The Sussex thread!

[annabell254]

haha I know how you feel...when I saw the coronation I was like "man, now I have to get more!" haha

Mine are the best out of all of them and I have marans, hamburgs, and EE's also with some sebrights and silkies... my Sussex are the best followed by the silkies and the EE roo...the girls are kinda dominate and are the first to peck at someone...The Sussex never pecks
I got some picts yesterday
this is my friendliest girl she some right in and steals form my treat bowl hehe my husband was even holding her last night before they went up...she was begging for food hehe which he eventually got and then ran to get her some tomato haha he is finally coming around

Where is my treat woman!?!?!?


HaHa!!! You will never get it!!!

What is all the commotion about???

 

[annabell254]

O I forgot they are 8-9 weeks old

 

[call ducks]

Well i am getting a shipment of Light Sussex Some time this month (probly, around the 16th).

Lines include

Two UofA (Univirisrty of Alberta) lines (flock breed with a 3/1 ratio If i remeber corectly)
Show line from ON,
another line from ON,
with a smidge of Aussie throwen in (though the breeder i am getting them from thinks the aussie sussex are almost a joke, and i am with her!)

I am good friends with the breeder. She hatched over 1200 chicks this year alone in light sussex. Grant it most of them were sold, she has records of the exact hatchdate and mating of the ones i am getting. Last year she did 8 different crossings. Egg weights have allready incresead from 40 some grams to 50 some grams in one year of breeding!

 

[3riverschick]

Well i am getting a shipment of Light Sussex Some time this month (probly, around the 16th).
Lines include
Two UofA (Univirisrty of Alberta) lines (flock breed with a 3/1 ratio If i remeber corectly)
Show line from ON,
another line from ON,
with a smidge of Aussie throwen in (though the breeder i am getting them from thinks the aussie sussex are almost a joke, and i am with her!)
I am good friends with the breeder. She hatched over 1200 chicks this year alone in light sussex. Grant it most of them were sold, she has records of the exact hatchdate and mating of the ones i am getting. Last year she did 8 different crossings. Egg weights have allready incresead from 40 some grams to 50 some grams in one year of breeding!

Wonderful news, Call Ducks!

They breed some wonderful LS in Ontario. Where are you located? I agree with you completely.
How wonderful to have such complete heritages on your birds!
Do send pics when you can!

Best regards,
Karen in western PA, USA

 

[call ducks]

i am in NS, the birds are coming from BC. The breeder i am getting them from is working to restore them to what they once were (what she grew with a fast growing, good egg laying dupuropse breed).

She cares so much about light sussex not only does she know who is out of what matting she keeps track of how fast they grow! so she has sheets full of the weights for each chick every week or so!


Don't worry i well post pics these well not meet the SOP but well be a awesome dual purpose breed that can be worked on.


You made me intrested, how do you know about the LS in ON those breeders seem to keep to them selfs (IMO)


I myself never liked the aussie sussex to much they remind me more of a cochan(sp?) then sussex and to me the sussex we should be breeding for are fast growing lay lots of eggs, clean up nicely etc.

 

[3riverschick]

i am in NS, the birds are coming from BC. The breeder i am getting them from is working to restore them to what they once were (what she grew with a fast growing, good egg laying dupuropse breed).
She cares so much about light sussex not only does she know who is out of what matting she keeps track of how fast they grow! so she has sheets full of the weights for each chick every week or so!
Don't worry i well post pics these well not meet the SOP but well be a awesome dual purpose breed that can be worked on.

Yes, Emily Robertson breeds some lovely birds. I love what she is doing with population genetics out there.

I heard about them from someone in Canada.

Many people love the huge size of the Aussies and that's Ok. I think the Aussies can make a positive contribution when melded cleverly into American lines.

Best,

Karen

 

[call ducks]

I am glad you know who i am getting them from!!! I am proud to say i have have her lines.

 

[3riverschick]

I am glad you know who i am getting them from!!! I am proud to say i have have her lines.

You should be proud, Call Ducks. My younger son is in the Coast Guard in Bellingham Washington. So maybe I can get some next year. I know Emily ships across the border. And it would be a quick shipment from Bellingham to PA. What a treat to have such a gifted population genetics breeder for a listening post. I love her tent system for the birds! Very clever! For small flocks, 2 person backpack tents are cheap on eBay and at flea markets.
Just thrilled for you,
Karen

 

[call ducks]

I never knew she used tents! We have chated over email for almost two years and i never knew that! I have made two runs that i well be using for my breeders. I may just hatch some light sussex this year!

I am sure she would get you some sussex some how. It's not that hard to import live birds from Canada, one of the provincal vets has to come down get blood (maybe) and test it to make sure they are free from X desises.

 

[3riverschick]

Don't worry i well post pics these well not meet the SOP but well be a awesome dual purpose breed that can be worked on.
------------
Actually, Call Ducks,
I am not sure I agree with you about not meeting the SOP. In Sussex, breed type is intimately associated with productive capability and capacity.
I believe when a Sussex fowl is bred to produce both eggs and meat in the proper ratios for the breed..., it more
closely adheres to the breed Standard. In Sussex,
I would much rather have a properly productive bird that needs a little tweaking for the show pen....than a bird which had been bred for extremes for the show pen and not had the proper production foundation laid before hand. I guess what I am saying is that I believe that breeding for proper production ratios in Sussex will take the bird at least 80 % of the way to the show pen by setting proper type for body/head structure and general breed characteristics. .The rest is just minor show points tweaking ( comb, plumage perfection. etc. The icing on the cake.) For instance;
1. Head structure is intimately aligned with laying ability.
2. Body structure is intimately aligned with capacity for egg production.
3. Texture of flesh is intimately aligned with egg production.
4. Closeness of feather is intimately aligned with laying abiliity.
5. Structure of pelvis, which helps determine the body stance of the bird, is intimately aligned with egg production.
6. Keel length and length of back are intimately aligned to meat production and the stance of the bird (proper breed silhouette).
7. Proper length and thickness of shanks is intimately aligned with meat production.
8. Proper width between the legs is intimately aligned with egg and meat production.
9. Color is eye candy. However, making sure color is based on the proper eWh allele helps eliminate the possibility
of foreign blood which could impact the proper capability and capacity ratios for the Sussex breed.
10. Weight of hen is closely aligned to egg production. The best layers in Sussex are at 7 lbs.
Over 7 lbs. , according to classic author Whitehead, egg production starts to decrease.
Best,
Karen