Breed profile
Sussex
England's old table-and-egg bird. The Sussex is one of Britain's oldest breeds, built as a dual-purpose farm fowl, and published figures have hens laying 180 to 200 tinted eggs a year with dedicated layer strains reaching 250. Hens are standard-sized at a 7-pound minimum, big enough to dress out alongside the egg output. For a family basket, the tinted-cream shells are the quiet differentiator from the brown-egg crowd.
The egg numbers
| Eggs per year (first laying year) | 180–200 |
|---|---|
| In-lay rate | ≈3–4 a week |
| Egg weight | 60 g |
| Strain note | Published figures: hens lay some 180-200 tinted eggs per year, with layer strains giving up to 250; the hatchery Q&A gives 151-220 for the Speckled line, and the published band keeps the overlap. Eggs weigh about 60 g. |
| Egg color | tinted |
| Egg size | large |
| Starts laying | 20–26 weeks |
Body and climate
| Form | standard |
|---|---|
| Strain | heritage |
| APA class | English |
| Comb | single |
| Leg feathering | clean |
| Leg color | white |
| Distinguishing features | among the oldest British breeds; birds shown as "Old Sussex or Kent Fowl" at the first poultry show, London Zoo 1845 |
| Bird size | extra large |
| Skin color | white |
| Recognized varieties | Eight colour varieties recognised by the Poultry Club of Great Britain: brown, buff, coronation, light, red, silver, speckled and white; the APA recognises three colors (light, red, speckled), with red and speckled added in 1914 and light in 1929. |
| Conservation status | Recovering |
| Weeks to maturity | 20 |
| Mature hen weight | 7 lb |
| Mature rooster weight | 9 lb |
| Weight note | Standard minima: males 4.1 kg (9 lb), females 3.2 kg (7 lb). |
| Cold hardiness | good |
| Heat tolerance | good |
Character
| Temperament | Confident and curious; a steady dual-purpose farm bird. |
|---|---|
| Disposition | better |
| Free range | good |
| Meat production | better |
| Foraging | excellent |
| Broodiness | moderate |
| Broody note | The spec table rates Speckled Sussex very likely to sit. |
| Good first breed | Yes |
What this means for your setup
Size for a standard heavy breed: 7-pound hens, 9-pound roosters at the standard minima. Speckled Sussex is a popular hatchery variety, and the breed's calm, confident manner shows up in every roundup I cross-checked, though neither source grades cold hardiness formally. For winter planning, treat them like any heavy English bird: dry bedding, ventilation, heated water.
Gear that fits this breed
Coop Size Calculator
turn 7-lb hens into coop, run and roost numbers
Egg Calculator
turn the 180–200 egg-a-year range into a hen count
How Much Space Chickens Need
heavy fowl are the reason the generous end of the space math exists
Sussex FAQ
How many eggs do Sussex hens lay a year?
Expect 180-200 tinted eggs per year, with layer strains giving up to 250.
What color eggs do Sussex lay?
Tinted: a pale cream-to-brown shade, distinct from both the Leghorn white and the standard brown layers.
How big do Sussex chickens get?
Standard minima run 9 lb for males and 7 lb for females.