The Poultry Keeper

greentree · Joined: 08 Jun 2007 Posts: 160 Location: Wicklow - Ireland

My 2 light sussex (of a batch of 6 - others taken by fox) that I bought as day old chicks have now started laying.

This is at exactly 20 weeks. Is this normal - I thought it would be a few more weeks yet?

Usual, adolescent problems - laying from perches, small eggs etc etc. Will be sorted as we go along. As we speak one of them is trying to lay another one in the nest box....

Jane · Joined: 28 Jul 2007 Posts: 3

I have a Light Sussex and a Welsummer in my flock of 6 mixed breeds. They have all been living together happily however this morning they both satrted to crow! I'm in a dilemma now. Will they continue to co-habit or must I get rid of one?

CP · Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 9:59 am Post subject:

They may get along fine as long as 1 assumes a lower position in the pecking order & as long as there's enough room for the underling to escape if necessary! Wink

We have 2 & the younger one sometimes has to make a fast exit if the older one catches him 'at it'! Shocked

They may be OK as they've been brought up together. You might need a few more hens too. Wink

greentree · Joined: 08 Jun 2007 Posts: 160 Location: Wicklow - Ireland

My light sussex have been laying now for a couple of months. Anyone know if this breed goes broody? Would like to try and hatch a few chicks....

Mike

rubychik · Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 11:43 pm Post subject:

yes greentree they are very prone to being broody, although mine are not good mothers Evil or Very Mad

mojo · Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 12:36 pm Post subject:

got light and buffs ........if next year i cross them what will i get(ok i know they will be chickens) but will they be coqs one colour hens another or will they all be a mix of colours and shades ........anyone know ??

rubychik · Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 12:43 pm Post subject:

I presume the auto-sexing thingy will kick in here, but someone else may know otherwise. If so, a dark cockerel on a light hen should produce silver boys and buff hens (afaik) we have hatched RIR coq on Light Sussex hens to get the sex-linked chicks, I just don't know specifically about the Buff Sussex on Light Sussex.

mojo · Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 12:46 pm Post subject:

thanks ..i didnt think about autosexing really.what a super idea ......i just thought of getting a few mixed colour birds.......for eggs and meat

greentree · Joined: 08 Jun 2007 Posts: 160 Location: Wicklow - Ireland

Mojo - would love to get some buff sussex hatching eggs off you. Problem is - how do you get them from France to Ireland in a couple of days without breaking etc!! (and of course at short notice!)

rubychik · Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 8:44 pm Post subject:

mojo · Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2007 9:43 am Post subject:

greentree i could always hard boil them..........actually the buffs are new stock i have raised this summer so you will have to wait till next year i am afraid........................rubychick do they come with labels then or do we just eat the crowers

rubychik · Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2007 10:57 am Post subject:

mojo · Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2007 9:26 pm Post subject:

was joking but now am serios..........so a buff coq X light sussex hen would produce buff hens and white coqs.................and a light coq X buff hen would give white hens and buff coqs.....................now have i got that right please

rubychik · Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 8:44 am Post subject:

hee hee I knew you were joking about the labels thingy but wasn't quite sure if you thought you had to wait till they crowed Laughing

Hen-Gen · Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 8:49 am Post subject:

Nope mojo. It only works one way round ie Gold or Buff Cock X Light Sussex Hen.
Do it the other way round and every chick is silver and looks like a Light Sussex. Apart from having read it in books I've been playing around for years with crosses involving regular Welsummers and Silver Duckwing Welsummers so I know that 'the man in the book, he no lie'!