- May 19, 2009
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Hi,
Look for pure strain birds from Tony Albrittion in ID, Gary Overton in OH, Walt Reichert in KY, . Then buy a trio (1 male, 2 females) or quad (2 males, 2 females) from them as started birds or adults. Don't start out in Sussex with eggs or chicks. It is the perfect time of year for this as the breeders will b trimming their flocks for overwintering.
Stay within your strain with Speckled Sussx because they are a tri-color breed.
There is also a national breed Club , The American Sussex Association.
http://www.americansussexbreeders.webs.com/
If you incubate them this time of year, they probably won't be good winter layers. The breed was designed to be an excellent winter layer so the chicks could be raised early and crammed for the table in time for "Derby" time in the early English springtime. That said, historically, the best winter layers are hatched in end of Feb. thru end of March. It's too late in the year for that, obviously, however your best bet now would be to wait until the breeders start to thin their flocks for the winter and pick up some started birds ..or older breeders which you can hatch your own chicks from early next Spring , as noted. if you want show birds or birds linebred to type, buy from the best and never cross them with any utility strain. The tricolor bird is one of the most difficult to breed for color. It took decades for the master breeders to set proper color in their flocks. It can be lost in one generation. Contact veteran breeders now to get on their lists for Fall birds. Expect to pay bucks for them, but that amount will be piddly compared to the decades of work they took to create their superb flocks. Veteran breeders are Gary Overton, OH; Tony Albritton(ID); Rev. Ashbrook(OH?); Rob Mongold, (OH); and in KY there's Walt Reichert whose large fowl Speckled Sussex are tearing up the show in at the highest levels(see Poultry Press pics). Bill Fox (OH) recently bought a flock from either Ashbrook or Overton.
Best Regards,
Karen
Waterford English Sussex in western PA
Look for pure strain birds from Tony Albrittion in ID, Gary Overton in OH, Walt Reichert in KY, . Then buy a trio (1 male, 2 females) or quad (2 males, 2 females) from them as started birds or adults. Don't start out in Sussex with eggs or chicks. It is the perfect time of year for this as the breeders will b trimming their flocks for overwintering.
Stay within your strain with Speckled Sussx because they are a tri-color breed.
There is also a national breed Club , The American Sussex Association.
http://www.americansussexbreeders.webs.com/
If you incubate them this time of year, they probably won't be good winter layers. The breed was designed to be an excellent winter layer so the chicks could be raised early and crammed for the table in time for "Derby" time in the early English springtime. That said, historically, the best winter layers are hatched in end of Feb. thru end of March. It's too late in the year for that, obviously, however your best bet now would be to wait until the breeders start to thin their flocks for the winter and pick up some started birds ..or older breeders which you can hatch your own chicks from early next Spring , as noted. if you want show birds or birds linebred to type, buy from the best and never cross them with any utility strain. The tricolor bird is one of the most difficult to breed for color. It took decades for the master breeders to set proper color in their flocks. It can be lost in one generation. Contact veteran breeders now to get on their lists for Fall birds. Expect to pay bucks for them, but that amount will be piddly compared to the decades of work they took to create their superb flocks. Veteran breeders are Gary Overton, OH; Tony Albritton(ID); Rev. Ashbrook(OH?); Rob Mongold, (OH); and in KY there's Walt Reichert whose large fowl Speckled Sussex are tearing up the show in at the highest levels(see Poultry Press pics). Bill Fox (OH) recently bought a flock from either Ashbrook or Overton.
Best Regards,
Karen
Waterford English Sussex in western PA
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