Speckled Sussex Laying Age...When Will Nelda Give Me That First Egg?

[greyfields]

Quote:
These are the only hand written letters in existence from antiquity, so I think you can assume a lot from them. One of the letters is the oldest known handwriting of a woman. It's amazing stuff.

All other manuscripts are copies of copies of copies. Even Egyptian hyroglyphics are official. No tender notes from husband to wife, or in anyway identifiable to an individual.

 

[Davaroo]

These are the only hand written letters in existence from antiquity, so I think you can assume a lot from them. One of the letters is the oldest known handwriting of a woman. It's amazing stuff.

I agree with you... one can ASSUME much. Much as the letters are indeed remarkable, similar mistakes have been made throughout all of archeology. One artifact is found and an entire premise built upon that - often enough proven wrong in the end. As they stand, they are of inestimable historical value and surely tell us much of life in Roman "angloterra". Do they furnish the final word on all things English? Of course not.

But, I am to blame I think for this tangent. I wasn't being clear in my comments as they pertained to Robinson.

What he was saying is that the English have tended to focus on the fleshing qualities of their birds first, with egg laying second. This was his report of things up to a hundred years ago and implies the development of the English breeds from the Awakening onwards. Admittedly, my personal experience jibes with Robinsons comment, as I haven't noted the English to be big egg eaters... at least not like we Yanks. Have I made too broad an assumption myself? Possibly, yes.

I hope the mods dont cut us off for hijacking, but, I think we must surely guard against making sweeping cultural definitions for a modern people based on one ancient manuscript from a foreign culture. What do you think?​

 

[ginasmarans]

To help camoflauge your hi-jacking, my oldest ss pullets are about 5 1/2 months old and now I have gotten 2 pullet eggs in one day. I really think the weather is having a great effect on egg laying this year. I have about a dozen cucoo marans pullets who turned 6 months old on 9-15. Only a couple are laying. Normally they would all be laying,but the Summer was so severely hot and dry and now Autumn has landed on us with no warning, the poor girls are having trouble normalizing.

 

[speckledhen]

Gina covering for ELDEROO? Whodathunkit?

Thanks for the info, Gina. I have an Ameraucana and a Barred Rock the same age as Nelda who also haven't started laying, so she's forgiven. She is such a beauty, but she is quite a wide load, LOL. And such short legs, which look even shorter beside those lanky Ameraucanas. I'll let you know when she starts laying.
Now, back to our regularly scheduled hijacking.....

 

[HenHaven]

Is it safe to jump in? I make it a point to not get on/in anything that is in hijack mode!!!

Yeah, as Cyn knows, I have a SS who is holding out as well. She will be 25 weeks old tomorrow.

I am hoping my slow starters will pay off in laying through the winter. I purposely consulted Henderson's chart, to add in breeds that had the "snowflake", meaning they typically lay through the winter, so we will see! I wanted to try some new breeds, to create a colorful flock. So I am currently waiting on the "snowflake girls": one SS, 2 SFs, and one JG. I really love the look of the SS, she is gorgeous!

 

[Glor]

I just got Susex this year too for the first time, I hatched others half Barred Rocks and half RR ect. Last May 2013 and they didn't start g until March 2014 so me personally I won't count on any eggs until next year. But keep an eye on their wattles as they mature enough they should get darker red. The Roosters mature a lot faster meaning their wattles get bright red a lot sooner than the females.

 

[Anuthatch]

HI,

I have 4 SS who were hatched on 4/14. They are just 20 weeks. One has laid 5 eggs, one is red and squatting and the other two are just starting to get a hint of red in their combs and wattles.

Here is my layer:

I was pretty amazed her first egg was at 18 weeks. She was on her own made up nest in the coop this morning when I let them out. First time I'd seen her on the nest and there was an egg when I went back. They are small but perfect.

 

[speckledhen]

Wow, this old, old Nelda thread was revived! Gosh, I lost Nelda several years ago, unfortunately, to a serious crop issue during a hard molt. She was a hoot, that girl, but only laid a very small cream colored egg, never got larger.

 

[ledbythelamb]

I know this is a really old thread but wanted to answer the question for others like me who never got an answer. Out of my 20 Speckled Sussex that hatched April 28th 2014, got my first egg at 25.6 weeks. A small but lovely cream colored pullet egg. Most of mine have had red faces and squat for me for well over a month before getting my one egg out of 20 hens.. so those indicators didn't help me any

 

[lmanning55]

I have a speckled Sussex that is 241/2 weeks old she is not laying nor any others that are at the same age. Still waiting for the first egg!