Chicken Breed Focus - Sussex

[sumi]

The Sussex is a dual purpose breed that originated in England around the time of the Roman conquest of Britain in AD 43, making them one of the oldest known breeds. Today they are a popular breed for show exhibitions as well as a garden breed.

The Sussex is an alert, docile breed that can adapt to any surroundings. They are comfortable in both free range or confined spaces and in the presence of humans, although they will mate and breed better in larger spaces. The breed frequently goes broody in the warmer months. They are good foragers and are generally vigorous and hardy as a garden fowl.

Details:

Detail Value
Breed Purpose Dual Purpose
Comb Single
Broodiness Average
Climate Tolerance All Climates
Egg Productivity High
Egg Size Medium
Egg Color White - Light Brown
Breed Temperament Friendly, Bears confinement well, Quiet, Docile
Breed Colors/Varieties Speckled, Light, Buff, Silver, Coronation, Red, White, Buff Colombian
Breed Size Large Fowl; Bantam


Pic by @3riverschick


Pic by @Fancychooklady


Pic by @Fancychooklady


Pic by @GardeNerd


Pic by @wava1vaughn


Pic by @mstarr

Breed Reviews:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/products/sussex

Breed Discussion Threads:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/279509/the-sussex-thread/0_30
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/429217/show-quality-speckled-sussex/0_30
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/424026/coronation-sussex-thread/0_30
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ssex-fowl-all-varieties-large-and-bantam/0_30
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/796329/buff-sussex/0_30


Do you own Sussex chickens? Are you a Sussex breeder? If so, please reply to this thread with the your thoughts and experiences, including:

· What made you decide to get this breed?
· Do you own them for fun? Breeding? Some other purpose?
· What are your favorite characteristics about this breed?
· Post some pics of your birds; male/female, chicks, eggs, etc!

We have a bunch of other awesome breed-focus threads for you to enjoy. You can see all of them here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/chicken-breed-focus-project.975504/

 

[Faraday40]

We've got some speckled sussex due March 7th. I can't wait! Our daughter has had them on her wish list for a while.

We incubated a Coronation Sussex three years ago. She (Hope) was a beauty & so docile. Sadly, the giant girl didn't do very well in the extreme heat of summer during her 2nd year. We kept one of her chicks. Not a purebred, but she has the same sweet personality. So named her Sweetie.

This was Hope:







My son claimed Hope's daughter as his own. For about a month or two, our son simply called her "Mine." LOL She was then called "Nemo" for a while - Latin for "nobody" because no one would name her. Later we called her Sweetie because that's simply what she is! She looks more Orp than Susex, but we love the big hen.

 

[CharB]

My small flock of five includes one Speckled Sussex - Wynonna. She is definitely the most interesting of the lot. She is the most curious and will try any new treat/food first. The others wait to see what she does. They also seek her out when roaming the garden because she usually finds good food. With that being said, she is not the alpha hen. In fact, she gets picked on at times and will often be to herself. At 10 weeks, Wynonna took to sitting on my shoulder. She discovered she gets more grapes that way and the others can't pick on her then! My flock is 10 months old now. She was one of the first layers. Extremely friendly and beautiful feathers. I would highly recommend them.

 

[ChickenGrass]

I am a bantam coronation Sussex breeder here in Ireland.

I decided to get this breed because I like Sussex as a whole,
But I wanted a rare colour so I went for the bantam coronation Sussex.

I own my coronation Sussex for breeding and showing.
They are good layers and large fowl Sussex have a nice bit of meat.

My favorite characteristic of this breed is they are very friendly.
When I am training my coronation Sussex to sit in a cage for a show,
They are very quiet and don't start flapping all over the cage.

Here's some pictures of mine.
They are just under a year old.

 

[sumi]

I never considered getting any Sussex birds, but I went to look at a poultry merchant's stock in August 2015. He kept a mixed flock of assorted breeds, hens and roosters, in a dark shed, a temporary accommodation as he sold them on. He opened the door to show me the birds and immediately this lovely hen came flying out, straight into my arms. And stayed there quite happily… Needless to say the "just going to look" turned into a purchase. I bought her and a Bluebell hen to keep her company. They've been great and consistent layers since starting a few weeks after I bought them, until about 3 weeks ago when we sadly lost the Bluebell to nighttime predator. The Sussex started laying again recently, but not as well as before.

Here she and Bluebell are getting a bit spoiled by my DS, about 4 weeks after we bought them:

 

[HChickenfarm]

I have just hatched 5 light Sussex. I am so excited to finally get this breed.

 

[Faraday40]

Last year I posted a lot of pics of my son's chick = Chizzy.
She's worked her way up to the top of the pecking order. I guess it wasn't too hard since most are orpingtons. LOL


Last fall, she lost some of her comb to an amorous young cockerel. It was tough, but so is Chizzy. No problems with frostbite with this gal! I kind of think the shark fin comb suits her rough-tough personality.

Here she is now:

 

[CountryGeorge]

I got six Speckled Sussex 'pullets' last year from the local feed store and ended up having to rehome one because she developed the horrid habit of yanking the pin feathers out of her hatchmates and eating them. This also started a bleed that lead to pecking by the others. Out of the remaining five one had a very large, very pretty comb so I named it Princess so when it became the rooster I knew it would I could say it was 'The Rooster Formally Known as Princess'. They are fun, friendly and chatty and just starting to get into laying eggs, some of which reach extra large size.

 

[3riverschick]

Looking for show quality Speckled Sussex?

Kindred Hill Farm
New Hampshire
Leela Olson
[email protected]
http://www.localharvest.org/kindred-hill-farm-M61338

FEATHERHILLS FARM
Tony Albritton
509-995-7284
email Us
16405 Orchard Ave, Caldwell, ID 83607
All bred to the Standard of Perfection. Large Fowl: Speckled Sussex,
White Wyandotte, Rhode Island Red. Bantam: White Plymouth Rock,
White Leghorn. Narragansett Turkey, Pilgrim Geese. NPIP#91-121.
Tony Albritton of Idaho has excellent large fowl has Speckled Sussex .
See his ad here on Page 3 : http://www.exhibitionpoultry.net/downloads/ep3-5.pdf

Skytop Bantams
http://www.skytopbantams.com/sussex.html Jackie Koedatich in PA
The Speckled Sussex that we started out with (Freckles & Dottie)
were purchased from Rob Mongold .Lilly & Trigger were purchased from Gary Overton
Jackie Koedatich, , MA
Jackie is an APA Judge
[email protected]. Bantam Chicken
http://www.todaywebsitedesigns.com/files/ffusaexample2.pdf
https://www.facebook.com/New-Hampshire-Poultry-Fanciers-Association-121964924517955/
http://exhibitionpoultry.net/downloads/EP3-3.pdf
Excellent now archived poultry ezine. All issues readable online. Includes info on APA judges.

ABA, APA Judge Gary Overton
1436 Wolf RdW Alexandria, OH 45381-9339
Phone number 937-839-5626

Adam W Loeffel
4297 Greenmount Ave
Memphis, TN 38122-2626
Phone number 901-682-3812
BYC profile: https://www.backyardchickens.com/u/1111/herechickchick
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adams-flock

Rob Mongold [email protected] had some lovely bantam Speckled Sussex,
as I remember. Here is his 2002 website via archive.org. http://tinyurl.com/la3ov69
Note: not sure the geocities email is still vaild.

Rev, Paul Ashbrook created at lovely line and just a while ago, sold it . Painted Feathers Farm
http://www.paintedfeathersfarm.webs.com obtained some and are crossing it with Overton :
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/631078/bantam-speckled-sussex-chicks

 

[3riverschick]

------------
Speckled Sussex are a tri-color breed and thus the most difficult to breed to feather because of all the color balancing involved. However, we are blessed that several master breeders have brought both the bantam and large fowl of this variety to top winning line status. On Large: Gary Overton, OH; Mr. Tony Albrittion, ID, Walt Reichert, KY, etc. In bantam: Gary Overton "Mr. Sussex", OH; Skytop Bantams, PA http://www.reocities.com/skytopbantams/sussex.html Look at the breed type on "Party", Wow! Just lovely type all thru this strain which is basically a meld of Overton and Mongold. ; Rob Mongold, OH; Adam Leoffel, KY, etc.
In Sussex fowl , the physical characteristics are so closely aligned with the breeds; production virtues, that if a bird doesn't look like a Sussex, it literally isn't a Sussex. This breed has rich literary history in English. You can actually read online one of the classic books on the breed by Mr. Sharpe, a legendary breeder/judge who was also actually the originator of the Light Sussex.
https://archive.org/details/cu31924003091398
There is a parent Club for Sussex, The American Sussex Breeders Association (website, with a Breeder's Directory) and a bunch of different Sussex threads which enjoy popularity here in BYC! In Sussex, the best winter layers are March-hatched.

Here is an anthology of info I wrote on getting started in quality fowl.
Where to find show quality and foundation quality Speckled Sussex in the USA:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/429217/show-quality-speckled-sussex/1970#post_13959610
post #1978 of 2043
--------------------------
Study the breed and find out what it's greatest need will be in 5 years.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...esteading-heritage-poultry/2520#post_14526815
post #2524 of 2524
===================
Here is a way to get started quality birds.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/882047/the-dorking-breeders-thread/280#post_14479577
post #284 of 291
---------------------
Get started birds. It is the wisest way to begin.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/882047/the-dorking-breeders-thread/280#post_14479520
post #283 of 291
---------------------------------
Looking to be introduced to breeding show quality birds, was wondering where to get started.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/941219/where-did-you-get-your-starting-pair#post_14459908
post #2 of 11
======================
Go to your local feed store or Tractor Supply and buy a bottle of Poultry Nutri-Dench or Goat Nutri-Dench.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/941182/new-chicken-parent#post_14454501
post #4 of 9
==================
Does anyone have any suggestions for inexpensive sources of grains? Yup. Plotspike.
I have superb results with their Forage Oats.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...prouts-to-feed-the-chickens/700#post_14441278
post #707 of 762
====================
If I could have only 8 books in my Library they would be :
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/940222/books-and-siites-on-poultry-genetics#post_14435187
post #4 of 6
===================================
TIGHT OR LOOSE FEATHERING.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...esteading-heritage-poultry/2340#post_14402190
post #2349 of 2524
This is very important to understand when beeding Sussex fowl.
------------------------
Can't say it often enough. Save the ,money and buy the very best.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...esteading-heritage-poultry/2280#post_14389826
post #2284 of 2524
==========================
How to Deal With Travel Stress in Baby Chicks
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/938139/how-common-is-it-for-chicks-die-when-shipped#post_14370214
post #3 of 5
======================
The Science of Feeding Grit to Poultry
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/891051/the-science-of-feeding-grit-to-poultry
Posts 1 and 3.

I found it! The Glory Hole of all things grit for poultry. I was surfing "grit" tonight and decided to try HathiTrust Digital Library. One of my favs because they post lit published after that annoying 1926 public domain cutoff date. Lookie here! This is 84 pages of bibliography and abstracts about grit for poultry *and* it is published by the granite grit industry! I have been reading it and fabulous info here. So much is beginning to make sense. The abstracts are great because I get to see the knowledge/conclusions without having to find the whole article. ( scientific Cliff Notes, hee, hee!) Even when we have to take into account the early dates of some of the research, there is so much here! . It's full view. You can keyword search the text. I used "size grit" and came up with some fascinating hits. Esp. on pages 38, 48, and 49. Enjoy! There is so much to digest here! ( pun intended!).
Grit for poultry: bibliography and abstract.
Author: Branion, Hugh Douglas, 1906-
Published: New York, Granite Grit Institute of America [1960]
84 p. 28 cm.
http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89043737196;view=1up;seq=1

Best Regards,
Karen in western PA