Speckled Sussex?

[verlaj]

I got Agnes from a local feed store called callahan's

I got mine last year from Ideal and I love them, but none are as pretty as Agnes! This year I got 3 more SS from a feed store that orders from Mt. Healthy - they are only 2 mos now, so time will tell how they compare.​

 

[Zenbirder]

Quote:
The way our feed store is set up with cages it would be a great stretch of the imagination to have a customer swap chicks. Plus there were no other breeds there that would look like this. I think hatchery error is the only logical explanation if this is not an SS chick... It is not an EE, the leg color is wrong, and I have a lot of EEs from Privett and are familiar with them. Please, anyone else give an opinion!!!

 

[hkwdesign]

I have a SS and she's 24 weeks old and still no egg - does anyone know how old SS are when they begin to lay, and what color are their eggs? I did get a speckled egg the other day, but I think it was from another chicken...

 

[verlaj]

My new SS were hatched April 8, and just recently - the last week or so - started laying. So that's about 6 mos. The eggs mine lay are a cream color - no speckles on theirs as far as I know. (I'm getting a light-colored speckled egg from someone, but I think it's a Barnevelder that's laying it.)

 

[verlaj]

Zenbirder - How did your mystery chick turn out? Pullet or Roo? Any recent photos?

 

[flgardengirl]

I love everyones sussex pics. I have two hatchery sussex girls. They are so friendly and really chatty. They give me all the gossip going on in their coop-tell long long stories lol.
The color or the speckled sussex reminds me so much of book title "Snow Falling On Cedars". So I named one of my girls that lol.

 

[verlaj]

The 3 SS I got from Mt. Healthy this year are really pretty - they do not have as much white as the ones I got from Ideal the year before. One in particular has very subtle white speckles - beautiful! All are very calm, friendly, and chatty! They create no problems in the flock - neither being too bossy or too submissive, and they seem to somehow be able to control the roosters' attentions, too. They are among the few hens that have not lost neck or rump feathers due to too much or too rough mating.

flgardengirl - love the name, "Snow Falling on Cedars!" I don't usually name my chickens, but one of the SS is "My Little Friend." I'm sure you can imagine why.

 

[math ace]

Quote:
Hey Verlaj,

We got our chicks about the same time . . . AND mine still have not started to lay yet!
I am 7 months for sure and working on 8 months with no eggs. The partridge rocks that I got with them at the same time have been laying for at least a month now.

I've started locking these girls up in the coop / run area ALL DAY.
No More Free Range for these pullets until they deliver the EGGS

 

[verlaj]

Hey Verlaj,

We got our chicks about the same time . . . AND mine still have not started to lay yet!
I am 7 months for sure and working on 8 months with no eggs. The partridge rocks that I got with them at the same time have been laying for at least a month now.

I haven't been paying very close attention to my pullets - I know the GLWs I got at the same time are spending time in the nest boxes. Can't remember if my PRs or SSs have been there or not! I have older PRs and SSs, so I really have to look closely to know whether it is a young-un or a mature hen when I see one in the nest box. I will try to monitor.

I am not getting very many eggs for the number of hens I have. Not sure why. Added a couple more nest boxes, but it could be they are laying elsewhere or that the breeds I have are just not that productive.​

 

[math ace]

I think I got my FIRST egg from the SPECKLED SUSSEX.

The NAUGHTY NAUGHTY NAUGHTY girl was in the nesting box eating a soft, rubbery, light colored egg.
Because it was soft and rubbery, I think it was her first egg.

I've never had a hen try to eat her first egg.
OMG - - I hope she doesn't make it a habit

or I am going to find out how good of a meat bird speckled sussex are