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Pure Breed

Sussex

Price
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Temperament
Calm, friendly and confident
Eggs
Cream to light-brown eggs · reliable layer, often through winter

Choose Variety

White body with a black neck hackle and tail; the most common variety.

Select your preferred Sussex variety.

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The Sussex is a long-established British dual-purpose breed, traditionally valued for both eggs and the table. It has a broad, deep, well-rounded body carried fairly upright, with a single comb and clean, unfeathered legs. The best known variety is the Light Sussex, white with a black neck hackle striped with white and a black tail, but the breed also comes in several other colours. Hardy and adaptable, it is available as large fowl and as a bantam.

Sussex are calm, friendly and confident birds that tame readily and tolerate confinement well, while also foraging actively when given the range. They are dependable layers of cream to light-brown eggs and will often continue laying through the colder months better than many breeds. Their good nature, steady production and traditional looks have made them a lasting favourite for back-garden and smallholding flocks alike.

Key characteristics

  • Traditional British dual-purpose breed
  • Broad, deep body with clean legs and a single comb
  • Hardy and adaptable to range or confinement
  • Reliable layer that often lays through winter
  • Calm and confident, tames easily
  • Available in several colours and as a bantam