that the majority of people who keep chickens want eggs and plenty of them and then the next consideration is a-good fowl for table purposes. In addition to these two
principal qualifications
most of us prefer a bird that has attractive plumage. After looking through the standard we find a numiber of breeds that fill these requirements and then we must decide which one we prefer.
As a general purpose breed perhaps there is none that will surpass the Speckled Sussex for the farmer, the small fancier on the town lot as well as the large fancier who raises poultry for exhibition. I will try to briefly give a few reasons why the Speckled Sussex are one of the best general purpose breeds and why more people should breed them for eggs and table purposes. For many years prior to. admitting the Sussex to the standard this fowl was raised in Sussex, England, where they originated. At that time, however, there was no special effort made to breed for plumage, the principal qualification sought was a fowl that would lay a large number of eggs at all seasons of the year and at the same time make the best fowl for market purposes. With that point in view the English have succeeded in giving the poultry world a fowl that is superior to any other for market purposes. There are many American and French breeds that are excellent for table use but I dare say that the Sussex excel them all. Their meat is fine grained, very fine flavored and heavily laid on the breast and other parts of the body.
Another point that must be taken into consideration in the selection of a breed is the length of time it requires to grow a chick to maturity. The Speckled Sussex are a very hardy fowl, grow rapidly and at the age of five and six months the pullets are laying and cockerels make splendid broilers at eight weeks of age. It is these qualifications that have brought them to the front during the past few years, not only among fanciers but also a large number of farmers who have learned of their superior egg laying
and table qualities. The fact that the Sussex fowl is one of the leaders in producing the greatest amount of high quality meat in the shortest time and at the least cost is what appeals to the average farmer. Rapid progress has also been made along egg laying lines and
when we can produce a hen weighing seven pounds and over, laying over 200 eggs in a year, we have the kind of fowl deserving of the name of a dual purpose fowl. Now this is what the Speckled Sussex are doing, not only in one flock but breeders all over the country will say that the general average of their flocks will average close to that figure.
In addition to these general qualifications there is no breed in the standard that lias a more beautiful and attractive plumage than the Speckled Sussex. The general ground color of the male is one harmonious shade of rich, brilliant dark mahogany or reddish brown. The breast should show the three colors distinctly, ground color a rich dark reddish brown, each feather tipped with white, the white being divided from the ground color by a narrow bar of black. The back bar should cut off share and not mix with the white or the balance of the feather. The hackle and saddle feathers should have a rich greenish black stripe through the end of the feather, tipped with white. The best birds from a breeding standpoint should not have the stripe in the saddle run full length of the feather but should cut off about an inch from under the fluff.
Males ow this kind can be used as safe breeders of both males and females. In other words it is not necessary to resort to the double mating system in breeding Speckled Sussex as is the case in many other varieties. While the standard calls for white tipping in the hackle and saddle feathers we often find this lacking in some of the darker males, especially in their cockerel year, but after they moult out the second year the white tipping becomes more prominent. While we all want males with this white tipping, especially for exhibition purposes, it is not wise to discard males that do not show it for breeding purposes. It is far better to use a rich dark mahogany male without tipped hackle and saddle than a light red male that is tipped. By mat I mean that a male bird with an even shade of dark mahogany is far better than one showing orange colored hackle and saddle that is tipped. The day of these lighter colored males is a thing of the past and they should not be used in the breeding pen nor in the show room. By that I do not mean that they should be too dark, running into chocolate, because a Speckled Sussex male must be rich and brilliant and not a dark dull color. The wings of a good male should show the three colors mixed in, but when the wing is folded the wingbow should be a rich mahogany color. Much has been said about the undercolor, but I favor the three colors, slate, salmon and shading to white at the skin. It is quite important that the male heading a breeding pen show a bar of salmon in the undercolor because this strengthens the surface color in the females and helps to bring out that rich ground color, free from peppering and mossiness. In view of the fact that the Speckled Sussex is a tri-colored breed the three colors may be laid on a trifle heavier in some sections than in others. For instance it is quite common to find males that have almost pure white undercolor in the hackle and on the back, while others are a dark slate. Of the two extremes I prefer the one with a little too much white' than one that is too dark, because we must bear in mind that white must appear in all sections and must be properly distributed. For that reason I believe that too much stress has been laid to undercolor and probably many a good breeding bird has been killed simply because of this fact. Females invariably run darker in undercolor than the males and most of them will be found to have a dark slate undercolor, with occasionally a little salmon. (Turn to page 408)
(Continued from page 393)
Great care must be taken in selecting the females in the breeding pen. Like with all other breeds she should be fully matured, of standard size, broad deep breast and all the qualifications that go toward making up a good layer. In color she should be one even shade of dark reddish bay in all sections. The same shade of color should prevail in the breast as on the back as the latter usually runs lighter. A good rule to follow is to have the breast of the male corerspond in color with that of the breast and back of the fentale, that is to say that ^the ground color should be the same shade and each feather tipped with white and divided from the main ground color by a narrow bar of black. All females used for breeding should have a rich ground color free from peppering and the tips should be white and not grey.
Another important point in the selec* tiou of the females is to avoid those that show a heavy black cape around the neck. The standard specifically states that the hackle should be the same color as the rest of the sections and that is "reddish bay each feather tipped With white, the white divided from the bal* ance of the feather by a narrow bar of black." One of the principal defects in Speckled Sussex females is the black hackles ahd that is a section that We must improve and get It in keeping with the other sections, the description of which is the same.
The Speckled Sussex are One of the most beautiful as well as one of the best all around breeds in the standard and it affords anyone great pleasure to breed them. It might be well to call attention to the color of the chicks when they are hatched. In view of the fact that they are tri-colored variety the chicks are not alike when hatched. Some are pure white, some yellow, some reddish yellow with striped backs while others arc brown similar to the partridge varieties. Many who have never had experience with the breed become alarmed over the variety of color among the chicks, believing that they are crossed with other breeds. No matter what color the chicks may be when hatched they all look alike when feathered out and matured.
The standard weights of the Speckled Sussex are as follows: Cocks, nine pounds; hens, seven pounds; cockerels, seven and one-half pounds and pullets, six pounds. They have single combs and pinkish white shanks.
===========================================
American Poultry Journal - Volume 52 - Page 785, 1921
Color of Speckled Sussex.
In mating the Speckled Sussex the first thing to consider is type. The Sussex fowl has a type distinctly its own, and it is a type that is both practical and very beautiful, and breeders should strive to maintain it.
In picking the females for the mating select those having long, broad, deep bodies which slope slightly from shoulders to tail, full, prominent hreasts. low well spread tails, shanks of medium length, good substance and set well apart, strong necks of medium length and broad, deep skulls.
In surface color, tho female should be an even shade of rich mahogany" ground color over entire breast, back and body each feather ending in a black bar with a white tip.
There is a tendency toward peppering in the ground color of the feathers and this must be guarded against, although a small amount of this is not such a serious breeding defect as some people seem to think.
Under color should be slate or slate shading into salmon at the skin.
In wings I like to have the primaries mixed black and white, and the lower half or outer edge of each secondary feather a rich mahogany brown, and the upper hall or inner edge of secondary, black. This kind of wing shows a beautiful brown wnen folded.
Main tail feathers should be black and white, a little more black than white, and the coverts black, tipped with white.
The male to go with these females should be a bird that is full of vigor and vitality and of not less than 9 lbs. for cock or 7 1/2 for cockerel. He should have a long, broad, flat back which slopes nicely from shoulders to tail; a full, prominent, squared appearing breast, low well spread tail: shanks that are straight, strong and set well apart; large neck, of medium length; and a broad, deep head.
His color should be an even shade of dark rich mahogany over neck, back, wing bow and saddle, each hackle and saddle feather to have a narrow black stripe through the center of lower end.
It is desirable to have each hackle and saddle feather tipped with white, but do not be too particular about tipping in these
two sections, as males having very little hackle and saddle tipping will breed good stock. The thing to work for is the proper shade of ground color. One male having the correct shade of mahogany ground color and practically no hackle and saddle tipping is worth a dozen males that are nicely tipped in these sections but have the light red or sandy ground color.
As breeders, use those males whose under color is slate shading into salmon at the base in all sections. The breast, body and fluff surface coior of the male should be the same as that of the back of the females. Wing color, same as that described for the females. Main tail feathers about equally divided in black and white, main sickles, lesser sickles and coverts greenish black tipped with white.
However, it is not always possible to have the main sickle feathers black, as is attested by the fact that some of the winning males in our best shows have almost solid white sickles. From such a mating as is above described one may reasonably expect to get a large percentage of good exhibition specimens of both sexes.
Now about picking out the promising birds amidst the young stock, and on this matter I write for the purpose of aiding the beginner with Sussex to properly select and develop his young stock.
Picking the chicks for color is a comparatively easy task for me, and begins as soon as the chicks are hatched and thoroughly dried. When taking off a hatch it will be noted that some of the chicks have rich yellow-colored bodies with a reddish cast on top, others will be a deep brown with stripes along each side of the back and still others will be very light in color, in fact almost white. This great variation in the color of the chicks is due to the fact that the Speckled Sussex is a tri-colored or three-colored fowl. If the reddish yellow and the brown chicks are leg banded or toe marked and their development carefully noted it will be found that they are the ones that will grow into the best colored fowls. This does not mean that none of the whiter chicks will be of any value in color, as usually there will be a few of them that will develop- into nicely colored birds, but not any appreciable number. Occasionally chicks will hatch almost black and these will always remain too dark in color.
From this it will be seen that one may pick his Sussex chicks for color at a very early age. In fact, so early that some who read this may say it can't be done, but this is not an epistle to the unbeliever. I have followed this plan of selecting for color for several years, and found it satisfactory.
Picking for type requires a little age on the birds. The beginner should not attempt to select for type until his chicks are about twelve weeks old, although I have reached the point where I can pick most of those that will be best in type at a somewhat earlier age. If the chicks are closely observed it will be seen that some of them have long, flat backs, full round breasts and a considerable fullness below the vent. These are the fellows to select for type. The chicks that have slim bodies, flat breasts, long, slender legs and little body formation back of the legs never amount to much in type, and neither do those that have little, short "humped up" bodies. So much for selecting the birds. Now we come to the subject of feeding them.
When the chicks are forty-eight hours old give a feed of corn bread that has been soaked in milk and from which the excess moisture has been squeezed, being careful to give only as much of the feed as will be cleaned up in about 15 minutes. The bread and milk should be the only feed given the chicks for the first three days. After the third day a mixture of grain composed of one part corn, one part wheat, one-half part hulled oats' and one-half part kafir corn ground to the fineness of coffee when ground on mother's old hand mill should be added to the ration. Feed the chicks four times a day, giving two feeds of the grain and' two of the moist bread. Continue with this feed until the chicks are four weeks old, at which time you may discontinue the moist bread and substitute a bolied mash made up of one part corn meal, one part bran and one part rolled oats. You also should at this time increase the size of the grains in the grain mixture.
Any table scraps you have on hand may be added to the cooked mash and will be greatly relished by the birds. Provide plenty of green feed right from the start, and once a day give the chicks all the buttermilk they will drink, if obtainable. If you have no milk, add a little coarse beef scrap to the grain feed after the chicks are a month old. Grit, charcoal and clean water should
be accessible at all times. This constitutes the full feeding course from the time the chicks are hatched until fully matured. It is a method of feeding that is very simple and easy to practice and one that will produce results.
Now a few points on housing. Provide the growing stock with dry, well ventilated houses that are kept clean, free from lice and mites and well bedded. As the weather becomes warmer, usa the coarsest straw* obtainable for litter, and see that it is deep enough to hold the chicks well up off the floor so the air will circulate through the straw under them. Keep the birds off the perches until two-thirds grown, and thus avoid crooked breast bones.
Missouri. John Miller.
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Great stuff Karen. A lot to absorb-- I'll be rereading it afew times.
- Sep 24, 2012
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I am still learning about these lovely birds, so from what I was able to gather from Mary, is uniformity AND amount.
- Sep 24, 2012
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I wonder if the standards have changed since the 1920's?
- May 19, 2009
- 8,453
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Quote: Hi Carolyn28,
History of the Sussex fowl containing the English and American standard of perfection (1911)
http://archive.org/details/historyofsussexf00brat
The Sussex fowl (1920) ( includes revised 1920 Standards for Sussex)
http://archive.org/details/cu31924003091398
Best,,
Karen
History of the Sussex fowl containing the English and American standard of perfection (1911)
http://archive.org/details/historyofsussexf00brat
The Sussex fowl (1920) ( includes revised 1920 Standards for Sussex)
http://archive.org/details/cu31924003091398
Best,,
Karen
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