Hi,
wait a minute. Sussex are a breed whose virtues between meat and egg production are *very* carefully balanced. That *last* thing a Sussex is, is color. In fact the silhouette and structure of the Sussex ( both sexes) is so critical to their major breed hallmarks that literally, if it doesn't look like a Sussex, it is *not* a Sussex.
Not to burst your bubble, but just because a bird has Sussex in it, doesn't make it as Sussex. here's what a true Sussex should look like:
This is Katherine Plumers' drawing of the ideal Sussex for the 2010 APA Standard of Perfection.
http://katherineplumer.com/closeups/poultry/SOP/LLightSussex.html
The Sussex is a breed of graceful curves which meet each other for form a symmetric whole. The breed is a study in grace and symmetry. No one part so glaring that it distracts the eye from the beauty of the whole. The breed is close feathered, meaning that the feathers are not ruffled the wrong way by every puff of breeze.
Unlike the Orpington, the definition of the thigh is evident in spite of the pantaloons. The skin on the face and wattles s fine, being indicative of the fine skin on the rest of the bird. The scales on the legs are fine also indicative of fine skin on the rest of the bird. The neck has a proper, but not too pronounced, curve to it which helps balance the birds carcass. The tail is there but not too high stationed as that can be indicative of a shorter back. The almost level back and breadth and depth of body are the meat hallmarks of the breed. The keel should be well laid so the breast can carry abundant meat. A shallow chested bird is not a Sussex.
Why do we care if the skin is fine textured or not? Because when the bird comes into lay, the reproductive organs swell. The skin must be able to stretch to accommodate this. Fine skin will stretch but coarse skin has a tendency to lay up a layer of fat underneath it. This fat does not stretch and thus the room for the reproductive organs is less and the bird lays less eggs.
The comb and wattles are medium size as that size has less tendency to collect water and freeze in the cold months.
The wings are carried parallel to the ground as this is a sign of strong pectoral muscles.
wait for it a sec while I look up the link:
The post below is on Page 110, posts 1094 and 1097 ( click on the blue box of text in 1097 to see Dragonladys' responses.).
The lady annotating my post in 1097 is Dragonlady. She bred fancy fowl for over 50 years and her Wonderful Buff Orpingtons were known nationwide for their quality. It was so nice of her to share her experience. Her text is in green.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/csu-chicken-state-university-large-fowl-sop.732985/page-110
Best,
Karen
