Sussex

The South East of England was noted for its chickens - Old Sussex, Kentish, Surrey and Dorking. The Victorians developed the fattening industry to supply, in particular, the London market. Sussex are a dual purpose breed with good, moist, white meat and good layers. The Surrey and Kentish birds disappeared, but the Dorking and particularly the Sussex thrived. The original Sussex was the Speckled and when the Sussex Club was formed in 1903, there were three varieties, the Red and Light (developed from the Brahma, Cochin and Dorking) and Brown. The Buff form appeared about 1920 followed by White, and Silver. The Sussex has been used with the Rhode Island Red, Indian Game and Leghorn to develop today's industry of battery and broiler hybrids.

Sussex are bright, active, docile birds. Birds have a long, broad and flat back and a broad, deep chest. The head has a single comb. Legs are short and strong with stout thighs. The tail is moderate and carried at about 45o. They are good sitters but do not go broody as often as more heavily feathered breeds. As layers, they are very good, producing up to 260 eggs a year and equalled only by the Rhode Island Red.

We have two varieties:

Buff: The body is an even buff colour. The head and hackles, are striped with black down each feather and outlined in buff. The wings have black on the flight feathers and the tail is black.

Light: These are the same as the Buffwith that colour being replaced by white.

Bantam versions exist but we do not have any.