show quality speckled sussex ??

[silkieloverz123]

For me i think its to old to tell, but check regularly for spur stubs on the feet and ' wild hairs ' on its head! Hope i helped!

-SilkieLoverz123

 

[cowchick11]

Don,

So all the points for the back are based on IMPORTANCE not on specific details. In other words, The WIDER the back the more points you earn in the shape category. Color... What is hard to do? Is there no relationship between the chest and back? If you get the chest right, is the coloring on the back going to follow suit or stand alone?

Yes, width and length of back. Some of the pictures of SS you can really see the length of back. I think very similar to RIR but the SS are a little more angled upright (maybe 10-15%???), not as "brick" level as the RIR. That length means the whole body is longer and there are more room for the organs for eating and producing. Then the width part the all the way back as snow bird and someone else mentioned tying in for the tail. For color over the back I noticed in one of my pullets that she is darker down the mid-line of her back and lighter on the sides and I saw a pullet of opposite coloring at our State Fair. So, I'm thinking that the nice even mohogany color with some spangling over the back is hard to come by. Mine all have less spangling on their backs. I think between size and amount of white at this point I may have two to show as hens next year, if I don't decide to hoard them at home for breeding!

 

[math ace]

Let me throw this out there to my fellow SS owners... .

I read on another thread that SS were bred to lay during the winter. I don't know how much truth is in this concept.
Sveral thoughts come to mind.... The first is that I live in Florida. I am not sure you could compare my winter to a Michigan winter. The second thought is the SS were originally created in England. So, how does their winter compare to ours... What is their Dec, Jan, and Feb like? Not only do I wonder about temps, but I am also curious about the amount of sunlight they have during this time of year.

My girls are older enough to of gone through their first molt this winter. I had some naked SS running around the yard. My roo looked like he had an awful case of mange. These girls were pin cushions. The molt has been over for at least a month and they are still not laying. Based on my own observation, I seriously want to poo poo the whole concept that this breed should make great winter layers.

ANYONE with SS old enough to go through a hard, adult molt... Please, chime in with your personal experience. Tell us how old your girls are and how they have been laying for the last couple of months ....

 

[GhostRider65]

[COLOR=800080]Let me throw this out there to my fellow SS owners... .[/COLOR]

[COLOR=800080]I read on another thread that SS were bred to lay during the winter.  I don't know how much truth is in this concept. [/COLOR]
[COLOR=800080]Sveral thoughts come to mind.... The first is that I live in Florida.  I am not sure you could compare my winter to a Michigan winter.  The second thought is the SS were originally created in England.  So, how does their winter compare to ours... What is their Dec, Jan, and Feb like?  Not only do I wonder about temps,  but I am also curious about the amount of sunlight they have during this time of year.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=800080]My girls are older enough to of gone through their first molt this winter.  I had some naked SS running around the yard.  My roo looked like he had an awful case of mange. These girls were pin cushions.  The molt has been over for at least a month and they are still not laying.  Based on my own observation,  I seriously want to poo poo the whole concept that this breed should make great winter layers.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=800080]ANYONE with SS old enough to go through a hard, adult molt... Please, chime in with your personal experience.  Tell us how old your girls are and how they have been laying for the last couple of months ....[/COLOR]

I have 3 hatchery SS 1 is my lost then found after 3 weeks little girl snowflake, this year was there first molt also, all looked like crazy porcupines for a month or so, all have resumed laying an egg a day, was hoping for a bit more size in egg after the molt, but same as b4, my girls are great winter layers this is there second winter, all my girls seem to be crazy layers I have a fridge full of 16 dozen eggs, from this week, I'm getting 28 to 30 eggs a day from 33 hens...... I have a mixed flock, SS, EE, BO,BR, SLW, BSL, RSL and Dels. and its been below zero here at night with day temps in the 20 degree range...... they free range, after I shovel out the driveway, LOL none are too crazy about a foot of snow, light sstuff is ok....... I would definitely say though that SS are good winter layers from experience with mine and my neighbors, who has 6 hens a couple roo's , 1 hen hatched out babies a month ago, and she kept them safe and warm enough all of the 7 chicks made it......Kim

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Let me throw this out there to my fellow SS owners... .

I read on another thread that SS were bred to lay during the winter. I don't know how much truth is in this concept.
Sveral thoughts come to mind.... The first is that I live in Florida. I am not sure you could compare my winter to a Michigan winter. The second thought is the SS were originally created in England. So, how does their winter compare to ours... What is their Dec, Jan, and Feb like? Not only do I wonder about temps, but I am also curious about the amount of sunlight they have during this time of year.

My girls are older enough to of gone through their first molt this winter. I had some naked SS running around the yard. My roo looked like he had an awful case of mange. These girls were pin cushions. The molt has been over for at least a month and they are still not laying. Based on my own observation, I seriously want to poo poo the whole concept that this breed should make great winter layers.

ANYONE with SS old enough to go through a hard, adult molt... Please, chime in with your personal experience. Tell us how old your girls are and how they have been laying for the last couple of months ....

My bantam pullet is doing a very good job of keeping up with my Langshans.

Eggs are still a bit small. Just got my first baby out! Hoping for several more!!!!

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Well, so much for hoping. Had 5 bantam eggs in the incubator, all but one died. Again. On Day 18. I just don't get it!?! All of my other breeds hatch without fail...

What on earth could I be doing so wrong?!

 

[cowchick11]

While my show/breeder stock is only in their first year they are in a very shabby/drafty shed due to not having it ready for winter yet! It has 2/3 of the doors on and no back to the shed yet, hopefully this weekend! We have had snow more than 5 times for multiple days and it has been less than 32 degrees at night about half of the time from Dec. 1. I have four pullets and we are getting 2-4 eggs a day. We also have 3 older (4 years) SS that are commercial stock and they are still laying an are just starting to look better. Not laying as much but still going with a damp coop. Go outside until the snow gets deeper than 4 inches (cause it is harder to open/close the door) and just light but no heat. We are in the SW part of WA state and have been told and looked up to find that parts of England/Scottland have similar winter weather to us, damp, rain, fog, some snow.

 

[Pozees]

Well, so much for hoping. Had 5 bantam eggs in the incubator, all but one died. Again. On Day 18. I just don't get it!?! All of my other breeds hatch without fail...

What on earth could I be doing so wrong?!

That's weird - are they shipped eggs? Are the others that hatch without fail all LF or are some Bantams? Just trying to think of the differences that could account for the loss. I wonder if it would be worth getting a Game or Silkie hen to try hatching them?

 

[3riverschick]

Let me throw this out there to my fellow SS owners... .

I read on another thread that SS were bred to lay during the winter. I don't know how much truth is in this concept.
Sveral thoughts come to mind.... The first is that I live in Florida. I am not sure you could compare my winter to a Michigan winter. The second thought is the SS were originally created in England. So, how does their winter compare to ours... What is their Dec, Jan, and Feb like? Not only do I wonder about temps, but I am also curious about the amount of sunlight they have during this time of year.

My girls are older enough to of gone through their first molt this winter. I had some naked SS running around the yard. My roo looked like he had an awful case of mange. These girls were pin cushions. The molt has been over for at least a month and they are still not laying. Based on my own observation, I seriously want to poo poo the whole concept that this breed should make great winter layers.

ANYONE with SS old enough to go through a hard, adult molt... Please, chime in with your personal experience. Tell us how old your girls are and how they have been laying for the last couple of months ....

Hi Math Ace,
Yes, historically the Sussex was bred t be a winter layer. That said, the best winter layers are hacthed in Feb. and March. Put your girls on 1 cubic inch per day, per bird of 4-7 day old sprouted forage oats That will bring them into lay and help create more robust sperm in your males, leading to more robust chicks. Plotspike Forage Oats are an excellent brand to use. 20.00 for 40 lb. bag at Tractor Supply Company. Karen

 

[3riverschick]

Well, so much for hoping. Had 5 bantam eggs in the incubator, all but one died. Again. On Day 18. I just don't get it!?! All of my other breeds hatch without fail...

What on earth could I be doing so wrong?!

Maybe it's not you. Have you checked with the breeder for their pedigree? Perhaps it's inbreeding depression. The gene pool for that variety is really small. However, 2 flocks from the same strain raised 100's of miles apart can be crossed for increased vigor. maybe you will need to find such a situation and buy birds instead. Really, the only strains are Overton, Mongold , Skytop(which is melded Overon/Mongold and now ownd by Adan Loeffel in KY), plus 2 more flocks down South. I sent all my bantam Sussex notes to ASA before my computer died. Alll the strain names are there, then ask on BYC if anyone has them. Let me look....

Ok, here are the strains. Gary Overton (OH); Rob and Edgar Mongold; Skytop( which is melded Overton/Mongold recent notice has them in Calif. I was sure they were on Penn.) .;Bill Fox in OH (He took over Rev. Paul Ashbrooks top quality show line last year); dec. 5, 2011: Allen Estep from Virginia. He has newly aquired bantam Speckled Sussex from top show lines. Bought them from a Southern gentleman. I think there is one other flock down South which is related to one of the Northern flocks (I think, can't prove). Allen Estep knows who it is.
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paintedfeathersfarm » Fri Jan 13, 2012 11:09 pm
I have bantam sussex. Bantam speckled sussex...... I am new to showing but have aquired two lines. One from Bill Fox (He took over Rev Paul Ashbrooks line last year) And the other line is from Sky Top Bantams from CA.