Speckled Sussex?

[verlaj]

I hope you're not saying you are going to "buy" hatching eggs with those beautiful birds walking around.

I'm glad you like them, and I really would like to keep the rooster, but the deal with my beloved is that we don't keep roosters. I haven't heard the roo crow yet (he's 14+ wks and his brother started at 5 wks!) and he is very gentlemanly and peaceable so far, but I am afraid that the peace will not last!

So, yes, I believe I have found a home for him where there are SS hens waiting for him, and I may get fertilized eggs in exchange, or may buy some elsewhere, especially if even nicer SS can be had from breeders.

One of the disappointments was indeed that of 5 "pullets" ordered from Ideal, 2 were roos. I read on another thread that SS are difficult to sex as day olds. If that is true, I may as well hatch out my own. Odds are, I won't get many more roosters percentage-wise than I did ordering pullets!

I just love these birds! Ordered them because of all the wonderful comments I read here about their personality and have found it to be entirely true!​

 

[Katy]

Quote:
If you don't mind, Katy, I would like to see photos of your SS when you get a chance. I am planning on getting SS hatching eggs in the spring - if I have a broody hen that will do the work for me!

Here are some of them ...

 

[verlaj]

Katy - Thanks for the photos! They are beautiful and look like really heavy birds!

 

[insiderart]

Ooooo Katy, pretty Sussex!!

 

[GardeNerd]

Quote:
You're birds look EXACTLY like the Speckled Sussex my neighbor has from Welp Hatchery too, hatched Feb. 23rd, 2009. If I remember correctly, the pullet started laying around 20 weeks old. She is friendly, mischievous, a great forager, and very pretty. The black on her is irredecent green in the sun light, so much so we were a little worried maybe she could be a cockerel. Nope, she has been caught laying eggs many times now. If you are just looking for a backyard bird, Welp hatchery has nice sussex. The only downside was I seem to recall Welp sold out of Sussex for 2009 pretty early on, maybe April.

 

[GardeNerd]

I forgot to mention... The Sussex lays a medium sized egg (now at 24 weeks old) waiting to see if it gets any bigger. I would not call the color cream or tinted. It is more of a nice light brown. I'll find out how frequently she lays.

 

[verlaj]

GardeNerd - Beautiful hens! Did your neighbors birds get less white as they matured? Mine have a lot more white overall than the ones in your photos - mine were hatched May 5, 2009.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Quote:
Ours tend to be tempremental layers, they don't lay well in the winter nor do they like the heat of the summer. Spring and fall it's a different story an egg a day per hen. Here are some pics of ours.

Steve in NC

 

[Katy]

Quote:
Ours tend to be tempremental layers, they don't lay well in the winter nor do they like the heat of the summer. Spring and fall it's a different story an egg a day per hen. Here are some pics of ours.

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg37/sandspoultry/chickens/Sussexroo.jpg

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg37/sandspoultry/chickens/Sussexhen2.jpg

Steve in NC

I wonder if it's the line you have...mine are my most faithful layers winter and summer.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Ours come from 2 sources, one side came from Texas the others from New England. Like right now the temps have been mid to upper 90's and about 1/2 the hens are laying. they were doing fine in June and up until about the end of July then they started to slow down. They did the same thing last year, once the heat breaks they pick back up. Maybe they are wanting AC?

Steve