Sussex chicken
The Sussex is one of Britain's oldest and best-loved dual-purpose breeds, with eight standard colours in both large and bantam size.
The Sussex is a pure-bred chicken breed in the PCGB Soft Feather Heavy class. Its origin is given as Sussex, England. It appears on the RBST Watchlist as a priority breed, so keepers of pure stock help conserve it.
It is kept in large and bantam forms. Recognised colours: Brown, Buff, Coronation, Light, Red, Speckled, Silver, White. Typical adult weights: cock about 4–4.2 kg, hen about 3–3.2 kg, bantam cock about 1–1.2 kg and bantam hen about 780–800 g.
Expect roughly 180–210 eggs a year, with tinted/light brown shells. It is mainly kept as a dual-purpose bird and for exhibition or as an ornamental bird.
Compiled from poultryclub.org, rbst.org.uk, poultrykeeper.com, en.wikipedia.org. See sources
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Identity
- Species
- Chicken
- Type
- Pure breed
- PCGB class
- Soft Feather Heavy
- Origin
- Sussex, England
- Kept for
- Dual purpose, Exhibition or ornamental
History
'Old Sussex or Kent Fowl' were shown at the first poultry show (London Zoo, 1845). It was not in the 1865 standard. The Sussex Breed Club formed in 1903, and the 1902 standard had Light, Red and Speckled; Speckled is the oldest. Light was probably influenced by Brahma, Cochin and Silver-Grey Dorking. Buff appeared in 1920. Coronation was made for Edward VIII's planned 1936 coronation, became scarce by the war, and was later recreated by Rob Whittington.
Appearance
Brown, Buff, Coronation, Light, Red, Speckled, Silver and White.
Recognised colours
Brown, Buff, Coronation, Light, Red, Speckled, Silver, White
Size and weight
- Forms
- Large, Bantam
- Cock
- 4–4.2 kg
- Hen
- 3–3.2 kg
- Bantam cock
- 1–1.2 kg
- Bantam hen
- 780–800 g
Eggs
- Eggs a year
- 180–210
- Egg colour
- Tinted/light brown
Temperament
Not recorded yet.
Hardiness
Not recorded yet.
Broodiness
Not recorded yet.
Flying
Not recorded yet.
Suitability
- Beginners
- Suitable for beginners
- Good to know
- It displaced the Dorking as London's main table bird in the early 1900s.
Conservation status (RBST)
A priority breed on the Rare Breeds Survival Trust Watchlist.
Breed club
- The Sussex Club, breed-specific
Sources
This page is compiled from:
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