Sussex

Love this breedAll of my hens (and rooster) are different breeds. My speckled sussex, Barbeque, is a favorite! She has always had a ton of personality and makes us laugh daily. About two months ago, we had the absolute pleasure of Barb going broody. Watching her be a mother has been one of the most beautiful experiences I've ever had. I am so proud of her. Highly recommend this breed.

Weak, Unhealthy ChicksI'm very disappointed in our shipment of Sussex. I'm pretty sure I had good luck with Murray McMurray and this breed as a kid, several decades ago. But two of my friends and I ordered some Sussex (along with several other breeds) back in late May. We placed an order for 6 Sussex pullets, and we received 7. They were all alive upon arrival, and we split them up between the 3 of us. I kept one, another friend kept one, and my other friend kept 5. These chicks have been well below-average since day 1. Many have developed a limp, and seem really weak with slow growth rates. Others haven't survived, but struggled a long time to not make it. For example, I just lost my Sussex today. The remaining Sussex still aren't thriving. We also ordered Bielefelders and Black Stars and they all seem way ahead of the remaining Sussex chicks. We have other chicks that are a month younger than the Sussex that have far surpassed them in size. Of course, Murray McMurray only guarantees the first 48 hours or whatever after arrival, so I doubt they'll do anything about it. But buyer beware. The genetics of Murray McMurray's breeding stock does not seem very good. These chicks were raised in 3 separate environments, and struggled in all 3 while every single other breed has thrived under the same conditions in all 3 environments. It feels like a huge waste of money on the Sussex, as I'm going to be extremely surprised if a single pullet makes it to adulthood.