Our Hens
Here at Cragg House Farm, we are proud champions for pedigree native breeds of livestock. Native breeds have characteristics that are better suited to our challenging climate and make a positive contribution to the ecosystem they have evolved to thrive in.
Traditional breeds of poultry do not produce the volume of eggs that commercial layers do but live a much longer, healthier and happier life. Our flock roams freely around the farm steading with free access to supplementary layers pellets at all times. We have two different breeds: Sussex and Crested Cream Legbar.
The Sussex:
The Sussex is a British breed of dual-purpose chicken, reared both for its meat and for its eggs.
Eight colours are recognised for both standard-sized and bantam fowl. We have three of those colours: Light Sussex (main body colour white, with black feathering details); Buff Sussex (main body colour light brown, with black feathering details) and Speckled Sussex (main body colour dark brown with each feather having a white spot).
The Sussex originates in the historic county of Sussex, in south-east England. It is among the oldest of British chicken breeds.
The Sussex chicken is graceful with a long, broad, flat back; a long and straight breastbone; wide shoulders; and a rectangular build.
The combs and earlobes are red and the legs and skin white in every variety.
Cockerels weigh approximately 4.1 kg and hens about 3.2 kg.
The Cream Legbar:
The breed is a British breed, originating from Cambridge.
The cockerel is a handsome bird with cream and grey barred feathers. Behind the large single comb, he sports a small crest or spiky tuft of feathers.
Hens have brownish silver-grey plumage with broad smudged barring and a warm salmon coloured breast. They tend to have a floppy comb and a much neater, larger crest than the male.
They produce beautiful pale blue/pale green eggs.
They are hardy, great characters, very friendly, are active foragers and frugal eaters.
Cockerels weigh approximately 3.4 kg and hens about 2.7 kg.
Produce Available
Breeding Stock
In order to maintain our flock stocking rate and ensure we are breeding to the highest standard we aim to annually market a number of animals for sale. We also occasionally have hatching eggs and chicks available alongside our eating eggs.
