The Sussex thread!

[Chinchilla2]

Does anyone know where I could find a breed standard on the Light, Coronation, and Silver Sussexes? I realized that not all of these are recognized by the APA so their standards book won't do me any good. An online version would be best. Thanks!

 

[3riverschick]

The Sussex fowl (1920)
http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924003091398
Author: Sharpe, S. C
Subject: Sussex fowl
Publisher: London, F. J. Parsons
Language: English
Digitizing sponsor: MSN
Book contributor: Cornell University Library
Contributor usage rights: See terms
Collection: cornell; americana
(Sharpe originated the LIght Sussex. This book discusses Light, Red, Speckled, and Brown varities))


History of the Sussex fowl containing the English and American standard of perfection (1911)
http://www.archive.org/details/historyofsussexf00brat
Author: Bratt, William H
Publisher: Hackensack, N.J., American Sussex poultry club
Language: English
Call number: 8229634
Digitizing sponsor: Sloan Foundation
Book contributor: The Library of Congress
Collection: library_of_congress; americana
(This book discusses Red, Light, and Speckled varieties.)
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Excellent English Sussex site with descriptions for all the colors.
http://sussex.webs.com/restofthesussexcolours.htm
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http://www.helium.com/items/1509475-poultry-breed-facts-sussex-chicken
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(Basically the Coronation Sussex is the same as the Light Sussex, except for the coloring.)

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Quote:
There is a Standard for the breed Sussex on page 103 of the 2010 Standard of Perfection. The Light Sussex standard is on page 105-106. For the Coronation you use the Self Blue color description from page 184 for the black feather portion of the Light Sussex Standard. Thus the Coronation does have a Standard.

You will have to get a standard from either the UK or Australia for the Silver Sussex.

 

[3riverschick]

Quote:
There is a Standard for the breed Sussex on page 103 of the 2010 Standard of Perfection. The Light Sussex standard is on page 105-106. For the Coronation you use the Self Blue color description from page 184 for the black feather portion of the Light Sussex Standard. Thus the Coronation does have a Standard.

You will have to get a standard from either the UK or Australia for the Silver Sussex.

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Frankly, I vote for a UK Standard. the closer we stay to the original English, I think the better it is.
Best Regards,
Karen in western PA
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[Chinchilla2]

Thanks, Karen and Jim. The English standards are what I was looking for. I've read the APA book section on the Sussex but wanted some more info on them. It works for a general idea and the Light but not so good for the Coronation and the Silver. I'm not that worried about the Speckled since I don't have any of those and no plans to get any in the future (that being said, chicken math will occur). I really do not expect to ever have show quality birds but figure if I'm gonna raise them, I need to at least strive to help perfect the breed and types.

 

[3riverschick]

Quote:
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Hi Chinchilla2,
I used to have an extensive Sussex library but sold it just before I decided to come stay with Sussex for good. Isn't that always the way,

. Historically, each of the colors was bred for a different purpose within the breed. The Light were bred as dual purpose. The Red for meat (probably because they stemmed so much from the dark Dorking). The Speckled for usefulness and beauty. The Brown for eggs and as broody hens. I can't remember reading anything about the Coronation and The Silver which would purpose them any differently than the Light Sussex.
In the last analysis, in Sussex , breed type is everything. It if doesn't look like a Sussex in physical, structural breed type , it isn't a Sussex regardless of whatever colors or attributes it has. I think this is because the structure of the bird has so much to do with it's abilities.
The broad back ( a hallmark of a meat bird),
long keel ( for the breast meat on a meat bird)
, strong legs ( to support the meat bird body),
head without coarseness( see the booklet "Breeding and Culling By Head Points" as the structure of the head is connected with the hen's laying ability)
, pelvic structure(again associated with laying ability),
close feathering( defining the Sussex as free from the Orpington influence).
And so it goes. If one doesn't breed Sussex wisely, they revert to a Langshan profile which is the "V" body silhouette. Instead, we should see the bottle shaped Sussex body with the long keel, .....and in the females, the classic "Sussex crouch".
As an aside, the afore-going history is why we should not crossbreed the colors in Sussex. Each color has it's own uitilitarian purpose within the breed and when we cross the color varieties, we are homogenizing breed qualities which breeders spent decades creating for that particular color. ( Being a purist, I am still undecided on the wisdom of crossing Light and Coronation Sussex. Unlike the Silver Sussex which is built on E or ER,... the Coronation amd the Light are both built on eWh, I believe....which leaves the lone distinction between them being the color other than white....both colors having the same utilitarian purposes. Well, time will tell if it is of concern or not, we will see.
Best Regards,
Karen in western PA

 

[3riverschick]

Here is a study in superb Sussex struture and breed type. It doesn't matter of the fowl are large or bantam, this is the structure we wish to see.

http://www.skytopbantams.com/sussex.html
Skytop Bantam Speckled Sussex melded Rob Mongold and Gary Overton lines into their Skytop strain. Here we see the classic
"bottle-shaped" body ( think of the shape of bottle we consider when we think of the classic "ship-in-a-bottle" folk art).
Look at Cookie, she is ravishing. A study in classic Sussex hen breed type. Her tail set is nigh onto perfect. Almost level with her back.
As a result of their efforts, Skytop became APA Master Breeders of Bantam Speckled Sussex.
See the breast on Lily(bred by Gary Overton)? Lovely. Look at the heads on the hens. So refined, no coarseness. Dainty, yet not tiny.
See the long, long ,level back on Sprinkles and the lovely tail carried low.
Look at the long, level back and lower tail profile on "Chips", the rooster .
Now take a look at Confetti. The Sussex is a breed of graceful curves. See how her curves do a graceful ballet, one with another? The curve of the breast is offset by the lovely curve sweeping across the withers and up the back of the neck to a lovely, dainty arch of neck. at the crest of the skull.
The curve from the base of the tail to the point where the legs meet the body is offset by the graceful "S" curve starting from under the beak, flowing down the throat, out around the front of the breat.
The totality of the curves fill the eye, none of them so abrupt in angle that they distract from the whole.
The icing on the cake is the lovely patterning of the speckles.
It takes decades of severe dedication to create birds like these. They should never be crossed with utiltity or hatchery Sussex.
Best Regards,
Karen in western PA

 

[psittacinekane]

So glad I found this thread.

These are my latest hatch of LS out of show quality stock I bought in Canada. I have about 20 more eggs baking right now, but I'm unsure about fertility. Time will tell, I guess.

Also, I couldn't resist posting a couple of pics of my SS trio hens (the roo isn't that cooperative). I'm not finding a great market for them up here in Canada, but maybe it's attributable to the time of year.

If I were to purchase them again, I've learned from this thread exactly what I do and don't want in terms of feathering.

And finally, my Light Sussex roo.

 

[chuckeychickens]

Here are our Coronation Sussex:

They are really big and very robust.

 

[cochunk]

our sussex agatha is very stocky and short with tiny white feet, her comb got caught in deer fencing a few monthes ago so not the back of her comb is floppy, but that just adds to her unigueness