The Sussex thread!

[D&S Farms]

here is mine

 

[Barrdwing]

Speckled Sussex are fabulous!

We only have two at the moment, but not by choice; the hatchery was sold out last time we bought chicks. Dot and Dash are friendly and very active, the first birds out in the morning and the last ones in at night. They're great foragers; I think they prefer what they can find in the yard over regular feed, although they're always at the front of the crowd yelling for kitchen scraps. If I walk into the yard with a shovel, they're on my heels in a heartbeat, waiting for me to dig up some nice earthworms. Their mother, Zoe, would hop up onto any available knee or lap; their father, on the other hand, was a grump. We called him Conrad the Terrible, but really he wasn't that bad: although he wanted to be a biter, he and I had some conversations about that, and eventually he changed his approach. Instead of biting, he would glare up at me, then untie my shoelaces and flounce off.

 

[math ace]

Quote:
The sussex are know to be gentle and friendly. PERSONALLY, I think the speckled sussex go above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to friendliness!

 

[carolinagirl58]

Here's my speckled sussex chicks. Pure or not? they were supposed to be but I am having my doubts. I sent a PM to the breeder but he never answered me. I am getting more from Nadine next week so I know I'll have at least some good pullets.

 

[har]

I have a small flock of light split to coro sussixs(16 hens). I wanted to bred closer to the light sussixs so I bought some light sussix eggs and had them shipped in. I did not have a very good hatch just three hatched. The parent stock were said to be SQ stock. The three chicks all have feathers on there legs. Does someone have a opinion on this matter.

Thank you in advance

Scott

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
Maybe you got them from the same place I got some.

Scott, check out post 404 where we started a discussion on this.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

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Where'd you get them? Or what lines are they? What color are their legs? I have hatched dozens of chicks and never had any feather-legged ones?

My birds are pure Bradshaw lines and I show them.

Edited to add--I went back and read Paul's response. It is interesting. I have YET to ever hatch out any feather-shanked chicks (I have a trio of pure Lights from him, one split and one Coronation--not directly from him but from his lines). However, feathered shanks would be something I'd be selecting against/breeding out of my line with a quickness, IF it ever popped up.

I would have to say the two main issues with this line are occasional comb sprigs & occasional mossy backs. I select against those traits and cull heavily.

I honestly don't sell many chicks and when I do it is because I am hatching them for myself and selling the extras to people who have pre-paid me for started birds. The ones that have some mossy-ness or a less-than-perfect comb are usually sold to people with backyard flocks for eggs and/or meat--and don't care one bit about some extra black feathers, won't be showing or breeding anything pure anyway.

There is a fine balance between "breeding" and "reproducing."

Breeding is bettering a breed and reproducing is simply that--pairing birds without a goal in mind.

None of my birds are from hatcheries--and I m not not talking about just my Sussex. Most of my breeds you cannot find in a hatchery anyway but if you were to find a hatchery advertising the breeds I have, you'd be amazed if you took one of my Crevecoeur or Orloff & stood it next to a hatchery one, for example. They look like two completely different breeds. Yes, they can be compared to "puppy mills," where it is quantity over quality and chicks are mass-produced by the MILLIONS with little to no regard to type, egg color, leg color, temperament, etc.

It would be nice for everyone to share their lines and work towards a common goal so all of our hard work is not lost with a breed becoming extinct someday. That is after all why I chose these rare breeds--preservation and promotion for the betterment of the breed. I am hoping to get out as many eggs as possible to people who are equally passionate about breeding towards the standard and striving to improve the breed...but alas, I have no control over what those people chose to do with their chicks or chickens in the future or how responsible or irresponsible they will be with breeding (or reproducing) those lines in the future.

 

[luvchicks8]

Just picked up my first sussex.. Can you tell if there male or female?? Needs a name???

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

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Too young to tell, yet. Or we'd need LOTS more photos, especially of the head.

 

[SushiLove]

Looks like a roo to me. How about Hank for a name?