The
Sussex is a dual-purpose, heritage chicken breed. Hens are good producers of large, cream-colored or light-brown eggs that they lay through the coldest winter months. They lay between 200 and 250 eggs a year. They can be broody and make good mothers. In addition, they’re meaty chickens that fatten easily, and their tender, succulent flesh is second to none.
The history of the Sussex is unclear. Some poultry historians believe the breed’s ancestors were the same as the Dorking’s and that Sussex history traces to the Roman occupation of Britain. What is certain is that it was fully developed and present in the English counties of Sussex, Kent and Surrey by the mid-1800s. British cooks once considered Sussex the quintessential table bird.