The Sussex thread!

[Amelia Egghart]

Beautiful. Again, congratulations. Those are a stunning pair. Hatching time soon!

 

[Lelanae]

Look!

BEAUTIFUL! I want that pullet! Any coro breeders near Southeastern PA?

 

[Turk Raphael]

Yeah, I think mine is just a bad one. I got unlucky. I shouldn't be too sad because there are lots of "fish in the sea" so to speak, especially this time of year. That thread has already been scoured for any tips I've missed for him. This week it helped a little bit to put him in a crate at roosting time and let him out separately from the rest when I was ready, and helping him remember who is in charge of flock affairs, but he's already started getting his nerve back and starting to argue back in the form of crowding people in the pen even when there are hens to cover and food to eat. This morning the wing flapping and crowing directly at me as he follows me around re-began. Picking him up helped for the last few days, but not so much now. He just recovers faster and faster each time. He'll taste good at least. I may have to find a different breed because my area is lacking in breeding flocks of sussex, which is a shame, because they seem perfect in every other way, but hey, I've got to work with what I've got. I'll just be keeping an eye out for sussex in the future.

Don't give up on him too soon. rather than being a 'bad one', he might just be a young one, full of pizz and vinegar. Give him a chance and breed him to some hens. He might produce some real sweethearts.

People forget what a male chicken is and expect too much of them.

 

[rachelsflock]

I hope so! I didn't get around to butchering him yet because I like him still. He'll have the winter to mature unless he becomes a consistent pain. He's not my first rooster, but only my second or third that I didn't raise myself, and he seemed to be immature sexually when I got him (no crow, no mating, acted like a meek little huge baby) so maybe there's something to being young and having to adjust to a new caretaker right around when all those hormones kick in.

 

[Amelia Egghart]

Butcher?! I'm fairly certain you can make some money off of selling hatching eggs or chicks. Coronation Sussex aren't that common, at least where I am. I'd want to keep him for at least a breeding season and if he's a jerk then see if someone else wants him before going to the stew pot. He's beautiful!

 

[rachelsflock]

Aw, I don't think I can sell my problems and live with myself. No, we've got a small poultry farm that sells coronations within an hour of me, so they're not really that rare in southern michigan, just expensive.


*although I think they are all related.

 

[rachelsflock]

Here's my guy. He's a little dirty in the back because he either can't get on the perch (24" high) or the hens still won't let him, so he sleeps with one of my muscovy drakes on top of my nest tubs and no matter how often I clean the lid, my white chicken is always wearing some duck splat by morning. If he's staying, I'll put in another perch at 12".

Also please excuse my molters.

 

[rachelsflock]

 

[Lelanae]

 

[rachelsflock]

Let me PM you the website of the breeder I'm pretty sure he came from. They're in Howell. As of right now I don't have any coronation hens to put him over, just a nicely built speckled. I was considering going to head out there early this coming spring to pick up some eggs for slightly less related hens for future use, but haven't yet.