show quality speckled sussex ??

[Yellow House Farm]

Whom do we know who's working with the SS Bantams?

 

[3riverschick]

Whom do we know who's working with the SS Bantams?

Hi,
Gary Overton in West Alexandria, OH ( contact info at APA Judges Directory. Skytop Bantams in PA ( website) Adam Loeffel in (KY?) , contact info available online . Adam got his foundation birds from Skytop. Peggy Taylor in TX who got Skytop stock from another named breeder in (OK?). Skytop was formed when they melded Overton and Mongold lines. Absolutely superb birds, they are APA Master Breeders of the variety. Skytop did add another strain to their Bantam SS which they list on their website. I think from Virginia. Worth checking out that strain since the Skytop birds are such spectacular birds. Painted Feather Farm in OH got bantam SS stock from Overton, as I remember.
I think if I was getting pure Skytop, I could bred either back to Overton or to ( maybe) the strain Skytop added to their line from Virginia ( after I checked with Skytop on the level of success in that strain cross). .
Best,
Karen

 

[3riverschick]

Anybody out there want to critique her? I'd love to know what things I could look for

What a lovely Sussex hen. If she is a bantam, get ahold of Adam Leoffel in KY and breed her to one of his cocks. If she is a large fowl, then you need to find a top quality pure Overton cock and breed her to it. Definitely this hen needs to go to a Overton cock. Lovely breast on this hen, real nice balance and depth. Maybe you can ship your hen to the cock and get her serviced. Then she will lay eggs by him for about 2 weeks. Get rid of any cockerels born before they start to crow.
Best,
Karen
Why Overton? because I think I already see Overton in her profile. Plus, Speckled Sussex is a tricolor variety made more complicated by the mottle gene which causes the white dots on the ends of the feathers. This is the most complicated color to breed in the Sussex breed. It takes many years to stabilize a gene pool so the birds will rather consistently throw the proper ratios of the three colors in the proper places on the birds body. Someone has been working properly with this hen. The result? Her speckling is very superior. Pure Overton has the stability of color in their gene pool for you to continue to throw acceptable speckled pattern in her chicks and descendants ...while preserving that lovely profile, plus abundant breast , length ,and depth of body. I understand the breeders you got the hen from have dispersed their stock, but I sure would like to know their name, as someone who really knew how to breed this variety.

 

[3riverschick]

I would love to breed her, but we're not allowed to have roosters in our area. Also, I think the breeders I got her from decided to get rid of their entire stock of SS to try a different breed, so I'm glad I got her when I did!

Ask your hens' breeder who they sold the other birds too. Then see if you can find someone local who has one of their best cocks. Linebreed her to it. The other owners may be happy to have someone else in the area who also has the gene pool so if they have a catastrophe in their flock, there is another outlet to get new stock from. Perhaps they will let you take your hen there and stud their cock to her. Then you can arrange to let them have the cockerels while you keep the hens. Yes, the cock only has to service your hen for a day and then she will lay eggs by him for up to 2 weeks.
Best,
Karen

 

[Naliez]

What a lovely Sussex hen. If she is a bantam, get ahold of Adam Leoffel in KY and breed her to one of his cocks. If she is a large fowl, then you need to find a top quality pure Overton cock and breed her to it.  Definitely this hen needs to go to a  Overton cock. Lovely breast on this hen, real nice balance and depth.  Maybe you can ship your hen to the cock and get her serviced. Then she will lay eggs by him for about 2 weeks.  Get rid of any cockerels born before they start to crow.
Best,
 Karen
Why Overton? because I think I already see Overton in her profile. Plus, Speckled Sussex is a tricolor variety made more complicated by the mottle gene which causes the white dots on the ends of the feathers. This is the most complicated color to breed in the Sussex breed. It takes many years to stabilize a gene pool so the birds will rather consistently throw the proper ratios of the three colors in the proper places on the birds body. Someone has been working properly with this hen.  The result?  Her speckling is very superior. Pure Overton has the stability of color in their gene pool for you to continue to throw acceptable speckled pattern in her chicks and descendants ...while preserving that lovely profile, plus abundant breast , length ,and depth of body. I understand the breeders you got the hen from have dispersed their stock, but I sure would like to know their name, as someone who really knew how to breed this variety.

Thank you so much! This is excellent and I have contacted them. They were very kind people who obviously loved their chickens and I had given them updates periodically. They always replied, so I will update you as soon as they respond. This is something I would very much like to pursue, but I am inexperienced and need all the direction I can get; links, books, anything. I appreciate your response very much. Thank you again and I will keep you updated.

 

[3riverschick]

Thank you so much! This is excellent and I have contacted them. They were very kind people who obviously loved their chickens and I had given them updates periodically. They always replied, so I will update you as soon as they respond. This is something I would very much like to pursue, but I am inexperienced and need all the direction I can get; links, books, anything. I appreciate your response very much. Thank you again and I will keep you updated.

Good for you!
Best,
Karen

 

[acemario]

I have been creeping this thread since I bought my Speckled Sussex in the spring. I bought some hatching eggs from Oregon and Ohio. I also bought some hatchery chicks from Privett Hatchery. Looking for some critique on my flock. I wasn't planning on breeding to SOP, but I now find it a fun adventure to embark on. I am keeping a smaller flock, so I picked the best chicks I could (good color without white tail or wing feathers) and here is what I ended up with. I will first post my roo (6 months) and then one of the hens (5 months+-). Thanks! ETA: The rooster's pictures are in the sun and shade, hence the different brightness in the pictures.

 

[acemario]

HEN #2


HEN #2



HEN #3 (left) HEN #2 (right)


HEN #3 (left) HEN #2 (right)

 

[ericinga]

Just wondering what kind of rooster that is beside him? I have an ameracauna hen I hatched a few months ago that looks just like him. Also have a speckled sussex chick that I hope is a hen. HA!

 

[ericinga]

I have been looking for some standard Speckled Sussex and/or some bantam Speckled Sussex in the NW GA or NE AL area. I live an hour NW of ATL and have never even heard of the bantams until recently. Want some really good birds. If anyone knows of a good breeder in my area please let me know. Thanks, Eric