- May 19, 2009
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Ok fellow Sussex owners is this normal? I have a Speckled Sussex hen. She's about a year and a half old and going through a molt. Her new feathers that are coming in are mostly white !?
=======
Hi utchick!
,
Hum, I was reading about this just the other day. Where did I see that? Let me look.
Here it is:
Laws governing the breeding of standard fowls; a book covering outbreeding ,
inbreeding and line breeding of all recognized breeds of domestic fowls, with chart, 1912
Author: Card, Wetherell Henry, 1860-
http://archive.org/details/cu31924003158312
Page 23 .
Best,
Karen
==============================================
============================================================
American poultry journal, Volume 52 - 1921 ( Google Books)
Color of Speckled Sussex. Pages 784 thru 786
In mating the Speckled Sussex the first thing to consider is type. The Sussex
fowl has a type distinctly its own, and it is » type that is both practical and
very beautiful, and breeders should strive to maintain
In picking the females for the mating select those having long, broad, deep
bodies which slope slightly from shoulders to tail, full, prominent hreasts. low
well spread tails, shanks of medium length, good substance and set well apart,
strong necks of medium length and broad, deep skulls.
In surface color, tho female should be an even shade of rich mahogany" POMO
color over entire breast, back and body each feather ending in a black bar with
a white tip.
There is a tendency toward peppering in the ground color of the feathers and
this must be guarded against, although a small amount of this is not such a
serious breeding defect as some people seem to think.
Under color should bo slate or slate shading into salmon at the skin.
In wings I like to have tho primaries mixed black and white, and the lower halt
or outer edge of each secondary feather a rich mahogany brown, and the upper
hall or inner edge of secondary, black. This kind of wing shows a beautiful
brown wnen folded. . , .
Main tail feathers should be black and white, a little more black than white,
and the coverts black, tipped with white.
The male to go with these females should be a bird that is full of vigor and
vitality and of not less than 9 lbs. lor cock or ih for cockerel. He should have
a long, broad, flat back which slopes nicely from shoulders to tail; a full,
prominent, squared appearing breast, low well spread tail: shanks that are
straight, strong and set well apart! large neck, of medium length; and a broad,
dee,} head. ■ , .
His color should be an even shade of dart rich mahogany over neck, back, wing
bowl and saddle, each hackle and saddle feather to have a narrow black stripe
through tM center of lower end. ,
It is desirable to have each hackle and saddle feather tipped with white, but do
not be too particular about tipping in these two sections, as males having very
little hackle and saddle tipping will breed good stock. The thing to work for is
the proper shade of ground color. One male having tlie correct shade of mahogany
ground color and practically no hackle and saddle tipping is worth a dozen males
that are nicely tipped in these sections but have the light red or sandy ground
color.
As breeders, use those males whose under co'or is slate shading into salmon at
the base in all sections. The breast, body and fluft surface coior of the male
should be the same as that o> the back of the females. Wing color, same as that
described for the females. Main tail feathers about equally divided in black and
white, main sickles, lesser sickles and coverts greenish black tipped with
white.
However, it is not always possible to have the main sickle feathers black, as is
attested by the fact that some of the winning males in our best shows have
almost solid white sickles. From such a mating as is above described one may
reasonably expect to get a large percentage of good exhibition specimens of both
sexes.
Now about picking out the promising birds amidst the young stock, and on this
matter I write for the purpose of aiding the beginner with Sussex to properly
select and develop his young stock.
Picking the chicks for color is a comparatively easy task for me, and begins as
soon as the chicks are hatched and thoroughly dried. When taking off a hatch it
will be noted that some of the chicks have rich yellow-colored bodies with a
reddish cast on top, others will be a deep brown with stripes along each side of
the back and still others will be very light in color, in fact almost white.
This great variation in the color of the chicks is due to the fact that the
Speckled Sussex is a tri-colored or three-colored fowl. If the reddish yellow
and the brown chicks are leg banded or toe marked and their development
carefully noted it will be found that they are the ones that will grow into the
best colored fowls. This does not mean that none of the whiter chicks will be of
any value in color, as usually there will be a few of them that will develop-
into nicely colored birds, but not any appreciable number. Occasionally chicks
will hatch almost black and these will always remain too dark in color.
From this it will be seen that one may pick his Sussex chicks for color at a
very early age. In fact, so early that some who read this may say it can't be
done, but this is not an epistle to the unbeliever. I have followed this plan of
selecting for color for several years, and found it satisfactory.
Picking for type requires a little age on the birds. The beginner should not
attempt to select for type until his chicks are about twelve weeks old, although
I have reached the point where I can pick most of those that will be best in
type at a somewhat earlier age. If the chicks are closely observed it will be
seen that some of them have long, flat backs, full round breasts and a
considerable fullness below the vent. These are the fellows to select for type.
The chicks that have slim bodies, flat breasts, long, slender legs and little
body formation back of the legs never amount to much in type, and neither do
those that have little, short "humped up" bodies. So much for selecting the
birds. Now we come to the subject of feeding them.
When the chicks are forty-eight hours old give a feed of corn bread that has
been soaked in milk and from which the excess moisture has been squeezed, being
careful to give only as much of the feed as will be cleaned up in about 15
minutes. The bread and milk should be the only feed given the chicks for the
first three days. After the third day a mixture of grain composed of one part
corn, one part wheat, one-half part hulled oats' and one-half part kafir corn
ground to the fineness of coffee when ground on mother's old hand mill should be
added to the ration. Feed the chicks four times a day, giving two feeds of the
grain and' two of the moist bread. Continue with this feed until the chicks are
four weeks old, at which time you may discontinue the moist bread and substitute
a bolied mash made up of one part corn meal, one part bran and one part rolled
oats. You also should at this time increase the size of the grains in the grain
mixture.
Any table scraps you have on hand may be added to the cooked mash and will be
greatly relished by the birds. Provide plenty of green feed right from the
start, and once a day give the chicks all the buttermilk they will drink, if
obtainable. If you have no milk, add a little coarse beef scrap to the grain
feed after the chicks are a month old. Grit, charcoal and clean water should be
accessible at all times. This constitutes the full feeding course from the time
the chicks are hatched until fully matured. It is a method of feeding that is
very simple and easy to practice and one that will produce results.
Now a few points on housing. Provide the growing stock with dry, well ventilated
houses that are kept clean, free from lice and mites and well bedded. As the
weather becomes warmer, usa the coarsest straw* obtainable for litter, and see
that it is deep enough to hold the chicks well up off the floor so the air will
circulate through the straw under them. Keep the birds off the perches until
two-thirds grown, and thus avoid crooked breast bones.
Missouri. John Miller.
================================================
Google Books won't let me access these two below right now.
Try again ater. They are very worthwhile articles and cover
color breeding and balancing for your female.
http://tinyurl.com/y9jkwuq
SPECKLED SUSSEX, THE BEAUTY BREED.
American poultry advocate, Volume 26
http://tinyurl.com/yaa5zlx
Feb. 1918 , Page 202 "reprinted article; "The Proper Color of Speckled Sussex"
by A.J. Falkenstein
The Proper Color of Speckled Sussex.
An article written by Mr. A. J. Falkenstein, the leading English breeder of
Speckled Sussex, read at the annual meeting of "The Sussex Club of America" at
Cleveland, Ohio, January 10th, 1917. To my Brother Fanciers of the Sussex
Club of U. S. A.
------------------------
=======
Hi utchick!
Hum, I was reading about this just the other day. Where did I see that? Let me look.
Here it is:
Laws governing the breeding of standard fowls; a book covering outbreeding ,
inbreeding and line breeding of all recognized breeds of domestic fowls, with chart, 1912
Author: Card, Wetherell Henry, 1860-
http://archive.org/details/cu31924003158312
Page 23 .
Best,
Karen
==============================================
============================================================
American poultry journal, Volume 52 - 1921 ( Google Books)
Color of Speckled Sussex. Pages 784 thru 786
In mating the Speckled Sussex the first thing to consider is type. The Sussex
fowl has a type distinctly its own, and it is » type that is both practical and
very beautiful, and breeders should strive to maintain
In picking the females for the mating select those having long, broad, deep
bodies which slope slightly from shoulders to tail, full, prominent hreasts. low
well spread tails, shanks of medium length, good substance and set well apart,
strong necks of medium length and broad, deep skulls.
In surface color, tho female should be an even shade of rich mahogany" POMO
color over entire breast, back and body each feather ending in a black bar with
a white tip.
There is a tendency toward peppering in the ground color of the feathers and
this must be guarded against, although a small amount of this is not such a
serious breeding defect as some people seem to think.
Under color should bo slate or slate shading into salmon at the skin.
In wings I like to have tho primaries mixed black and white, and the lower halt
or outer edge of each secondary feather a rich mahogany brown, and the upper
hall or inner edge of secondary, black. This kind of wing shows a beautiful
brown wnen folded. . , .
Main tail feathers should be black and white, a little more black than white,
and the coverts black, tipped with white.
The male to go with these females should be a bird that is full of vigor and
vitality and of not less than 9 lbs. lor cock or ih for cockerel. He should have
a long, broad, flat back which slopes nicely from shoulders to tail; a full,
prominent, squared appearing breast, low well spread tail: shanks that are
straight, strong and set well apart! large neck, of medium length; and a broad,
dee,} head. ■ , .
His color should be an even shade of dart rich mahogany over neck, back, wing
bowl and saddle, each hackle and saddle feather to have a narrow black stripe
through tM center of lower end. ,
It is desirable to have each hackle and saddle feather tipped with white, but do
not be too particular about tipping in these two sections, as males having very
little hackle and saddle tipping will breed good stock. The thing to work for is
the proper shade of ground color. One male having tlie correct shade of mahogany
ground color and practically no hackle and saddle tipping is worth a dozen males
that are nicely tipped in these sections but have the light red or sandy ground
color.
As breeders, use those males whose under co'or is slate shading into salmon at
the base in all sections. The breast, body and fluft surface coior of the male
should be the same as that o> the back of the females. Wing color, same as that
described for the females. Main tail feathers about equally divided in black and
white, main sickles, lesser sickles and coverts greenish black tipped with
white.
However, it is not always possible to have the main sickle feathers black, as is
attested by the fact that some of the winning males in our best shows have
almost solid white sickles. From such a mating as is above described one may
reasonably expect to get a large percentage of good exhibition specimens of both
sexes.
Now about picking out the promising birds amidst the young stock, and on this
matter I write for the purpose of aiding the beginner with Sussex to properly
select and develop his young stock.
Picking the chicks for color is a comparatively easy task for me, and begins as
soon as the chicks are hatched and thoroughly dried. When taking off a hatch it
will be noted that some of the chicks have rich yellow-colored bodies with a
reddish cast on top, others will be a deep brown with stripes along each side of
the back and still others will be very light in color, in fact almost white.
This great variation in the color of the chicks is due to the fact that the
Speckled Sussex is a tri-colored or three-colored fowl. If the reddish yellow
and the brown chicks are leg banded or toe marked and their development
carefully noted it will be found that they are the ones that will grow into the
best colored fowls. This does not mean that none of the whiter chicks will be of
any value in color, as usually there will be a few of them that will develop-
into nicely colored birds, but not any appreciable number. Occasionally chicks
will hatch almost black and these will always remain too dark in color.
From this it will be seen that one may pick his Sussex chicks for color at a
very early age. In fact, so early that some who read this may say it can't be
done, but this is not an epistle to the unbeliever. I have followed this plan of
selecting for color for several years, and found it satisfactory.
Picking for type requires a little age on the birds. The beginner should not
attempt to select for type until his chicks are about twelve weeks old, although
I have reached the point where I can pick most of those that will be best in
type at a somewhat earlier age. If the chicks are closely observed it will be
seen that some of them have long, flat backs, full round breasts and a
considerable fullness below the vent. These are the fellows to select for type.
The chicks that have slim bodies, flat breasts, long, slender legs and little
body formation back of the legs never amount to much in type, and neither do
those that have little, short "humped up" bodies. So much for selecting the
birds. Now we come to the subject of feeding them.
When the chicks are forty-eight hours old give a feed of corn bread that has
been soaked in milk and from which the excess moisture has been squeezed, being
careful to give only as much of the feed as will be cleaned up in about 15
minutes. The bread and milk should be the only feed given the chicks for the
first three days. After the third day a mixture of grain composed of one part
corn, one part wheat, one-half part hulled oats' and one-half part kafir corn
ground to the fineness of coffee when ground on mother's old hand mill should be
added to the ration. Feed the chicks four times a day, giving two feeds of the
grain and' two of the moist bread. Continue with this feed until the chicks are
four weeks old, at which time you may discontinue the moist bread and substitute
a bolied mash made up of one part corn meal, one part bran and one part rolled
oats. You also should at this time increase the size of the grains in the grain
mixture.
Any table scraps you have on hand may be added to the cooked mash and will be
greatly relished by the birds. Provide plenty of green feed right from the
start, and once a day give the chicks all the buttermilk they will drink, if
obtainable. If you have no milk, add a little coarse beef scrap to the grain
feed after the chicks are a month old. Grit, charcoal and clean water should be
accessible at all times. This constitutes the full feeding course from the time
the chicks are hatched until fully matured. It is a method of feeding that is
very simple and easy to practice and one that will produce results.
Now a few points on housing. Provide the growing stock with dry, well ventilated
houses that are kept clean, free from lice and mites and well bedded. As the
weather becomes warmer, usa the coarsest straw* obtainable for litter, and see
that it is deep enough to hold the chicks well up off the floor so the air will
circulate through the straw under them. Keep the birds off the perches until
two-thirds grown, and thus avoid crooked breast bones.
Missouri. John Miller.
================================================
Google Books won't let me access these two below right now.
Try again ater. They are very worthwhile articles and cover
color breeding and balancing for your female.
http://tinyurl.com/y9jkwuq
SPECKLED SUSSEX, THE BEAUTY BREED.
American poultry advocate, Volume 26
http://tinyurl.com/yaa5zlx
Feb. 1918 , Page 202 "reprinted article; "The Proper Color of Speckled Sussex"
by A.J. Falkenstein
The Proper Color of Speckled Sussex.
An article written by Mr. A. J. Falkenstein, the leading English breeder of
Speckled Sussex, read at the annual meeting of "The Sussex Club of America" at
Cleveland, Ohio, January 10th, 1917. To my Brother Fanciers of the Sussex
Club of U. S. A.
------------------------
Last edited:
Not too much success starting with 3 dozen eggs & ended up with 15 chicks & 1 died right off. A friend gave us the bator & wanted us to do this for 1/2 the chicks but next time 1 of our American Game hens will be happy to do the job for us 
& I don't have to worry with how this turned out
