show quality speckled sussex ??

[math ace]

Quote:
That is what I am thinking .... I sent some PM's out to some folks who can tell us if we are on track with this strategy.
Let's hope

they will visit some time soon

I have added some info to the FIRST post on this thread for those interested in the standards----

I only added the info for roosters..... I will work on the hens another night

 

[RustyHen]

Quote:
That is what I am thinking .... I sent some PM's out to some folks who can tell us if we are on track with this strategy.
Let's hope

they will visit some time soon

I have added some info to the FIRST post on this thread for those interested in the standards----

I only added the info for roosters..... I will work on the hens another night

Thank you Math Ace,

 

[snowbird]

Will try and answer some of the questions. First off I will be very to the point, no snappy slogans posted for feel good effect.

First thing for anyone to do is buy a SOP.
second go to Hardware and get a sharp axe.
Third watch for a used hardware scale at yard sales, flea market.

Just a reminder first if you can not cull fowl, you are basically wasting your time.

There is no reason that you can not work on multiple faults at the same time. If you work on faults one at a time you could spend 20 years and still have culls just like you started with.

Working on size and body type, never use a small female when trying to work on developing a larger bird. The scale is for weighing all of your fowl and record the weight as I am sure you have already either wing or leg banded all the fowl. Start a record book with one bird on each page this way you will have room to ad info. anytime you have the bird in hand. Record different items about the bird even the good and the bad. In my breeding programs I always use a large size female with as close to proper type as possible. The pinched tail can be remedied by useing a male that has a more open tail with extra fluff.

Try and start up a breeding program doing all single matings as you will over time have a lot less culls. With the parti color fowl it is always averages when breeding for color. The good colored male is the first step in producing good colored birds. Mark all chicks at hatch so you will have a record of what pens they are from , enter all this in the record book.

Cull anything with DQs and major faults. I would rather have one good pair, than have several pair that have major faults. Just remember faults produce fault when bred to like birds. To expect to raise good fowl you will have to first learn how to use a sharp axe.

 

[math ace]

THANKS Don.....

That is a good idea on how to organize our data.
I am computer literate, but I do prefer good ole paper and pencil. I like being able to sit on the couch and review my data without dragging out the laptop.
I also like the portablity of being able to take paper and pencil to the pens.... I wouldn't want to do that with the lap top.

Mrheinz77 . . ..
It sounds like barn and paint can go hand in hand when trying to improve our stock.
I'll vouch for faults reproducing themselves.... Even if you do compensatory breeding, some faults just dominate.
Those faults can only be fixed by culling....

 

[mrheinz77]

Thanks Don. Just like breeding my cattle, I plan to work on the cons by picking the best mate. I also plan to cull heavily. I hope my family likes the taste of fresh chicken.

Lisa, thanks for your insight and letting me bounce ideas off of you.

Now if I could find somebody locally so I wouldn't need to buy shipped eggs I'd be set. I just built an incubator that can hold 12 turners if I use the styrofoam bators as hatchers. It has 6 shelves. Each can hold 2 turners. I have it heating now. Just need it to stabilize.

 

[Spires6]

Thank you math ace for restarting this thread. SS are one of my favorites but mine are from a hatchery as I know of no one around me who breeds them. I would love to learn more about the breed and would also love to find people who breed show quality birds.

 

[fowlman01]

Quote:
Great advice from Don. I haven't had time to read the whole thread yet, but will as soon as I can. keeping exact records of your matings is a MUST.

Walt

 

[Orange Ribbon]

Hey everyone, I don't know if you all are still following this thread, but I have some Speckled Sussex eggs in the incubator right now. I ordered these from two different people for a total of 19 eggs. The first bunch (1/2 dozen) is from the Garry Farm in Georgia. The second bunch (1 dozen) is also from a lady in Georgia who got her SS from the Garry Farm.

I hope these hatch, but I'm having some technical difficulties with temps in my incubator. Got a new one on order that I am waiting on to come in. Today was day 7 in the incubator. Had a power outage yesterday and had to take them to my Dad's house since he has a generator. The cord got hooked on my shoe and daggone if I didn't pull the incubator off the table and busted 10 eggs. I'm so depressed about that.

Is anyone familiar with the Garry Farm SS? They have almost 200 reviews and all are positive regarding their care of shipment and for being wonderful people, so I do not ask this in a way meant to question the breeder's integrity. I just wonder how close to SOP these birds are and if they are something a person could work with in your opinion.
Below is a link to the auction which has some pictures of her birds. I don't know what you can tell about them from the pictures, but I would be very interested to hear what you think. I am just starting out and have never even seen a SS in person. But I am trying to start off the best I can. I just hope some of these will hatch out.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=525007

Thanks!

 

[math ace]

Orange Ribbon,

You are not being ignored......
I am hesitant to comment on other people's birds on this thread.

When YOUR stock gets older and YOU want feed back on them, PLEASE, post pics of them here and we will critique them for you.

We will want pics of them one bird at a time.
One of pics needs to show an open wing too. One pic should show the bird in a natural stance.

There are TWO big issues with speckled sussex that you should watch for:

1.) SIZE - - - most of the current stock is too small
2.) Coloring - - most of the coloring is not correct - too much white, missing white where it should be, not enough black, etc.

It goes without saying that you must watch for the correct body type. You have to watch for correct body type in all birds...

Keep an eye on this thread over the next month or so.... Some of my girls are going through the Juvie molt right now.
When they are done with this I will get some pics and we will start critequing them.

 

[Orange Ribbon]

Thanks Math Ace,

I never felt I was being ignored at all.

And I understand your position about commenting on birds on this thread. So you can send me a PM instead! HA!

When I get some SS I will post them for you all to check out.