Sussex Hen vs Rooster: What Are The Differences?

Sussex chickens are among Britain’s oldest domestic breeds. The history of this fascinating fowl stretches back more than 2000 years. However, the Sussex chicken that we know today is not the same landrace bird that lived in the Sussex area of southeast England before the Romans invaded Britain in 43 A.D., and it is not the same bird that Phoenicians traded in the same area some time before that.

The modern history of the Sussex chicken coincides with a phenomenon known as hen fever. Queen Victoria, one of the world’s great influencers long before social media was even a dream, started a craze in the mid-1800s, not too long after her coronation. An avid bird lover, she built aviaries for her prized specimens, including the robust Cochin chicken, which skyrocketed in price as nobles and others rushed to import the fluffy birds.

Queen Victoria favored large and beautiful chickens, and historians credit her with popularizing the crossing of Asian breeds with native British birds to increase their size and appearance. The Sussex chicken, already a hardy bird and a great egg producer, was crossed with various Asian birds. The offspring grew larger and more impressive. Unfortunately, bigger is not always better. These newer Sussex chickens had poorer meat quality and larger bones. According to the Livestock Conservancy, concerned breeders began making an effort to restore the breed to its original form.

Thanks to conservation efforts, today’s Sussex chicken more closely resembles its ancestral breed. It is a favorite dual-purpose bird, good for both meat and egg production. Let’s take a closer look at the Sussex hen vs. rooster, their sizes, their overall appearance, their temperament, and more.

Sussex Hen vs. Rooster: Shape

The Sussex chicken has a somewhat rectangular shape. Both hens and roosters have relatively long, flat backs. Their bodies have a stout appearance, almost like a boat, broad and flattened in the middle with their head and tail rising at either end. They are neither lanky nor overly round. Roosters, of course, have larger bodies and more prominent tails, but otherwise, both Sussex hens and roosters have similar overall shapes.

Sussex Hen vs. Rooster: Size

Sussex chickens are among the heavier chicken breeds. They do not reach great heights, as their stout, broad, rectangular bodies are somewhat compact. They can, however, tend toward obesity. Their ability to fatten up quickly improves their value as dinner birds, but obese hens are not good layers.

Sussex roosters average approximately 9 pounds while Sussex hens weigh in at about 7 pounds. Cockerels weigh about 7.5 pounds while pullets average around 6 pounds. Sussex chickens also come in bantam sizes, which weigh considerably less. The bantam-sized Sussex hen weighs roughly 2.4 pounds. Bantam-sized Sussex roosters weigh a bit more, coming in at about 3.2 pounds. Bantams of this breed rarely exceed 4 pounds.

Sussex Hen vs. Rooster: Plumage

Sussex chickens make good show birds because of their attractive plumage. Most are multi-colored, and the speckled variety has especially interesting feathers. Sussex chickens of both sexes have close-fitted sleek feathers. Hens have short, stiff tails that they carry at about a 45-degree angle from their body. Sussex roosters have longer tails, still relatively short as compared to many other breeds. They carry their tails upright, too, and some of their longer sickle feathers curve over the top.

Sussex Hens vs. Roosters: Color Patterns

The American Poultry Association recognizes three different varieties of Sussex chickens: red, speckled, and light. The red and speckled varieties were added to the Standard of Perfection in 1914. The APA added the light variety more than a decade later, in 1929.

The Poultry Club of Great Britain recognizes Sussex chickens in eight different varieties:  red, speckled, and light, as well as brown, buff, silver, white, and coronation. Breeders developed the coronation variety of the Sussex chicken in celebration of the upcoming coronation of Edward VIII, the uncle of Queen Elizabeth II, in 1937. That event was scrapped as he abdicated the throne, but the coronation variety of the breed lives on.

Speckled

The most popular variety of the Sussex chicken is probably the speckled type. With a rich, reddish-brown base color, these spotted chickens have a pretty appearance. Many of their feathers feature white spots near the tips. Black bars with an iridescent green sheen offset the white spot from the rest of the feather. The Sussex chicken gets more spots as it gets older, increasing the number of spotted feathers each time they molt.

Speckled Sussex roosters have solid mahogany hackles and saddle feathers. Their tail feathers may include both black and white feathers.

Red

Red Sussex chickens have the same rich reddish-brown feathers as the speckled variety, but without the spots. Both hens and roosters have black feathers interspersed on their head and neck. Hens have very short tails with black feathers peeking through. Roosters have longer, shiny, black tails.

Light

Light Sussex chickens have a snowy white base. Their white plumage is set off by black feathers interspersed on their head and neck. Like the red variety, hens have black feathers barely showing through their short tails. Roosters have the same longer tails with shiny, black feathers.

Sussex Hen vs. Rooster: Other Characteristics

Sussex roosters have bright red, single combs with large red wattles and red earlobes. Hens have smaller combs and wattles of the same color, along with red earlobes. Both sexes have white skin, with white legs and feet. Their legs have no feathers, and their feet have four toes.

Sussex Hen vs. Rooster: Temperament

Owners say Sussex chickens make excellent pets and show birds. They have a very friendly and gentle temperament. They don’t mind being held and stroked, and they enjoy being around humans. Sussex chickens are quite talkative and naturally curious. They often follow their owners around, especially in the garden.

Sussex hens are virtually always friendly and gentle, as are roosters most of the time. The roosters can sometimes become aggressive, but it is unusual. Because Sussex chickens have such docile demeanors, they can easily become victims of bullying. Owners should avoid keeping these chickens with other more aggressive breeds, even of smaller size.

Neither Sussex hens nor roosters fly very well. They are very heavy birds with broad bodies and prone to becoming overweight. Owners can keep this breed contained with low fences, but they need plenty of room for foraging. They enjoy foraging more than perhaps any other activity.

Sussex Hen vs. Rooster: Egg and Meat Production

Sussex chickens, although a lovely breed, are not purely ornamental. They rank among some of the best egg and meat producers. Sussex hens lay between 200 and 250 large, light brown eggs per year. Hens usually lay continuously unless they are brooding or molting. The average Sussex hen produces about four or five eggs per week in her prime. Egg production declines by the time a hen reaches about five years of age.

In addition to eggs, breeders have always farmed Sussex roosters for meat. These birds grow quickly and attain a large size. Roosters produce succulent meat of excellent quality and plenty of it. Hens are easy to fatten up for the dinner table, too, when they stop laying.  

Sussex Hens vs. Roosters: A Summary

The table below shows a summary of the differences between Sussex hens and roosters. This breed does express sexual dimorphism. Sussex hens are smaller than roosters, both in height and weight, but they have similar shapes. Notable differences include the combs, wattles, tails, and other feathers.

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