# My Hatching Marathon



## LightSussexLady (May 28, 2021)

Between July and August I hatched out 25 chicks. Most of them have already joined the flock, and I just have 6 now in the shed brooder. I'm telling you, boy was I happy to get them out of the house. The dust was ridiculous. I don't know if I would do it again, it was a lot of work having to feed three different groups in three different locations, but I am happy with the results. So I now have 33 chickens in total, but some have to go. Lost half the original flock to a fox, so not cool, but at least have have more room in the coop now.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Unh huh, sure you won't be hatching more. Did anyone warn you that hatching peeps is almost as addicting as having chickens in the first place. 

And the dust. Oh yes, the dust when brooding indoors. 

Sorry about the fox. Have you been able to rectify that problem?


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## LightSussexLady (May 28, 2021)

Yes I did fix the fox problem, by keeping them in the fort knox run for about 4 weeks. Was my first fox attack and I have been keeping chickens since 2018. He got my Granny hen. . Last of my first chickens, very sad. I'm over incubating until next year now, I think I have enough now and will be selling the ones I don't want. From what I can see at the moment, just one hen came out perfect from all the 25. She is still in the shed brooder, but as young as she is, she has the darkest collar and tail feathers of all of them. A really pretty hen.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

It's never easy to fix predator problems. Glad you were able to convince the fox that he needed to move on. 

What about any boys? Did you hatch any you're enthused over?


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## Animals45 (May 11, 2021)

LightSussexLady said:


> Yes I did fix the fox problem, by keeping them in the fort knox run for about 4 weeks. Was my first fox attack and I have been keeping chickens since 2018. He got my Granny hen. . Last of my first chickens, very sad. I'm over incubating until next year now, I think I have enough now and will be selling the ones I don't want. From what I can see at the moment, just one hen came out perfect from all the 25. She is still in the shed brooder, but as young as she is, she has the darkest collar and tail feathers of all of them. A really pretty hen.


Which breed is the granny hen? I'm sorry about your loss!😢


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## LightSussexLady (May 28, 2021)

She was a Sussex mix, bred for egg production. But she was a sweety and I think every family needs a granny. So here is the young one that has the darkest collar, she is still young, so it looks a mess at the moment. The other hen has the most perfect collar. So I'm working to get both together...As far a roosters go they are all really too young to see, but I put a candidate in to show you. All are dirty because it has been raining, but they were all enjoying the sun today, so I took some shots.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I'm sure if I was there I could tell the difference in collars but I can't from the pics. I did notice if that first pic is your fave, that she's got black in other spots. Does that matter? 

And that's the way for all critters we have, at least one has to be a granny. One that is special for reason or another.


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## Animals45 (May 11, 2021)

LightSussexLady said:


> She was a Sussex mix, bred for egg production. But she was a sweety and I think every family needs a granny. So here is the young one that has the darkest collar, she is still young, so it looks a mess at the moment. The other hen has the most perfect collar. So I'm working to get both together...As far a roosters go they are all really too young to see, but I put a candidate in to show you. All are dirty because it has been raining, but they were all enjoying the sun today, so I took some shots.
> View attachment 43085
> View attachment 43086
> View attachment 43087
> ...


Oh wow, they're all so beautiful!


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## Animals45 (May 11, 2021)

LightSussexLady said:


> She was a Sussex mix, bred for egg production. But she was a sweety and I think every family needs a granny. So here is the young one that has the darkest collar, she is still young, so it looks a mess at the moment. The other hen has the most perfect collar. So I'm working to get both together...As far a roosters go they are all really too young to see, but I put a candidate in to show you. All are dirty because it has been raining, but they were all enjoying the sun today, so I took some shots.
> View attachment 43085
> View attachment 43086
> View attachment 43087
> ...


Oh wow, they're all so beautiful!


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## LightSussexLady (May 28, 2021)

It is hard to explain, but this is what a I think a Light Sussex should look like. So I am working towards that goal. The head markings should be like a bonnet and just almost touch at the front. Looking at these and thinking all mine are crap..😂 But hey I just started, so I+ve got an excuse.


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## danathome (Sep 14, 2020)

You have gorgeous birds!


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Indeed, nice birds!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

LightSussexLady said:


> It is hard to explain, but this is what a I think a Light Sussex should look like. So I am working towards that goal. The head markings should be like a bonnet and just almost touch at the front. Looking at these and thinking all mine are crap..😂 But hey I just started, so I+ve got an excuse.
> 
> View attachment 43102


Where did you get that pic from? It looks unrealistic. Is there a Sussex poultry club? That would be the pics to base your birds quality on. 

Now you've got me curious and I'll have to go look.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

OK, I looked at a bunch of pics. It appears the closed collar happens more with males than females. 

But I realized something too. This is just me but I like the colors that show white. Some collars were nearly black there were so few white feathers. 

Does Germany have a standard for Light Sussex?


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

robin416 said:


> OK, I looked at a bunch of pics. It appears the closed collar happens more with males than females.
> 
> But I realized something too. This is just me but I like the colors that show white. Some collars were nearly black there were so few white feathers.
> 
> Does Germany have a standard for Light Sussex?


Or the European Standard, which I guess is pretty much EU now? I can't find my book.


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## LightSussexLady (May 28, 2021)

Yes Germany has a Standard. I have to translate it into English again though. You see a lot of that dark feathering more in the British birds. The picture is I think from a breeder in Liverpoole, if I'm not mistaken...was searching the web and didn't take a note. You never see the German Light Sussex that dark though, Not even the best of breed at the show I went to, had the collar that dark...must be a British thing. I'll translate the German Standard and put it up here, as soon as I get it done.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

LightSussexLady said:


> Yes Germany has a Standard. I have to translate it into English again though. You see a lot of that dark feathering more in the British birds. The picture is I think from a breeder in Liverpoole, if I'm not mistaken...was searching the web and didn't take a note. You never see the German Light Sussex that dark though, Not even the best of breed at the show I went to, had the collar that dark...must be a British thing. I'll translate the German Standard and put it up here, as soon as I get it done.


Thanks!


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## LightSussexLady (May 28, 2021)

*German Light Sussex Standard 
A. General 

origin: *

England. From Dorking, Brahma and Cochin bred in Switzerland: around 1910

Hatching eggs Minimum weight 60 g, colour: yellow to brownish

*Ring size:* Rooster: 22 Hen: 20

*B. Type and breeding objective *
Heavy, broad, deep and full-breasted chicken, boxy, rectangular shape, long, wide, flat back, full feathers without pillowing. Single comb. trusting in nature. preservation of the good dual purpose properties with a fine meat quality.

*Breed characteristics rooster: 
Body: *
box-shaped; rectangular in a ratio, depth to length of preferably 1 to 1.5; horizontally
*Neck:*
just about medium length; strongly rejuvenated upwards; with well-developed plumage but without appearing clumsy.
*Back: *
wide and flat in the shoulders; long; horizontal.
*Shoulders:*
rounded; not protruding.
*Wings:*
high and close
*Saddle*:
wide laterally rounded without padding
*Toes:* straight; well spread. 
*Plumage*: 
close tight; feathers as wide as possible 
*Tail:*
broad and loose at the base, carried raised with numerous Sickles and tail feathers like a broad flag and not too soft in the shaft; the short lesser sickles almost entirely covered.
*Chest: *
deep and broad; not bulging, rather from the throat sloping almost vertically and in an arc to the lower boundary of the breast. 
*Belly:* deep and wide; sweeping far back. 
*Head:* small; broad in the beak. 
*Face:* fine in the tissue. 
*Comb:*
single; upright; medium in size; with 4 to 5 spikes cut up to half of the comb; only slightly protruding from the back of the head; thin in the flesh; fine-grained. 
*Wattles:* 
round; smooth; fine-grained. 
*Ear lobes*: scarcely developed; close-fitting; Red. 
*Eyes:* orange-red.
*Beak:* medium size; slightly bent; flesh to light horn colored with a dark ridge.
*Thigh:* medium length; tightly feathered. 
*Legs:* medium length; fine-boned; free from stubble and feathers; whitish flesh-colored. Slightly red colored stripe allowed for the cock







FLAWS or disqualification
triangular shape; Country fowl or orpington type; narrow, light body; sharply sloping or rounded back; heavy pillowing; flat pointed chest; Steep tail; to high or low stance; heavy boned; feathered legs



Colors: Light Sussex

The main color of the the plumage is pure silver-white. Head pure silver-white. Neck hangings with a wide, deep black, shimmering green Shaft line with sharp silver edging. The markings should touch as much as possible on the front neck so that the so-called collar closure arises. The feathers of the the upper back under the neck feathers show black droplets in the cock. Saddle of the cock if possible without black shaft lines, but saddle markings permitted. The cock's tail is pure black with a green sheen, small sickle feathers of the rooster and the tail feathers of the hen lined with white, large tail feathers of the hen, white edging allowed. Wings black with white outer edge, wing inside black, outside white, so that the folded wing appears white. under plumage white, light gray permitted. 


This is google translate, so some of German words don't translate , I think the pillowing here is called fluff in the American Standard. 

I also didn't know the German Suusex Standard was taken from the Swiss Sussex, so all our Sussex here are based on what they bred and not the English Sussex, so now that makes sense!


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## Gin (Sep 14, 2021)

LightSussexLady said:


> Between July and August I hatched out 25 chicks. Most of them have already joined the flock, and I just have 6 now in the shed brooder. I'm telling you, boy was I happy to get them out of the house. The dust was ridiculous. I don't know if I would do it again, it was a lot of work having to feed three different groups in three different locations, but I am happy with the results. So I now have 33 chickens in total, but some have to go. Lost half the original flock to a fox, so not cool, but at least have have more room in the coop now.
> 
> View attachment 43078
> View attachment 43079
> View attachment 43082


Beautiful birds! When are you selling? And Where are you located?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

There is quite a bit more detail to the coloring that you can pick up in pictures. I see they also want the collar to be closed like you're trying to achieve. 

I wonder, would it be easier to get Swiss Sussex?


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## LightSussexLady (May 28, 2021)

Well like I said, I didn't know the German ones are Swiss in origin. But i don't live that far from Switzerland, like it's 40 minutes to the border. I live near Freiburg, in the Blackforrest. I am a unicorn, the only person around me just does the Bantam size in Light Sussex.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Nothing wrong with moving to your own music. 😋 

If you were to decide to do something like getting birds from Switzerland how difficult would it be? I'm not suggesting you should but with how serious everyone got about bird diseases around the world I'm just curious.


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## LightSussexLady (May 28, 2021)

Im not sure what the rules are of importing/exporting chickens from/to Switzerland. And if the Germans would even let me. They aren't EU, and it could get compicated.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Ah, I did not know that about not being EU but it makes some sort of sense. They are quite capable being all on their own. 

At one time it wasn't as bad but when bird flu popped up it became quite difficult. I know we can do it between us and Canada but I don't know the ins and outs that either.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

LightSussexLady said:


> *German Light Sussex Standard
> A. General
> 
> origin: *
> ...


That does make sense.


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## LightSussexLady (May 28, 2021)

Gosh, I really do have enough chickens though 😂

Chicken Stampede


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

LOL Were those yours? How hard is it to get them to go back in at night? 

BTW, there is always hatching eggs from Switzerland if you get the bug again. I'll bet those are easier to bring in than live birds. (just sayin')


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## LightSussexLady (May 28, 2021)

Yup those are mine. Really easy, they put themselves to bed.


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## JediPat (Sep 19, 2018)

Nice work.


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