Speckled Sussex Breeders???????????? :)

[Moonlight Piano]

I would love to begin a network of breeders. I love trading birds with other people, it is amazing how much a breed can improve if you introduce another rooster or hen. I raise Partridge Rocks. The first hens I had were hatchery, but I put thise hens with a rooster that had been bred from a private backyard stock. The ones I hatched from those look much better than my previous hens, and the rooster is so much better than the first that I bred with. The point is, trading with other people can be the best way to quickly improve upon a stock. You may have a rooster who has squirrel tail(a DQ), but you can put him with hens that have very low angled tails(not a DQ but frowned upon) and correct the tail angle in as little as one generation. Anyway, before I get carried away I am going to end it by saying, I would love to swap birds!!! By the way if anyone out there has Partridge Rocks I would def. be interested in trading some birds with you. Have a blessed day, Tyler

 

[rcoletti116]

Quote:
There is a lady in Georgia who sells Speckled Sussex birds and eggs. Her user name is Bargain, and she often has eggs for sale on the BYC auction. I think they sell some chicks, but you have to go there to get them since she does not ship live birds. I ended up with 1/2 doz from her, and 1/2 doz. from another lady who got her stock from Bargain. None of my eggs made it though. I don't know if her birds would win any shows, but a lot of people like them. She is very nice and packages the eggs very well. I'd say they are probably better than hatchery stock, but not SQ. That is just from my best observation of the pictures she has of them. She sells the heck out of them though. I just decided after that failed batch I'm not ordering anymore hatching eggs unless they are within a couple hours from my house and I can drive to get them.

On the other hand, my trip to get my new flock is going to take 6 to 8 hours to get there. Between what I am paying for the birds and the money on gas, eats, and a hotel for one night, I'm going to have a fortune in those little boogers. I have no choice but to make them into the best quality SS I possibly can or it will be a big waste of money and time. Hopefully one day if several of us are sincere in working with this rare breed and keep in touch, we can swap birds for new bloodlines if needed, or trade an extra hen for an extra rooster. Everyone here that is serious about getting good SS should also check out the other thread Math Ace has going titled Show Quality SS!! Or something like that. It is in the Breeds, Genetics, & Showing section. We are learning how to tell the differences between poor specimens and those that make SOP. We have a poultry judge and a breeder who gives us good information to use so we can make better choices.

Well, good luck to you all. I guess there are some out there, but who ever has them must be raising them for their ownselves alone I reckon. Finding Waldo is easy compared to finding the elusive, almost extinct, flock of SS breeder birds.

I had a pair given to me as a wedding present (got married back in May). The best chickens I've ever had in all respects. Sadly the one I called Lucy got taken by a fox one night two weeks ago. The tricky creature squeezed through the tiniest opening my gate. Lucy was so sweet, and according to discussions on other posts, was most likely show quality. I have one SS left now, but I would have a whole flock of them if I could.

 

[bargain]

Hi We farm full-time at the Garry Farm ...We do have speckled sussex and in a few days, I'm going to change out my rooster as I have identified and acquired a larger rooster with less white that I want to breed with our girls. I presently have about 500 animals to tend and it takes me over a week to get good photos. I haven't listed a speckled sussex only auction but can more than likely ship one dozen of speckled sussex only. It's warm weather, but cooled down considerably here.

If you are interested in receiving only speckled sussex eggs, I'll go ahead an post an auction for one, in fact will do so right now.

Please message me if you need more info. God bless you and have a wonderful day. I sold my flock of Buff Orps and of Rhode island reds (heritage) and barred rocks, but I'm keeping delawares and speckled sussex and others. I love the friendliness of this flock from day one - they jump out of their shells to see me...lovely...

Have a blessed day....Nancy

OOPS. I rambled and forgot to post the current auction and again will post the ss only auction in a few.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=565314

And here's the SS only listing that I just posted. https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=7300053#p7300053
Out for milking, chores and garden picking and incubation for a customer.....ALSO, if you want me to set a custom hatch for you, I'm willing to do that as well! Nancy

 

[Orange Ribbon]

Nancy, I wished I lived closer as I would definitely get some of your SS. I got some eggs from you but I had technical difficulties! LOL. Not your fault at all. I was using one of those styrofoam incubators and that thing gave me a fit. I made a homemade incubator, but until I get plenty of experience with it I'm not going to buy eggs that have to be mailed for awhile. But if I ever happen to be going down that way, I'm going to throw a cage in the car and stop by and get some if you have any available. I bet you are excited to get that new rooster.

I'm not trying to coax anyone into buying, but I do want to say again that if you order eggs from Nancy (bargain) she really packages those eggs good. Each one is individually wrapped in bubble wrap. All the eggs I got from her were in good shape. It just happened to be my first time ever incubating and I had some bad luck with the incubator. That thing wasn't worth it's weight in chicken poop. I fooled with that thing day and night trying to keep it the right temperature. By day 14 or so when I finally figured out they weren't going to make anything I was so exhausted. I didn't know whether to be happy it was finally over or cry my eyes out. Since I like my hatchery SS, I know I would have loved hers.

 

[bargain]

I do remember the struggles you had with that incubator.... I constantly calibrrate my hygrometer and my thermometer because they can actually vary between hatches. I'm now looking for an old fashioned humiditor hygrometer and has a key adjustment to it or even a nautical one....I want something non DIGITAL~! THAT IS technically accurate. The older the better. I just lost a bid on fleabay so I'll be looking somemore.

I will not retire Lazarus from the ladies forever. But will move him to a mixed hen grouping that I keep just for eating eggs. Well, thanks for the lovely words and I am rather compulsive over wrapping eggs.....I did get one complaint because a customer said she thought I'd forgotten to put in the eggs by the time she got to the innerbox!!!! LOL.

Well hope y'all have a safe, funfilled, wonderful weekend! We'll be laboring on Labor Day!

But we love our farm and animals, so it's not hard labor. Nancy