Breed to cross with Light Sussex

[albodean]

Hi all,

I am looking to purchase eggs to hatch to join my light sussex hens. I want to go for a different breed and incase one or more of the eggs turn out to be a cockerel, which breed would make a nice cross with a light Sussex?

Thanks in advance.

Alex

 

[Gray Farms]

First off you've got to figure that at least 50% of your chicks that hatch will be cockerels.

Secondly, what is the end result you are looking for? Meaning are you looking to breed good layers, meat birds, dual purpose, or just pretty yard birds?

 

[albodean]

First off you've got to figure that at least 50% of your chicks that hatch will be cockerels.

Secondly, what is the end result you are looking for? Meaning are you looking to breed good layers, meat birds, dual purpose, or just pretty yard birds?

Yeah I’m aware of that, I worded it badly sorry.

Just looking for good looking egg layers really.

Cheers

 

[Gray Farms]

Then I'd breed to either Rhode Island Red, Black Australorp, or a Leghorn. Or you could just keep them pure and breed to Light Sussex.

 

[TruNorth]

Light Sussex are crossed with all sorts of other breeds in England, and many of these crosses are colour sex-linked, which is handy. The cross with RIR gives you Golden Comets (the original Golden Comets!), with Welsummer gives you Caramel Queens, with White Silkies (that are genetically 'gold') gives you Clockers (because the hens are broody 'around the clock'). The cross with other silver down breeds, such as Barred Rocks, are not colour sexable but give you robust hybrid chicks. The more different from English breeds the rooster is, the better the cross is. So, with Australorps, no significant improvement, but with Leghorns or Malays lots! Try something and have fun!

 

[3riverschick]

You should stick with your Light Sussex and just get some cockerels from TruNorth. her Light Sussex are spectacular and she breeds for production virtues which means they'll be good layers too.
Plus your birds will be worth more because they are purebred ...and since Sussex production virtues are so closeley allied with breed type ..and TruNorth breeds for production virtues ...her birds also win the shows. Win, win.
Best ,
Karen and the Light Sussex in Western Pennsylvania

 

[Goingsolo 24]

I know this post is from last year, but I have a question. I recently hatched out two different sets of chicks: 1) I crossed light (white) Sussex with light (white) Sussex. 2) I crossed white Sussex rooster with hyline brown brown hens. I tried to mark the chicks on hatching as the white Sussex were a bit smaller at hatching than the Sussex cross. Now my question is: Will all the sussex x and sussex white chicks have the black markings on their wings from a young age or is it possible that they may not have them until later. Both groups seems to have some chicks with black tips to the wings and some don't. They are only a week old. But now I'm wondering if I didn't "sort" them properly.

 

[Compost King]

if spending on feed is an issue then try a Rhode Island red Bantam Rooster. RIR bantams actually have a decent sized egg for a bantam so the Red Sex Link Hybrids you make will have a really good feed to egg ratio without much sacrifice on egg size. I would even consider a Red Leghorn to cross with the Sussex but Red Leghorns are not as productive as the white Leghorns.