The Sussex thread!

[jockeyeba]

Does anyone have an opinion as to the sex of my 3 month old SS?

Pullet.Should be seeing more comb and wattle development by now if it was a cockerel. Karen

Yep, that's a pullet.

Thanks everyone! This makes me soooo happy Out of 10 s Sussex eggs we tried to hatch this is the only one that made it so I'm so glad it's a girl

 

[aoccl]

Who has the nicest Speckled Sussex out there? Interested in both LF and Bantam

 

[Pharmacy Chick]

My girl Penny at almost 5 months. What a friendly and sweet breed.

 

[pysankigirl]

So I was wondering kinda off the cuff if anyone had any light Sussex that laid a really light (in color) but decent sized egg. I do Pysanky and as such need white or buff eggs to decorate. I started out with Dorkings, but was also looking at Sussex as another interesting historical breed. (I’d love buff Sussex but I understand they haven’t made it across to this side of the pond yet, please someone correct this if I am wrong)

 

[canesisters]

My speckled Sussex girls lay a very light, almost pink-ish egg.

 

[warbirds]

So I was wondering kinda off the cuff if anyone had any light Sussex that laid a really light (in color) but decent sized egg. I do Pysanky and as such need white or buff eggs to decorate. I started out with Dorkings, but was also looking at Sussex as another interesting historical breed. (I’d love buff Sussex but I understand they haven’t made it across to this side of the pond yet, please someone correct this if I am wrong)

There are definitely Buff Sussex in America.........................I have been working with them for 3 years now.

 

[JanieMarie]

Yup Buff Sussex here too but mine lay a much darker brown egg than my lights do

 

[pysankigirl]

okay, I am thrilled to be wrong!!!!

I...must...have...some.... how dark of an egg are we talking? perhaps I should have a mix of sussex...LOL

 

[pysankigirl]

So I am newly enthralled by the Sussex breed. The Wikipedia site says that it goes back to the roman conquest of Great Brittan, but doesn’t give any references for that…does anyone have a link to anything documenting the history of the breed? I would assume that the brown wildcolor would be one of the earliest variants? Just curious. Always been into history.

 

[Deerfield Acres]

Hi all! I've followed this thread but just subscribed today. I also today just changed my name to Deerfield Acres from karenS, since I have determined that I am a small business owner, rather than just an obsessed-with-chickens person who throws lots of money away on them.

I've really improved my self-esteem with that one!

This hatching season I am acquiring some Speckled Sussex chicks from Tony Albritton and hopefully, hatching eggs from Good Shepherd who are here in KS. I'm also acquiring either hatching eggs or chicks from a breeder who has Buff Sussex. I'm so excited about actually finding some Buffs -- I had a heck of a time finding some.

I only started raising chickens in Feb '12, but I began with 170 birds. 55 of those were hatchery Speckled Sussex. I've learned a lot from the experience of raising them and struggling to find a management system that would naturally keep the birds healthy and strong. I am committed to the Sussex breed and hope to learn from those who are working to improve the breed. I have very few of the original 170 birds here as I used them for the Aloha project, and then re-homed the hens and either re-homed the roos, or processed them, with my children's help. I learned how to do it by watching YouTube videos!

The Speckled Sussex I am getting this year are going to be that next step up on the learning curve. I'm ready to learn more about this particular breed, according to the SOP's, and heritage birds in general. I've already learned enough to know that the kids and I love the Speckled Sussex for their beauty and personalities, yet they can forage and are predator aware. I'm not into showing, yet, but I have 8 kids between the 2nd and 11th grades who are very actively involved with the birds and are learning along with me. Some of them would like to show and develop their own birds. So, maybe by next year I'll be ready to take that step.