The Sussex thread!

[seminolewind]

I read that SS are notoriously hard to sex.

 

[LibertyChick]

My 6 1/2 month old SS (most of them anyway) have been laying for the last 5 weeks. I'm looking forward to selling some hatching eggs and some chicks for the spring. But yesterday, myroo changed his demeaner. He went from not wanting to get closer than about 4 feet to me to scheming how he can attack me from behind. I say concerned because now he is starting to be aggressive towards me, I really don't want to send him to freezer camp because it was so hard to find an organically raised roo.

What happened is that all the chickens were up on the back porch and railing and I do 't want them up there. There were 3 girls and my roo up on therailing. I picked them up one by one to put them down and of course they all try to fly and made noise as I was putting them down. By the time I got the 3rd girl down, the roo put his bead down as if he was going to start running and belched out a loud screech/noise at me that was obviously a noise to warn me. I shooed at him and then went into the house.

The next time I was outside and petting the girls, who are always around my feet and looking for food, he started approaching me cautiously and schemeing (I could tell he was trying to plan some sort of attack) and trying to walk behind me. He's done this several times and I've been keeping an eye on him. Now I don't feel I can trust turning my back to him. I'm ready to defend myself if I need to.

Is this new aggressive behavior going to continue to get worse? Is there something specific I can do to show him I 'm top roo, not him? What can I do?

LibertyChick

 

[PetRock]

Quote:
I know you are not asking, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say......what a handsome little boy.

I pray it's not a boy. What's the way to tell?

I would give it some more time and watch their combs. I have three hatchery SS pullets that we picked out of the pullet bin at the feedstore. I was still worried that one or more would end up being a boy. Their combs appeared at an early age but they are just now turning red at 25 weeks old and hopefully close to POL. Here are a couple pics of one or two (they were hard to tell apart at this age) of my pullets at around 19 days old.

 

[jeslewmazer]

Mrs. Fluffy Puffy :

Quote:
Gorgeous boy!

I hatched out 9 Speckled Sussex, and somemore Light, Coro.

~Aspen

Thanks. I love how big he got.

congrats on your hatches​

 

[jeslewmazer]

Quote:
I know you are not asking, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say......what a handsome little boy.

I pray it's not a boy. What's the way to tell?

It still is a little early to be 100%. A majority white breast and the feathers on the side of the breast (like yours) being a predominantly dark mahogany. Almost always means boy. PetRock's chick pics are a good example of pullets. Their breast is not showing many white feathers (the white showing is chick fluff/down) and the breast feathers are lighter with white and shades of brown.

 

[jeslewmazer]

Quote:
He sounds like he is overly protective of his girls. I have not found any tried and true way. There are some good post on BYC about ways to "tame" an aggressive roo. Also you could try a search on the net. I personally just chase any that show aggressive behavior as soon as it starts. Also picking them up. Sometimes when they are on the ground I simulate how they grab the hens (by the nap of the neck) and put the other hand on the roo's back....then press firmly (not hurting him) to the ground so he can't run away. Dominate roos will sometimes top lesser roos to prove dominance.

 

[stormylady]

Quote:
He sounds like he is overly protective of his girls. I have not found any tried and true way. There are some good post on BYC about ways to "tame" an aggressive roo. Also you could try a search on the net. I personally just chase any that show aggressive behavior as soon as it starts. Also picking them up. Sometimes when they are on the ground I simulate how they grab the hens (by the nap of the neck) and put the other hand on the roo's back....then press firmly (not hurting him) to the ground so he can't run away. Dominate roos will sometimes top lesser roos to prove dominance.

I do this too, but Ive never had an aggressive roo I think because I never gave them the option of being higher than me on the Roo pecking order, BESIDES Flame,(who I didn't spend the time with because I Just thought Silkies were sweet which most are, Who Knew? LOL) the red silkie Nothing helped him. but the holding and chasing worked wonders at least for the rest of them. I have 7 Roosters a Blue Orpington, 2 Salmon Favs. 3 silkies, and 1 seabright all of them are held alot whether or not they want to be,, None of my Roosters are human aggressive But the two top Roos the Blue Orp. and the Black Silkie sometimes get over aggressive with the lesser males and I only get into there squirmishs if it gets really rough, I run in and grab up the aggresser and hold him for a few and then everything calms down. And alls well. I should mention that the lesser males are just coming into their own as far as being breeders and just learning their place in the pecking order so they kinda push their luck. LOL SS are such special birds at least to me with a super personality so I would really try the taming methods they should work for ya! I so hope you can work out his problems I would hate for ya to have to cull him, Im still looking for a good male to go with my little SS girls and hope to find one soon. Good Luck! Sandy

 

[GhostRider65]

Good Morning everyone..........
Hope everything is well with you all. I came to post a question about SS and egg eating?
I have a almost 6 month old SS pullet who has started eating eggs.......... has anyone here had their SS do this? I'm so heart broken I will have to have butcher her, I don't know what to do..you can read about it at this thread https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=593464
Maybe someone here can help me save my beautiful Jasmine.....

Pictured here with peepers, she's in the forground

 

[jeslewmazer]

Quote:
Egg eating can start for different reasons. Normally the top 2 reasons are diet and stress. As far as diet...sounds like they have a good one, but are you positive that she is eating the Oyster shells? I only use Oyster shells occasionally. I mostly give mine the leftover egg shells from cooking. I don't know what it is about tomatoes, but too many can cause weight loss no matter how much they eat. Stress can cause numerous problems. For this, she could feel over crowded even if the ratio is perfect. I'm talking more about around the nest boxes. Also if she feels unsafe, like a unsafe spot. You could keep her separated for a week or more and see if she still continues.
You could also hang a cabbage for her to peck at. Blacking out the nest boxes is another option.

 

[GhostRider65]

TY Jeslewmazer,
I think maybe she is just new to laying and found a cracked egg and pecked it till she got some yummies and started to do it on her own, this progressed over a week or 2 , before I caught her. I also think because I'm mixing there corn and Boss in with their layer and meaty feed, she is just eating her favorites and not the balanced feed. so I started her on Vitamins A and D today whole milk as suggested by a Florida college article. and no added Boss or Corn for her. She didn't lay an egg today that I seen but maybe she promptly ate it? so will have to watch closer tomorrow. They get their shells crushed every other day I have a dozen or 2 to bake for them so calcium shouldn't be the issue, I have seen her pigging out on the shells a time or 2. so I know she's eating them, plus all the eggs she has eaten in the last couple weeks should have her calcium way ahead of the game. I p[lan to keep her separated a few weeks, I hate too, and know reintroducing her to the flock will be difficult AT BEST....... I feel bad for her, but I'm also going to redo my nest boxes with a rollaway nest, and some privacy curtains. Maybe if nothing else works keeping her away from all the eggs will.............. TYVM again for the suggestions. Hugz Kim