show quality speckled sussex ??

[3riverschick]

Really a lovely hen-- and to put her next to the ideal portrait, is WOW!! When you say size-- what weights are the birds now, and do you dress them for eating? IF so what are the dress weights?

I wonder if you might have an opinion--

I have not culled my roosters yet because I am stuck on one "problem" THe males allhave a larger bar thean the females on the breast area. Looks like white flecks on black. It this a typical rooster coloring, or should they have a smaller black bar and plenty of red showing?

In the 2010 APA SOP there is a reprint of a classic article on Speckled Sussex.
In it the author repeats Clem Watson's statement that the black bar should be 1/4 inch wide.
Best,
Karen

 

[Woodsy]

Dear Math Ace,

Great work and dedication starting this thread. 193 pages is a lot but I have managed to go through almost all of them and I am extremely impressed with the dedication and knowledge of the SS breeders here.

Up here in Canada, serious exhibitors will start their breeding programs in early January and probably start hatching in early February. Last year, I had almost 50 chicks in the brooder by mid February. My last hatch was mid March, so that I could start my waterfowl hatching. I also show Cayugas.

Conditioning, get them out as fast as possible and feed them well!! Yes, the financial aspect really comes into play. In fact if that wasn't a problem, I probably would be hatching out another 200 this spring. Once I could tell sex, I separated them. There seems to be less fighting, better growth, and birds stay in good condition.

Show Conditioning, I usually only show pullets and cockerels. Why? My cock birds usually never do well at shows and mine are chosen (culled) based on breeding purposes. I don't like taking a chance showing my older females because I only keep a few and are often my best birds. They are my breeding program!!!!!!! Once I have chosen a few young birds to show, I pen them in individual 3ft x 2ft dog cages. Its good training for the show, I try to handle them a lot or my son does. They get use to drinking out of little water cups. The dog cages are a little bigger than the show cages but help keep them better conditioned.

Washing, usually twice before a show. First, I wash a bunch to help me choose what I am taking to a show. Second, usually wash 5 days before the show. Three baths, soap, rinse and last vinegar.

That is pretty much it! I am pretty sure most people do similar things in the states. The one thing that is hard is the culling.

Don't rush when you cull!!! Take your time and never get pushed into selling stuff you are not sure about. You'll end up regretting it!

I start with the obvious culls, knock knees, stubs, (first 3 months)

In between, type!!!!! (4-5th months)

Last two things I cull for are color and comb (6th and 7th)

I am sure people here will have different methods or similar methods in culling, breeding, or conditioning. Please feel free to comment and of course disagree with my methods. I always accept constructive criticism. Learning is obviously a lifelong process!

Thank you very much,
Brian Woods www.erpoultry.weebly.com

 

[math ace]

Dear Math Ace,

... Washing, usually twice before a show. First, I wash a bunch to help me choose what I am taking to a show. Second, usually wash 5 days before the show. Three baths, soap, rinse and last vinegar. . . .

I am sure people here will have different methods or similar methods in culling, breeding, or conditioning. Please feel free to comment and of course disagree with my methods. I always accept constructive criticism. Learning is obviously a lifelong process!

Thank you very much,
Brian Woods www.erpoultry.weebly.com

Brian,

I don't see anything here to disagree with. I do have a few more questions..

VINEGAR ? ? ? ? What is that for? Does is stink afterwards?

Sexing the birds is another area that I am curious about. I have a line of SS where the males tend to have pale colored combs. I hope to select away from that in the future, but I have other things that I will concentrate on first. The really bad thing about this fault is that is makes sexing the birds hard. Nothing is worse than thinking you have a clutch that is 80% females just to find out a couple of months later that half the females were really males...

Any tips other than comb size and color for identifying the males BEFORE the hackle and saddle feathers give away the sex?

 

[math ace]

I will be waiting until Feb. this year before I start setting eggs.
I have too many cockerels left over from last year that I need to process or cull before I bring out the incubators again.

Brian, you are 100% correct about the males behaving better if there are no females around. Currently, I have a pen with 15 males in it and they are doing fine together. The males are around 5 months old.... Shame they are a breed other than Speckled Sussex!

 

[Arielle]

lol


Eureka!! I should move all my males to the empty coop-- where I can access everyone and see who the lucky ones are. Thanks for the idea Math Ace.

 

[Heffburke]

I'm looking for the group's opinion on the cockerel I decided to keep for this coming year. I'm not wild about his speckling but I think he has a good shape. Please let me know

 

[midwayfarms]

I have 52 in the brooder first time with the SS.

 

[Sm1lvsu2]

Hello everyone. I live in Louisiana and I'm looking for decent to SQ Speckled Sussex eggs or birds. I don't think anyone in my area has anything and I ordered mine from Murray and they are pretty much all white before a year old

 

[3riverschick]

Hello everyone. I live in Louisiana and I'm looking for decent to SQ Speckled Sussex eggs or birds. I don't think anyone in my area has anything and I ordered mine from Murray and they are pretty much all white before a year old

Hi Sm1lvsu2,

see post #1901 of 1928 12/8/13 in this thread.
Best Success,
Karen

 

[CrazyChickens09]

Hello to all fellow Speckled Sussex chicken lovers. I currently have nine ss hens and one lonely cockerel. My name is Jamie and located in sc Kansas.