Speckled Sussex — Day-Old Chicks
Speckled Sussex — Day-Old ChicksNPIP Certified Hatchery - License #51-770
- 220 Eggs/Year
- Large Brown Eggs
- 20–24 Weeks to Lay
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Your chicks ship by USPS Priority Mail during the week you choose, in their own box with their own tracking.
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Friendly and curious, with mahogany feathers tipped in white spangles that grow more striking with each molt. Speckled Sussex come from Sussex County, England, and they're excellent foragers and steady layers of brown eggs.
Why backyard keepers love them:
- 🥚 About 220 brown eggs per year — large eggs from a dependable layer
- ✨ Spangled mahogany feathers — each feather tipped with a white spot
- 🐓 Friendly and curious — docile birds that often follow you around the yard
- 🌿 Great foragers — love to free-range and hunt for bugs
- 🐣 Good mothers — hens go broody and raise chicks well
What to expect from your Speckled Sussex chicks:
Your Speckled Sussex chicks are dark brown with light stripes down the back. They grow into sturdy hens of about 7 lbs, with roosters about 9 lbs. Their white spangles increase with each molt. Marek's Disease vaccination is optional and is not included in the chick price. To vaccinate your chicks, check the Marek's vaccine box in your cart. Chicks are backed by our live arrival guarantee.
Weeks to first egg: about 20–24 weeks
Egg size: Large
Egg color: Brown
Eggs per year: about 220
Common questions about Speckled Sussex Chickens
Are Speckled Sussex friendly?
Yes. They're known for being docile and curious.
How many eggs do they lay?
About 220 large brown eggs a year.
Do they handle cold?
Yes, they're cold hardy. Give them shade in hot weather.
Will their feathers change?
Yes. The white speckles usually increase after each molt.
Pairs well with:
- Buff Orpington: another friendly dual-purpose layer
- Salmon Faverolles: another gentle heritage breed
Friendly, pretty and productive — reserve your Speckled Sussex chicks today.
Shipping and ordering
- The partner box ships at our regular chick rates, and it ships free when you also order 6 or more Chesapeake chicks to be shipped. Partner-hatched chicks aren't available for local pickup. To pick up your Chesapeake chicks, place a separate shipped order for partner-hatched chicks.
- Minimum order: 6 chicks total from our hatching partner. Mix and match any of our partner-hatched chicken and bantam breeds to reach the minimum, as long as they all ship the same week.
- Partner-hatched chicks ship in their own box, separately from our Chesapeake-hatched chicks, and the two don't count toward each other's minimums. If you order both, you'll receive separate boxes with separate tracking.
- Breeds and sexes are packed together and are not marked. If you need to tell birds apart, choose breeds that look different as chicks.
- Hatched by our hatching partner and shipped directly to you by USPS during the ship week you choose. Tracking is emailed to you once your chicks ship.
- Street address required (no P.O. boxes). Your post office will call when your chicks arrive.
- Live-arrival guarantee: if any chicks arrive deceased, email chicks@chesapeake-hatchery.com within 72 hours of delivery with your order number and the number of losses.
Breed specifications
Breed specifications
Production
Maturity
Temperament
Appearance
Adaptability
Chick care overview
Chick care overview
Brooder temperature: Start at 95°F for the first week, then lower it about 5°F each week until they're fully feathered.
Food & water: Offer chick starter feed and fresh water right away. Dip each chick's beak gently into the water on arrival to encourage drinking.
Space: Allow at least 0.5 sq ft per chick in the brooder for the first few weeks.
Watch for: Huddling under the heat source means they're too cold. Panting or moving away from the heat means they're too warm. Active, spread-out babies are comfortable.
For more care tips, visit our FAQs.
Shipping
Shipping
Hatched by our hatching partner and shipped directly to you by USPS Priority Mail during the ship week you choose. Tracking is emailed to you once your chicks ship.
Shipping rates
The partner box ships at our regular chick rates:
6–25 chicks — $34.95
26–50 chicks — $49.95
51–100 chicks — $59.95
The partner box ships FREE when you also order 6 or more Chesapeake chicks to be shipped.
Minimum order: 6 chicks total from our hatching partner. Mix and match any of our partner-hatched chicken and bantam breeds to reach the minimum, as long as they all ship the same week.
Partner-hatched chicks ship in their own box, separately from our Chesapeake-hatched chicks, with separate tracking. The two don't count toward each other's minimums.
Marek's vaccine available: $0.75 per chick, given at the hatchery before your chicks ship. Check the box in your cart.
Not available for local pickup. Street address required (no P.O. boxes). Your post office will call when your chicks arrive.
Ordering more than 100 chicks? Call us at (410) 635-1970.
Live-Arrival Guarantee
If any chicks arrive deceased, email chicks@chesapeake-hatchery.com within 72 hours of delivery with your order number and the number of losses.
