show quality speckled sussex ??

[3riverschick]

Are we supposed to put the cocks on a scale to weigh them?

Or you could step on the scale twice. Once with and without the bird.

Karen

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Guess I was thinking I wanted weight to the oz !!

 

[3riverschick]

Changing within a breed is the hardest. Baby steps.It is always easier to mix in a line that has the genes desired for a particular trait.
----------------------------
Mixing lines ..sigh.....the classic authors on the breed all say to pick a winning vintage line and line-breed it. I have not found
one...even one... of the legendary experts on Sussex who advocate crossing strains to found a flock. So why do people keep doing it? I think they are seduced by the biodiversity people. Who preach variety in the foundation of an animal breeding program. Who are these people and what do they really believe?
They believe in the land-race animal. An animal which obviously belongs to the species and genus, but needn't pose\\ssess any further definitive hallmarks than that. Color,immaterial. Only enough general structure is needed to ID it as the genus. In other words, They don't believe in breeding for breed type in the classic sense.
There is no happy medium between their views ad classic animal breeding. I wish poultry folk would try talking to these biodiversity folk before they extol their views. They would find that every time without exception, the conversation ends on the biodiversity folks behest before any compromise could ever be reached between the two ends of the spectrum. Classic animal breeding and biodiversity breeding are oil and water. They can never mix.
When one crosses strains to found a flock, the genetic variation increases expoentially, not arithmetically. I know you know this. I am just frustrated. I see beginners crossing 2 or more strains and bewildered because the chicks all look different and they have these genetic variations show up. But they have heterosis..who cares when the birds are so untypical. sigh. I guess that's just the strict historical purist and dog breeder coming out in me. I admit to having a real hard time with all the new breed creating and the joy poultry people have in just mixing up the strains. It's just not how I was raised in animal breeding.
Karen

 

[3riverschick]

Guess I was thinking I wanted weight to the oz !!

ooops. didn't think of that. How about one of the digital postal scales they sell on ebay with 50 lb capacity?. Cheap and work well. http://tinyurl.com/c68tbla

Karen

 

[3riverschick]

In Sharpe's book, Chapter 27 on page 117 he discusses feeding the Sussex. http://archive.org/details/cu31924003091398
Very specific. on how to get the birds growing early and healthy.
Best,
Karen

 

[Arielle]

In Sharpe's book, Chapter 27 on page 117 he discusses feeding the Sussex. http://archive.org/details/cu31924003091398
Very specific. on how to get the birds growing early and healthy.
Best,
Karen

Karen, I'm not computer savvy or ereader savvy--what do I look for on this page to read chapt 27

 

[3riverschick]

Karen, I'm not computer savvy or ereader savvy--what do I look for on this page to read chapt 27

Open up the link above. Then see the little window marked
"View the book" ? There are 7 different choices for viewing the book.
See the words "Read Online" ? Click on that. The book will pop up.

In the lower right hand corner of your screen is a right and a left arrow key.
Click on them to page forward or backward in the book.

Now look at the front cover of the book. See the vertical lines along the right hand edges of the cover?
Those are page edges. If you move your mouse over them, page numbers will appear.
If you click on a page number, the computer will turn to that page and save you the time
of getting there, page by page when using the arrow keys.

Basically, that's it.

Oh, one more thing. Next to the arrow keys are a plus and a minus sign.
Clicking on them makes the pages larger or back smaller again.
If you make the pages larger, a vertical blue bar will appear on the right hand side of your computer screen.
Slide it up and down with your mouse to get the enlarged page to travel up and down your computer screen.
This blue bar disappears if the book is set back at original size text because one can see the whole page.

Next to the plus and minus signs are three squares. Choosing one and clicking on it lets you see :
A. 2 pages at once ;
B. 4 pages at once;
C. a whole set of thumbnail views of pages ( useful if you are looking for a particular pic or diagram
but don't know where it is in the book).
Chapter 27, "Feeding Sussex Chicken" starts on page 117.

Best,
Karen

 

[Arielle]

Quote: THanks Karen, I'm teachable!! ANd the larger font is much easier on my eyes. Computer screens are tough on my eyes--but for chickens I'll deal with it!


HAAhaa, I was looking at the wrong area, needed to look to the left in a small box!

 

[Arielle]

I'm still reading the book,but until I find it, what size is the SS egg supposed to be? I have read medium and I have read large. Is there an SOP requirement on this?

 

[Arielle]

Math Ace can we revitalize this thread

with more pictures??

Does anyone have photos of a bird progressing from chick to adult??