The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[GreatBreeder]

Ok! I decided to remove anconas and add wellsumers. Could not find Maran, Barnevelder, or Penedesenca, only Wellsumers. Anyway they have some spots and still dark brown eggs which I like, with that beautiful terra-cotta color to it.

 

[CuzChickens]

Those are some good looking birds, your rooster is gorgeous. I guess that's why there are so many breeds as everyone likes something different in their birds. Chicken keeping would be boring if they were all the same, and we all liked the same breed.

Speckled Sussex seem too easy going for me, apparently I like a bit of bossy and feistyness to my birds. The meek ones can end up in trouble in my large mixed breed flock. I have noticed the Sussex, barnevelder and the salmon faverolle always seem to be in the bottom of the pecking order, so they are good all around birds, that don't make troubles. On the other end of the spectrum I don't keep sex links as I find them too aggressive and bossy.

I keep my birds mainly because I enjoy watching them, so flash and interesting behaviors is what I'm looking for.

Thank you! I am proud of my rooster, he is a good boy. Yep, just like it takes all kinds of people to make a world, it takes all kinds of chickens to fill the coop, and we all have our favorites. My Speckled Sussex seem to be somewhere in the middle of the pecking order....they can boss around some of the hens, but a few boss them around too. I had one SS with a bloody head last week, blood was on the drinker, feeder, and splattered everywhere from a peck on the comb, but I attribute that to my BO rooster. Grrr. He's a little snot.

Interesting @oldhenlikesdogs
description of the Speckled Sussex and Ancona. 

My SFH behave more like your description of the Ancona in personality...but I'd never say that I've had a GREAT layer.  One of the new pullets seems to be laying exceptionally well so I'll have to watch her.  All my sfh are from breeder.  The ones that I've see them call SFH at the various hatcheries don't resemble SFH very much...especially the roosters.  Not sure exactly what they really are so I can't comment on them.


@CuzChickens

What part of the country are you located in?  That hen is very pretty!  Looks very much like SFH.

I tend to prefer "birds of color"...particularly black base and chocolate base with flowering.  Do the Sussex have specific breed standards as far as color?

That's one think I like about SFH...being "landrace" the colors are endless.  The only "loose standard" are items like leg color, no sprigs, a basic body shape.  Other than that, the colors are amazingly endless.  They're like that proverbial "box of chocolates"...you never know what you're going to get

I live in Virginia, I'm a southern gal.

I know ideal coloring for a SS is Mahogany base with Green and White flecks, but the white needs to not be overpowering and be contained to the feather tips. My hens seem to have that, I'm fairly pleased with them.

I want SFH's. My mom does not. So we comprimised, we didn't get them.

Ok! I decided to remove anconas and add wellsumers. Could not find Maran, Barnevelder, or Penedesenca, only Wellsumers. Anyway they have some spots and still dark brown eggs which I like, with that beautiful terra-cotta color to it.

I think Welsummers are a great breed. I'm selling my four to make room for more hens, but I don't have a rooster to breed them, but man I'll miss those eggs.

 

[GreatBreeder]

Also, Welsumers are a light breed that oldhenlikesdogs reccomended to me, so I think they work out well

 

[CuzChickens]

Mine have been great, I think you'll enjoy them.

 

[GreatBreeder]

Ok!

 

[Leahs Mom]

@CuzChickens and anyone else that knows....

I had considered Welsumers at one point and it seems that folks kept telling me not to get them for various reasons. I liked the dark eggs so that was my main reason - to get some variety in the egg basked.

Do they have feathered feet?

 

[chickforchicks]

I have a welsummer hen and she doesn't have feathered feet.

 

[karenej]

No feathered feet. Mine took almost a year to lay but now they're laying every day. Beautiful eggs and beautiful birds. Very self-sufficient.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

My welsummers have had very poor production, that's all I got to say about that.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I guess I "should" ask if those of you that had good experiences with them got them from breeder or from large hatchery?

And... @oldhenlikesdogs
The Marans have feathered feet, yes? I was all set at one point to put in a few Marans but I'm gun-shy on feathered feet. I think you have a couple breeds that are feathered. Here's my concern. I want my birds to be able to range without damaging their feet and ranging can be hard of the feet. I've "heard" that feather-footed feet can have problems with broken, bleeding feather shafts, etc. Your thoughts appreciated.