The Sussex thread!

[Outpost JWB]

Ok,so im not getting only about 1 sussex out of the four or six birds wr get.
That kinda attitude is tje kind that don't survive..

In their defense, DH owns an English Setter. Bred to HUNT birds. Don't ask me why he got it. We are still in disagreement.

Like I said....long story. I do love the SS breed though and will probably buy more this spring. Just have to secure Pepper's kennel better so the chickens cannot get in there and she cannot get out. My chickens free range daily, so this sort of thing happens unfortunately. So do hawks, coyotes, owls, raccoons, feral cats, seen all of that and then some.

 

[ThatFarmerChick]

3 weeks old today.

Stunning, photogenic,little prancers.

 

[Outpost JWB]

It looks like they are posing for the pics! So cute!

 

[Pure Poultry]

If my Light Sussex's start laying middle of Feb can they go on to be broody before summer is out. I'm in Aus so it is mid summer now

 

[Outpost JWB]

They can go broody at any time of the year. I discourage mine if it is getting too close to winter time, but that is just a personal preference. I don't have the capability of running lights and heat back to the coop. Good luck with yours!

 

[Pure Poultry]

I know this question has probably been asked a billion time on this thread already but I'm curious at how old Sussex's are when they start laying?

 

[Faraday40]

I know this question has probably been asked a billion time on this thread already but I'm curious at how old Sussex's are when they start laying?

My Guess = anytime between 4-8 months depending on daylight hours.

I do not have much experience because I only have one Coronation Sussex in my flock, but she just started laying last week - just a few days before her 6 mo birthday. It's very cold here & the 1st egg came on a day with temps below 0'F.

The Coro Sussex is a very large breed like an English Orpington, so between that & the brutal winter, I'm not too surprised. My English orp took 8 months to lay her 1st egg. Many of my medium breeds started to lay at between 4-5 months old.

 

[3riverschick]

I know this question has probably been asked a billion time on this thread already but I'm curious at how old Sussex's are when they start laying?

The year before last (2013) , my Light Sussex started laying at 39 weeks. This season (2014) , their chicks started laying at 29 weeks. I am very happy about that. Here is a quote from an old-time expert in poultry: , "
O. F. Mittendorff of Illinois, who has specialized for some years in breeding Barred Plymouth Rocks for eggs, has an eye for size that he may have typical birds to comprise his flock, and he meets the issue by giving preference to a pullet that devotes the first 200 days to growth and development of body. This means that the
pullet starts laying when about seven months of age. She not only • attains good size in that time, but is evidently better fitted to stand up under the strain that metabolic demands make upon her system, as she proceeds to convert a large amount of feed into a big number of eggs. In other words, she is not a precocious pullet that starts to lay very young, before full growth is attained, and then never does develop into a Standardsized bird. The pullet that is well grown before laying commences has a large frame and can carry considerable flesh, somewhat similar to a dairy cow about to go on test and which has been put in good flesh prior to the lactation period. •
It usually happens that pullets, which begin to lay November 1, gain steadily in weight until March 1, increasing to the extent of about one pound in the American breeds; and then generally fall off in weight until September or October."
This was written in the 1920's. I like the point about the 200 days. That's about 6 and 2/3 months. So my 29 week old pullets were 203 days at POL.
Best Regards,
Karen

 

[SurfCityBumpkin]

Hi all! I am hoping someone can tell me if they think my 12 week old pullet is a Silver Sussex. I purchased 2 fertile Sussex eggs for my broody Silkie to hatch and one was clearly a light Sussex roo and has been rehomed. (Not allowed to have Roos in my town). This girl has been slower to feather in and the color around her neck, wings and tail are very light silver.
I posted pics of her when she was younger and a few people thought that she was not a Sussex at all but a mix. Her legs were yellow, they said. They look white to me but I am a newbie.

 

[Faraday40]

Hi all! I am hoping someone can tell me if they think my 12 week old pullet is a Silver Sussex. I purchased 2 fertile Sussex eggs for my broody Silkie to hatch and one was clearly a light Sussex roo and has been rehomed. (Not allowed to have Roos in my town). This girl has been slower to feather in and the color around her neck, wings and tail are very light silver.
I posted pics of her when she was younger and a few people thought that she was not a Sussex at all but a mix. Her legs were yellow, they said. They look white to me but I am a newbie.

It looks like a Coronation Sussex to me & yes the legs look white in the pic. I do not have enough experience with Sussex to give a good answer on gender. If I had to guess I'd say pullet.

My own Sussex took a long time to identify the gender.
Here was mine at 7 weeks. Back then I thought male because of the comb color, but the comb was so tiny.

I eventually asked the breeder. He told me that his line of CS got pinkish combs early & that the comb would be much bigger if it were a male. So glad I held on to her.