light sussex

[greenarmy]

hi guys any info on this breed, eggs, temperement, flighty , broody etc,
was thinking of getting some warrens, but some one suggested these to me
regards wayne

[RichmondHens]

I keep Light Sussex - both bantam and large fowl - and they are lovely reliable birds which lay well. However, they do have a tendency to go broody, so unless you are up for several weeks of this each year then I would not go for them straightaway. If you do have a sussex broody they make excellent mothers and have not failed me yet. If you are a newbie and just want a reliable egg layer then I would stick with your first choice of Warrens.

[Suechooks]

Playing Devils advocate here! My allotment neighbour keeps 6 Light Sussex and a cockerel. They are excellent layers and the only one who went broody didn't sit for the full time! I looked after them for a fortnight and got 4-6 eggs daily and they are 2nd year birds.
Go for what you like the look of or get some of each!

[julesapple]

I've got a Buff Sussex, and she's a great layer. She's never gone broody though. We've decided to keep the Light Sussex from our junior chicks, and I hope to get a Coronation Sussex girl to keep too out of the last hatch.

Buffy's very friendly. She's a real talker. If you're out there long enough she'll tell you her life story and her medical history. I just hope I'msmiling and nodding at the right times.

Saw a sign at the boot sale today 'For Sale Buff Sussex Auto-sexing Chicks' Didn't think Sussex's were autosexing?

Jules

[Scarlet]

Sorry RH I'm going to disagree too. I keep light sussex and I have had very few go broody - none at all this year unlike my marans which have taken it in turns to be broody all summer.
I think I would go with Suechooks idea - have a few of each!

[julesapple]

If you have one of each breed you can, at least, tell your chooks apart. We went for 6 different breeds and, now I'm a bit more practiced, I can tell all of the eggs apart too (three lay tinted eggs, but different shades)

Jules

[petal]

I would go for light sussex, they are so friendly and pretty. Ours lay lots of eggs!

[sqweek01]

I've got 4 hybrid chooks & one is a white sussex hybrid. She's the most chilled out & friendliest of my little flock. She's been broody a couple of times & I managed to snap her out of it but now I've let her sit on some duck eggs...

Regards

Clare

[RedThorn]

Got 2, both at least 2 years old, neither gone broody. They're beautiful and lovely girls....

[greenarmy]

Many thanks for all your replies, great site once again!!

[Snadger]

I have a Light Sussex cockerel that I hatched from some eBay eggs. He's a big bird (culled three others and they are good eating) with a good temperament.
I've recently hatched some of his 'Harim's' eggs. His laydees are Isa Browns and all seven eggs that hatched gave me white hens! They should themselves start laying soon so I'm looking forward to that.

[RichmondHens]

Everything my LS fathers comes out white too Snadge. I think it must be a very dominant gene. I ran him with a mixed flock of sussex and welsummer, took eggs from all, they all hatched - he's v fertile - and everything came out looking just like him. Most were boys and they are now running round the field looking lovely against the green grass.

[The Nichols']

Started with 3 hens and a cockerel. Have had the same one go broody twice and has done a great job with the little ones.

One of our girls lays 13 days out of 14 (well, we all need a break) and the other one probably 11 days out of 14, the broody one the same before she decided sitting on eggs was better than laying them.

They're such pretty birds. The young ones are hand tamed too. Well worth it imho.