show quality speckled sussex ??

[Orange Ribbon]

I think you have some pretty birds, itsiebitsiefarm. I'd love to see them when they get their feathers back in. I haven't seen an ugly SS yet, but there may be some out there. But even a "bad" one looks better than a SQ anything else. HA!

 

[ChestnutRidge]

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You have a beautiful flock there! IMHO, they have measured, well-distributed mottling over their backs. Very pretty.

 

[itsiebitsiefarm]

Thanks, for the kind words. I really appreciate it.

I'm not in denial, and know that there is to much white, in the tail feathers. Not the best tails (when they have tails) on some of the hens/pullets.
I'm looking for positive/neg, truthful, feedback...and would welcome hatching eggs, from those who have stock, that will improve mine.

I will have to post some better pictures, when they finish molting, and grown their tail feathers back in.
The pictures I posted tonight, were taken, with my cell phone.

My speckled sussex roo, has the time of his life, bugging the red brahma mixed roo, in the coop next to him all day. So, he has messed his comb up a little bit, while doing it.
The Brahma roo, also has messed his comb up, by playing along. Silly boys!!
This weekend, I will be putting up a divider up, between the two coops. The big brahma mixed boy, is looking for a new home anyways. I'm no longer working, on LF Brahmas.
Picture of the Brahma's, partridge rock and SL pullets, trying to tease the SS, in the run next to them. Nothing to do all day, but stand at the fence line, waiting for conflict.

 

[Gallusfarm]

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Nice flock! One of your hens caught my eye. In the last photo, the one in the top middle. She appears broad from shoulders to tail.

These photos are for Plymouth Rocks, but the general idea can be applied to most breeds.

 

[mrheinz77]

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Melody,
Nice looking flock. The one fault I see is the rooster's tail. It is too upright. I think it is a squirrel tail.

Jim

 

[Howhardcanitbe]

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Now those are helpful photos! Thanks for sharing, Gallusfarm. Basically, we're looking for a hen built like a tank and a roo that's built like, I don't know, a lifted full-sized pick up?

 

[Orange Ribbon]

Yeah, thanks Gallus Farm for the pictures. That does help a lot.

I was given a new copy of "Genetics of the Fowl" by F.B. Hutt as a gift. Been studying it quite a bit and have to say it is quite educational. Hopefully I can soon get the SOP book to go along with it. I also got my first yearbook from the APA. I randomly opened it up and went right to an article about Speckled Sussex. Maybe it is a sign!

Anyway, my birds are doing good. I removed Spriggy from the older SS pen so hopefully that will be the end of any more sprigs on the comb showing up. Still waiting on them to start laying good again since they molted. I'm only getting 2 or 3 eggs a week right now, but I have hatched out 3

so far. The younger SS should start laying within 2 or 3 weeks.

 

[cashdl]

Hi all, could you give me comments on the coloration of my speckled sussex pair. I know the tail set is high on both of them, but am wondering how their color and overall body shape is. I just got them last month. I am not even sure of the age. The hen is not laying so I am guessing 6 months or so.

Hen

Roo

Lanae

 

[cashdl]

I bought the above birds originally to maybe try to get the color in the Araucana breed. I am still kicking the idea around even though I am totally not sure how to go about it. However, I really like these two birds. They are very nice. They appear to have good size.

If I am going to continue with this breed, I would love to know where to go from here.

Lanae

 

[Howhardcanitbe]

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To my eyes, they don't look 6 months old yet. The pullet especially looks younger, like she's still got some filling out to do. Wings are carried low on both birds: barring isn't really there. Lots of white in those primaries. The pullet looks pinched, though she may open up a little bit as she matures. (Mine did.) Her neck also looks long too, but she may be doing that "I'm a busy body Sussex and I have to see everything" thing. From what I can see, the comb is nice on your young man; can't tell on the pullet. I don't have the experience yet to look at a pair this young and be able to say where they'll end up on body type. Right now, they look "light" and not as deep in the chest as they ought to be. Maybe they'll round out as they continue to grow. Some of mine did and some didn't between 5 and 6 months. Have you felt them up to judge for capacity? Have you weighed them? What do they look like from the top?

As to using them with your Araucanas, there, I'm clueless. Haven't even gotten to the color genetics part of chicken breeding yet. Plan on sticking with one or two breeds and not do anything crazy with color.

Robin