Light Sussex
This is a heavy breed of chicken, which displays no great differences in plumage between males and females. As far as I'm aware, one therefore has to rely on relative differences in size, shape of hackles and head gear to get an idea of gender. There are theories that one can get an idea about gender of heavy breeds by paying attention to how quickly birds feather up (see the main sexing page for more detail) but I haven't found this to be reliable for this breed - our pullets (Summer and Ghost, who feature heavily in the collection of photos below) both feathered up quickly on the wings, as pullets should, but very slowly on the tail, which is supposed to be indicative of roosters.
22 days
27 days
32 days
34 days
5 weeks
41 days

46 days
50 days

22 days
females
posted by Direchicken Cork, Ireland

Summer on left, Ghost on right
102688_summer_ghost_22_days.jpg


27 days
females
posted by Direchicken Cork, Ireland

Ghost
102688_ghost_27_days.jpg

102688_ghost_27_days_2.jpg

102688_ghost_head_27_days.jpg


Summer
102688_summer_27_days.jpg

102688_summer_head_27_days.jpg

102688_summer_27_days2.jpg

102688_summer_27_days1.jpg


32 days
females
posted by Direchicken Cork, Ireland

Ghost(back) Summer(front)
102688_ghostsummer_32_days.jpg




34 days
females
posted by Direchicken Cork, Ireland

Summer(left) Ghost(right)
102688_summerghost_34_days.jpg


5 weeks
member: swift081702
Parker, Colorado, USA
posted 7/5/2009

We are new to chickens and these are our first Light Sussex chicks. They are 4-6 weeks now. I think I can tell the sex of all of them, but there is one I am not sure of. The comb is close to the head, but the bird is large like the others. Do I have two females here or just one? The last one I am thinking is a male?

Pic. 1 [
29748_4916.jpg


Pic. 2
29748_4909.jpg


Pic 3
29748_4899.jpg


41 days
females
posted by Direchicken Cork, Ireland

Summer
102688_summer_head_41_days.jpg

102688_summer_face_41_days.jpg


Ghost
102688_ghost_face_41_days.jpg

102688_ghost_41_days.jpg


46 days
females
posted by Direchicken Cork, Ireland
Summer

102688_summer_46days.jpg

Ghost
102688_ghost_46days_2.jpg

102688_ghost_46days_3.jpg


50 days
female
posted by Direchicken Cork, Ireland

Summer
102688_summer_50days.jpg