Speckled Sussex colors?

[sparkles2307]

My pullets are 8 weeks old and have feathered out nicely. But, when will they look like SS that I see in pics? They are this partridge looking with a huge splash of white down the middle of the chest but not really any "speckles" of white thruout the feathers on the body and none of the nice deep red/black at all. I dont have pics, the camera is dead. They look like my welsummers just a hair darker and with the (almost solid) white splash down the front. Will they get prettier?

 

[Katy]

They all look like that at first.....as they have their little mini juvenile molt and start getting their big girl feathers they'll start looking like a speckled sussex.

 

[herechickchick]

It will take a few more months. Be patient with the S. Sussex the color pattern comes later, 5 months old or so. Remember that with each molt the feathers come back with more white on them. S. Sussex are such wonderful chickens. Where did you get yours from?

 

[sparkles2307]

Strombergs. I thought that since they are located in Pine River, MN which is an hour from us I was buying locally, till I phoned the office and they told me that my chicks were coming from New Mexico! But anyways I got 27 nice chicks when I ordered 25. 2 died, I got what I paid for after all. I have 5 Wellies, 4 SS, 6 Aussies, 5 RIR, and 5 GLW. THey are VERY pretty birds and I will order from Strombergs again in spite of outsourced chicks haha.

Glad to hear my SS will get normal looking, right now they look like a game bird of some kind!

 

[patandchickens]

Yup, they change remarkably as time goes by. By 12 wks or so you will see white tips on the feathers, but do not get attached to identifying particular birds by appearance because it will change continually for the rest of their lives (especially during molts). On average they get whiter as time goes by but individual birds may 'reverse' and part or all of them get darker, sometimes. I don't know why. Just to confuse us

In the adolescent chicks, like 6-8 wks, IME the ones with the *wide* white stripe down the tummy are usually cockerels, the ones with the narrow white strip are usually pullets. I do not know if this is different in other lines though.

Also, they are darker (more black-and-white looking) the first six months or a year than in they are later in life (when the brown seems to lighten somewhat and become more conspicuously different from the black).

Pat

 

[sparkles2307]

I only got pullets, and so far no one looks like a cockerel except ONE of my RIR and even that is debateable. THey are all very girly with no combs to speak of.

 

[RAREROO]

That is completely normal coloring for young SS at 8 wks.

At that age, they are fairly easy to sex too the males usually have more white down the breast and white faces and the females usually have more of a brownish face at that age. But don't worry they'll get there soon.

 

[insiderart]

Here is a speckled sussex roo at 6 weeks and the pullet in front of him is I think 6 weeks. The pullet behind him is I think one of the 8 weekers.