Enjoy lots of eggs and some pizzazz to your poultry yard with the Speckled Sussex! Their dramatic feather patterns can transform a routine flock into a resplendent display of color and personality. Classic and distinguished, their beauty speaks for itself, bringing life and charm to any backyard.
You will receive (1) bird per quantity ordered.
A starter pullet gives families a jump start on chicken ownership, allows families to skip the need to invest in a heated brooder, and there is less wait time for eggs. Selecting a specific hatch date of a starter pullet is your commitment to pick her up within (6) days of order placement on your choice of Saturday between 8am-5pm or Monday between 5pm-6:30pm . Make sure you select the hatch date desired to ensure your starter pullet is the age you want. For further guidance on what age they can begin to be accimated to outside tempatures, read the section on Considerations of Starter Pullets prior to purchasing.
Feather Colors:
The Speckled Sussex wears a rich, dark mahogany coat dotted with delicate white spangles at the tips of its feathers. As they mature and molt, the speckles multiply, showing how true beauty only grows with age. Not only are they breathtaking to look at, but their plumage also provides excellent camouflage from potential predators.
Egg Gifting:
Your kitchen will be treated to 5–6 large brown eggs every week! Reliable layers, they make a practical and pretty addition to any flock.
Personality:
Curious, playful, and affectionate, Speckled Sussex chickens love exploring the yard and will often follow you like little feathery companions. They’re perfect for families and homesteaders alike, combining charm with practicality. Whether you want a high-volume egg layer or a dual-purpose bird for both eggs and meat, they fit the bill beautifully.
History:
The Speckled Sussex first originated in Sussex County, in the southeastern United Kingdom, and was first bred in the 19th century. The Speckled color led the way in this bloodline, with multiple other color variations—brown, coronation, buff, red, light, white, and silver—developed later. Today, the Speckled Sussex continues to be celebrated worldwide for its elegance, hardiness, and productivity.
Sexing Method:
Several communities have laws in which roosters are not allowed. Vent sexing as a day old is most common sexing method, resulting in 90% accuracy. While this age group has a higher sexing accuracy, our female coverage applies to all Starter Pullets sold.
Starter Pullet: Speckled Sussex
Most families are attracted to obtaining their chickens from us because we are proud to be completely different than typical feed store/ hatchery industry standards. Industry standard is to sex as accurately as possible and sell as pullets (female chicks) and force customers to accept a >10% chance of an accidental rooster without the ability to accept returns nor refunds. In addition, industry standard is to sell bantams (such as silkies) as straight runs since they are too small for safe vent sexing. We offer multiple sexing options.
Male
If you are lucky enough to have a rooster, our male sexing option is a great way to save money on a wonderful breed.
Unsexed
This option means that the chicks have not yet been sexed and are sold as a straight run. While nature usually averages half girls and half boys in high volumes, families should only order if prepared for >50% possible roosters.
Female Coverage
This is our most economical choice for families seeking a female. We kept city ordinances that restrict rooster ownership in mind. This option is great for families that want to enjoy a backyard flock of ladies. We use traditional sexing methods on the breeds that capable of being vent sexed, home accidental roosters, and issue store credit of original purchased price. To learn more about how we sex baby chicks based on their breed view: How to Sex Chickens.
Depending on the breed, sexing accuracy can range as low as 50% for bantam breeds, 90% for standard breeds, and as high as 95% for auto sexing breeds. Our female coverage option is not a service fee for sexing the chick, it is the cost difference between purchasing a male or a female chicken. We do not believe in grinding males alive nor suffocating them as day olds to enable a profit when selling a stated female chick at ridiculously low prices. Thus, our female pricing takes into consideration the male left behind with each female purchased. Male chicks are typically half the price of a female.
To qualify for rehoming, the rooster must remain in perfect health. If the family decides to return the rooster, a store credit in the amount of original purchase price is provided. As a family, you are welcome to decide to keep any accidental rooster and forfeit the credit.
DNA Sexed Female Chicks
For families that get emotionally bonded quickly and do not want to risk a future discovery of a rooster, we offer DNA sexing. DNA sexing is the only true accurate method of sexing baby chicks. DNA testing is a significantly higher financial investment. In most cases, it is 3x the cost as (1) female sex covered chick.
Balance accuracy with financial investment
The sexing decision is one that needs to be made at time of purchased and the original order cannot be altered once the order is fulfilled. It is important as a family to determine the right balance between sexing accuracy and financial investment for your family’s situation.
We provide as much information on our website as possible to ensure families make an informed decision based on their situation and lifestyle. Some breeds are more accurate in sexing and most families find our female coverage adequate in providing a free home for their accidental rooster (up to $100 savings) and use the store credit towards a replacement or our organic feed. While harder to sex bantam breeds, or families that know they will develop a with strong emotional attachment prefer to invest in DNA sexing.