Speckled Sussex - Breeding to the SOP

[DrumlinPoint]

Do you know if or how chick coloring corresponds to adult plumage?

I have one chick that's very yellow:
View attachment 3433846

Here is a picture of the first set of bantam SS chicks I hatched. They were just a day old at the time. From show quality parents.

 

[fuzzi]

I got my chicks from Triple Creek hatchery here in NC. It's the only one in the state that breeds Speckled Sussex bantams.

A couple weeks ago I emailed several breeders listed on the American Sussex website. One is listed as a Master Breeder, and she graciously answered my mail. She said that it's hard to get the colors just right, she's still working on it after 23 years. She added that the chick coloring doesn't matter, even if they have a lot of white, that they will shed their baby feathers as they get older. Another breeder also replied, said the chicks won't have adult plumage until they're older, 4-5 months.

http://www.americansussex.org/sussex-breeders.html

 

[DrumlinPoint]

I got my chicks from Triple Creek hatchery here in NC. It's the only one in the state that breeds Speckled Sussex bantams.

A couple weeks ago I emailed several breeders listed on the American Sussex website. One is listed as a Master Breeder, and she graciously answered my mail. She said that it's hard to get the colors just right, she's still working on it after 23 years. She added that the chick coloring doesn't matter, even if they have a lot of white, that they will shed their baby feathers as they get older. Another breeder also replied, said the chicks won't have adult plumage until they're older, 4-5 months.

http://www.americansussex.org/sussex-breeders.html

That is all very good advice!!

 

[fuzzi]

In my line of bantam SS, the birds with the white breasts at this age are typically cockerels. Looks like you have quite a few of them. I see that you have them banded. Take notes on what you see at various stages and then compare with what you see when they become adults. You can learn a lot that way.

Thanks, that's helpful.

I have been taking lots of photos of the chicks, almost every day. I just posted their photos on my journal thread, please check it out:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/fuzzis-chicken-journal.1550586/post-26755168

I'm going to have to cull the excess cockerels, and want to keep the best one (temperament as well as coloring) for the rooster.

 

[fuzzi]

This was my only blond chick, called Blondie of course!

 

[fuzzi]

Time for an UPDATE!

Lady and Earl are living the life, not much has changed. (My main breeding project Rooster and Hen)

Buffy (Buff Orpington) has started using a brooder nest away from Saphron and Lady - she is acting like she wants to sit on some eggs.

And Saphron (Sapphire Gem) did it AGAIN! 100gram egg. - Double yolker - that egg is currently being used as the binder in a pan of Fudge Brownies.

Amazing news now! - We have 2 early chicks - hatched on day 20. Both piped early this morning and finished hatching within the last hour. One is noticeably darker than the other. Can't wait to see how they turn out. Anyone know if males or females are born darker than the other? Kinda like sex-linked? I haven't hatched Sussex's before.

Better pictures to come as they dry off and fluff up.

These were from the test batch to check fertility and her ability to make baby chicks.... SUCCESS!

Can't wait to get her next batch in the incubator at the end of this week.

View attachment 3464037

More chick pics?

 

[gwells1980]

Update 04-30-23 !

There is a little bit of a change up we are going to get into and there will be some updates on the incubating eggs and the test batch that we have already hatched out.

Lady Grey is being your typical friendly Speckled Sussex hen, walking around like she owns the yard and laying either daily or at the very least, every other day. Typical friendliness, she is the 1st to run up and greet you, (Beg for a treat) when you go into the yard. You can't help but lover her.

Earl Grey is gone. Over the past week he decided he didn't want to be a friendly guy anymore and started flogging me when I went into the yard. I kept his spurs under control so I didn't think to much of it, roosters will be roosters, but then he started flogging my 3 year old daughter and that was it. I rehomed him instead of turning him into dinner... (I honestly couldn't bring myself too. He was too good looking of a Sussex to end him) and the lady that came to get him was fine with the way he was acting, not her first rodeo either.

I do have 28 eggs he fertilized in the incubator and if I understand how things work correctly, the girls will still be laying eggs fertilized by him for the next week or two. So all of them will be getting incubated. (He was my only rooster, now I have none)

I will be taking the two best roosters that conform to the SOP and keeping them to continue on his line. THEY WILL BE GETTING HANDLED DAILY! We are going to turn them into lap roosters if we can. Zero hostility, or as close as we can get to it, is one of our new goals for the breeding.

Saphron (My Sapphire Gem) continues to lay enormous eggs (XL - Jumbo) daily even though she did take a 3 day break last week which was unusual for her. After seeing one of Earl's and Saphron's chicks, I am incubating all of her eggs for the next 2 weeks. (Some of her chicks will be available if you want some)

Buffy (My Buff Orpington) did in fact go very, very, very broody. (*Normal for a Buff Orpington hen I was told) So I gave her 5 of her eggs back and she is being the perfect mom. Sitting on her eggs, keeping them warm. I am a little concerned however, we just had a massive storm and the nest is wet. Should I remove the eggs or let mom keep them going?

EGG UPDATE - 29 eggs went in - 28 eggs remain. 1 was a dud.... not fertilized, but it was a Earl / Buffy cross so not to bummed out.

only 8 days left

We have 13 Speckled Sussex eggs left, 13 Buff Orpington eggs left, and 2 Sapphire Gem eggs left. (We were using Saphron's for food, now I am saving them for the next hatch)

CHICK TIME! - THERE IS SOME SERIOUS WHITENESS ON A COUPLE OF THE TEST CHICKS NOW. - They hatched on 04-13-23 so they are 2 1/2 weeks old while I am writing this. - If you want to start guessing for genders go ahead! We will see if we are right!

Chick #1 - (Big'un) - I'm going to say BOY





Chick #2 - (Dutchess) - Finger's crossed for a GIRL





Chick #3 - (Princess) - Again, hoping a GIRL, or the name is going to confuse people





Chick #4 - ( Yet Unnamed) - Thinking he is a boy based on his attitude




SAPHRON and EARL'S CHICK! The picture's don't do her justice. The down is not grey, it is actually blueish looking and the white is BRIGHT WHITE. Like she has been thrown in the washer with bleach. Also she has red, soon to be Mahogany spot on the top of her head. And yes I am going to keep saying HER even if SHE starts crowing and tries to breed with the girls. I want to keep her, she isn't allowed to be a boy.
She is a little smaller, hatched 3 days after the others, she is 2 weeks old today.

BLUEY - PRAYING IT IS A GIRL!!!

 

[fuzzi]

Update 04-30-23 !

There is a little bit of a change up we are going to get into and there will be some updates on the incubating eggs and the test batch that we have already hatched out.

Lady Grey is being your typical friendly Speckled Sussex hen, walking around like she owns the yard and laying either daily or at the very least, every other day. Typical friendliness, she is the 1st to run up and greet you, (Beg for a treat) when you go into the yard. You can't help but lover her.

Earl Grey is gone. Over the past week he decided he didn't want to be a friendly guy anymore and started flogging me when I went into the yard. I kept his spurs under control so I didn't think to much of it, roosters will be roosters, but then he started flogging my 3 year old daughter and that was it. I rehomed him instead of turning him into dinner... (I honestly couldn't bring myself too. He was too good looking of a Sussex to end him) and the lady that came to get him was fine with the way he was acting, not her first rodeo either.

I do have 28 eggs he fertilized in the incubator and if I understand how things work correctly, the girls will still be laying eggs fertilized by him for the next week or two. So all of them will be getting incubated. (He was my only rooster, now I have none)

I will be taking the two best roosters that conform to the SOP and keeping them to continue on his line. THEY WILL BE GETTING HANDLED DAILY! We are going to turn them into lap roosters if we can. Zero hostility, or as close as we can get to it, is one of our new goals for the breeding.

Saphron (My Sapphire Gem) continues to lay enormous eggs (XL - Jumbo) daily even though she did take a 3 day break last week which was unusual for her. After seeing one of Earl's and Saphron's chicks, I am incubating all of her eggs for the next 2 weeks. (Some of her chicks will be available if you want some)

Buffy (My Buff Orpington) did in fact go very, very, very broody. (*Normal for a Buff Orpington hen I was told) So I gave her 5 of her eggs back and she is being the perfect mom. Sitting on her eggs, keeping them warm. I am a little concerned however, we just had a massive storm and the nest is wet. Should I remove the eggs or let mom keep them going?

EGG UPDATE - 29 eggs went in - 28 eggs remain. 1 was a dud.... not fertilized, but it was a Earl / Buffy cross so not to bummed out.

only 8 days left

We have 13 Speckled Sussex eggs left, 13 Buff Orpington eggs left, and 2 Sapphire Gem eggs left. (We were using Saphron's for food, now I am saving them for the next hatch)

CHICK TIME! - THERE IS SOME SERIOUS WHITENESS ON A COUPLE OF THE TEST CHICKS NOW. - They hatched on 04-13-23 so they are 2 1/2 weeks old while I am writing this. - If you want to start guessing for genders go ahead! We will see if we are right!

Chick #1 - (Big'un) - I'm going to say BOY

View attachment 3488633View attachment 3488634



Chick #2 - (Dutchess) - Finger's crossed for a GIRL

View attachment 3488645



Chick #3 - (Princess) - Again, hoping a GIRL, or the name is going to confuse people

View attachment 3488646



Chick #4 - ( Yet Unnamed) - Thinking he is a boy based on his attitude

View attachment 3488649View attachment 3488648


SAPHRON and EARL'S CHICK! The picture's don't do her justice. The down is not grey, it is actually blueish looking and the white is BRIGHT WHITE. Like she has been thrown in the washer with bleach. Also she has red, soon to be Mahogany spot on the top of her head. And yes I am going to keep saying HER even if SHE starts crowing and tries to breed with the girls. I want to keep her, she isn't allowed to be a boy.
She is a little smaller, hatched 3 days after the others, she is 2 weeks old today.

BLUEY - PRAYING IT IS A GIRL!!!

View attachment 3488650View attachment 3488651View attachment 3488652

Update?

I picked the best three cockerels and took the others to a poultry auction about 30 minutes' drive from home.

The boy with too much orange also has a lot of black bleeding into the white tips, so he'll be heading for the auction, too, probably this weekend.

That will leave me with these two who are the best, closest to the standard.

I like Joel's white tips on his wings lining up, nice. He's not quite into his adult plumage.

Samuel is a little darker overall, which places him as top choice for breeding. I can see some of the white tips on his wings also lining up.