The Sussex thread!

[FreedomFarm13]

I'm getting a speckled sussex!!! This is my dream chicken and I can't wait for her to get here on the 6th!!! I hope she ships OK, I was a little nervous about ordering from a hatchery, but there aren't any breeders of the new breeds I wanted around here, so I took a chance. I'm sooooo excited!!!

 

[Faraday40]

I'm getting a speckled sussex!!! This is my dream chicken and I can't wait for her to get here on the 6th!!! I hope she ships OK, I was a little nervous about ordering from a hatchery, but there aren't any breeders of the new breeds I wanted around here, so I took a chance. I'm sooooo excited!!!

Congrats! Show pics when she arrives.

 

[FreedomFarm13]

Oh, don't worry. There will definitely be pics. You might need to ask me to stop posting pics, lol. I just went to my fair's poultry show and saw them in person for the first time....

I'm even more excited now!!! Fingers crossed they make it here okay!!

 

[MeeMa Brown]

Grace Harding enjoying the worm catch of the day.

 

[Faraday40]

Grace Harding enjoying the worm catch of the day.

Mine also like to get worms sometimes. They'll go out on a muddy worm hunt while it's still lightly raining. My Orpingtons look pretty pathetic when wet!

 

[Chicks4MyChicks]

We have 8 girls and yes, our speckled sussex is everyone favourite. Unfortunately she has has been having crop issues, she is only 14 weeks old. We brought her home with us when she was 11 weeks and within a week we noticed her crop was getting much too big and not emptying at night. She had an impacted crop, we cleared it and things are going ok. But her crop seems so much bigger than everyone elses. She is pooping very well, she is happy and content and comfortable. Everything is great except her crop is now always that size of a small orange but about 10 am and stays like that all day. Goes down overnight, then repeats the next day getting larger all day. No sour crop smell, no impaction , she seems very healthy and spunky.

So then I started to wonder if this is just somewhat 'normal' for Speckled Sussex'. Can't seem to get an answer on google, however looking at pictures on the internet of other peoples Speckled Sussex and I am noting that about 10-20% of what I am seeing seem to have the same issue.

Is this just a part of what makes up the Speckled Sussex?

Do I just ignore it and let her be? Maybe I should stop trying to treat it if it is just the way it is.

 

[3riverschick]

Are you giving her any grit? It's not normal for a Sussex to be having this problem.
I use gran-I-Grit, see this webpage for full information.
http://www.fertrell.com/2014_sep_oct.pdf
Gran-I-Grit has been making poultry grit since 1935. Great product. Note which size your bird should be eating. I get mine at Agway.Pay about 6-7.00 for 50 lbs. Good for other things than poultry too!
Best,
Karen

 

[Chicks4MyChicks]

She is on a 6' x 16' run that is 8" deep in construction sand. Since this has happened I am now letting them out to free range in my yard in the evenings and weekends. I live in a city, so its a typical 2800 square feet of lawn and garden area. Seems that the majority of people feel that the sand would be sufficient and there is no need for a dedicated grit feeder. Now having said that, I am wanting to try anything and just today I did buy some actual grit from a feed store. I am making a feeder tomorrow. Not sure if it is needed or will help, but I have spent $4 on worse things in my life.

 

[Amelia Egghart]

My sussex is now 21 weeks old. She looked like a pullet until 19 weeks when she just became massive suddenly and then started laying eggs at 20 weeks.

Prior to that she was "bulking up" and eating a LOT of feed. Her crop would get huge but would empty overnight. She'd have like two eggs worth of poop under her.

She might be entering a growth phase, but her crop really needs to empty overnight or she's going to have problems.

Make sure she has grit and maybe not let her eat much close to bedtime. They SHOULD eat right before bed but not if she's over eating. Give grit first, observe, see if there's any change, watch her growth, poop and intake. Good luck!

 

[MeeMa Brown]

Out and about.