Sussex

Looks how to spot one

Soft, close feathering on a long, broad body

A solid, long-backed table-type bird with a broad breast and a single comb. Varieties range from the old Speckled to the Light, the most widely kept form in Britain. Hens lay tinted to light brown eggs.12

Personality what they are like

Calm, confident and inquisitive. Sussex are people-oriented, suit beginners and families, though they can be on the gentle side in a flock of pushier breeds.34

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Moderate to high. They cope with a run but are keen foragers and are happiest with room to roam.3

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Chickens keep their own plumage in order by preening and dust bathing, so the owner's job is a dry dust-bath spot, clean dry bedding, daily flock checks and regular egg collection. Hens typically lay 180 to 250 tinted eggs a year, and many go broody and make good mothers. They lay best when not overfed.513

Home where they are happiest

Needs a secure, dry, well-ventilated coop plus an outdoor run. The RSPCA suggests roughly 1 m² of indoor space per bird where possible; veterinary husbandry guidance gives 0.37 m² per large bird as a minimum, and Oregon State University Extension advises about 0.28 m² per bird when there is a run, or 0.75 to 0.9 m² without outdoor access. Allow at least 15 cm of perch per bird (more for big breeds), about one nest box per four hens, and a patch of dry soil for dust bathing. Sussex are comfortable in cool weather and appreciate shade in hot spells.567

Food basics what goes in the bowl

A complete commercial ration forms the base: chick starter first, a lower-calcium grower feed until laying begins, then layer feed. An adult eats around 120 g of layers pellets a day, a little more in winter. Provide insoluble grit, oyster shell as extra calcium for layers, and fresh clean water at all times. In the UK, kitchen scraps may not be fed to poultry. Avoid overfeeding treats, as this breed lays best in lean condition.56

Company who they like around

A flock bird that forages, roosts and dust bathes with companions, so keep at least three hens that get along.5

The story where it all began

Chickens described as Old Sussex or Kent fowl were shown in London as early as 1845, and the area supplied table birds to the capital for generations. A breed club was formed in 1903 after a call to preserve the old type, a standard with light, red and speckled varieties followed, and the breed reached America around 1912.132

Recognised by the official bits

The Poultry Club of Great Britain

Soft feather heavy breed; the Sussex Breed Club, formed in 1903, is one of the oldest in Britain. The first standard (1902) covered light, red and speckled.2

American Poultry Association (Standard of Perfection)

Speckled and Red admitted in 1914, Light in 1929.3

The Livestock Conservancy

Listed in the Recovering category.3