BREED OF THE MONTH

Sussex hen

With a docile, friendly character, it will come as no surprise that Sussex chickens are a popular choice for back-garden hen-keeping. They are a good dualpurpose breed – reared for both meat and eggs – and come in eight colours, including Light (the most popular), Speckled, Brown, Silver, White, Buff, Red and Coronation – all with stocky bodies, a tail at a 45-degree angle, and red earlobes and combs. A very old breed, they were shown in the first-ever general poultry show in 1845 under the classification ‘Old Sussex or Kent Fowl’.