sebright thread

yes, I have already exposed last year for the championships of France.
This year too, I will put a few birds in the shows, and maybe in some local exhibitions.
 
Oh! He is GORGEOUS! Such a handsome little man! <3

Up until this past summer I'd never heard of a Sebright or known anything about them. When we went to pick up a couple of 4 month old pullets this gorgeous little black and gold "sequinned" bird caught my husband's eye. He's not a huge chicken fan but he kept telling me about this little bird and talking about it and talking about it. So finally, along with the Buff Orpington and White Leghorn pullets we'd gone there for, we brought this mysterious little golden sequinned bird home with us.

I immediately got online and did some research. I knew she wasn't a Cochin because of her slender elegant build. It took me a few minutes to figure out that she was a Gold Sebright. A week later we went back again and this time came home with a Black Orpington pullet and another Sebright, silver this time.

As the little pullets got to know each other it became apparent that the Sebrights knew they were better than everybody else. Our coop 4'X4' coop sits about 3 1/2' off the ground with run space underneath and out in front. The two Sebrights would spend most of their time sitting above all the other birds in the coop doorway like the two little snobby girls in school. Occasionally the White Leghorn would join them in the doorway for a bit but it was always the 2 Sebrights who stuck together like glue turning their noses up at everyone else in the coop.

They've now all reached about 6 months old and my White Leghorn was the first to lay an egg this past Wed. Thursday morning along with her egg I found the Gold Sebright sitting in the next with an egg of her own. I'd swear she was trying not to be outdone by the Leghorn. She's laid an egg every day since then, skipping only Friday. This morning, in fact, the Leghorn beat her to the favored nest box. And in a tantrum she stalked up and down the coop ramp and ran around the run roaring like a little velociraptor until Angel finally laid her egg and moved out of her way. Then she settled down grumbling to herself about how rude Angel was to sneak in there first this morning.

I adore these little birds and would love love LOVE to have a little roo. But I'm afraid they are a bit too vocal for our little coal patch to handle. So I shall have to just enjoy my little snobs for now. ^_^
 
As the little pullets got to know each other it became apparent that the Sebrights knew they were better than everybody else. Our coop 4'X4' coop sits about 3 1/2' off the ground with run space underneath and out in front. The two Sebrights would spend most of their time sitting above all the other birds in the coop doorway like the two little snobby girls in school. Occasionally the White Leghorn would join them in the doorway for a bit but it was always the 2 Sebrights who stuck together like glue turning their noses up at everyone else in the coop.
Yep, Sounds like a couple of Sebrights to me. They do seem to know they are special. They are a blast!
 
Yes they are indeed. I am amazed at my little Golden girl's egg production so far. I'd read they usually lay 1 to 2 eggs per week or so. She laid her first egg on Thursday. Skipped Friday and has laid every single day since. So, basically, she's laid her whole month's projected eggs in under a week.

DO they tend to lay more than the average in all the profiles I've seen on the breed? Or is it something to do with her breeding? Maybe she's just from really good stock? I dunno but I'm sure not complaining.

This is my little girl from August 17th. I didn't fully appreciate how she's grown since we first got her. I have to get some current pictures of her.
 
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How old is she. Mine is 24 weeks now and no signs of a red comb or any changes that would mean an egg is on the way. I think my LF had combs by now.

(Oh I just looked back and saw you said they were 6 months) Guess I have a couple more months to wait!
 
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Yeah I believe they are about six months old now. I wish I knew their exact ages and hatch dates.
Here's a couple of pics from this morning.

My three "snobs" together as always lol! This time poking around on top of the retaining wall for any stray seed that may have fallen out of the bird feeder.




As you can kind of see in the pictures, Kinder, the Gold Sebright has a nice big deep burgundy colored rose comb. And Pepper, the Silver Sebright, who is supposed to be the same age shows no signs of any comb development at all. Her face has gotten a bit more color to it over the past week or so though. So I'm hoping she's not far behind her sister in the egg laying department. Even if not, that's ok. I keep telling them that Mommy's proud when they lay eggs but they are adorable either way. ^_^
 
Those are truly beautiful birds, in all cases, since my last post (like page 100, or so). Thumper38, that lil French Roo is going to be a show winner!

As for the "3 Sebrights" post, that closest one is a BB Red OEGB hen. I raise them, as well. I have 8 different bantam breeds that I raise and sell, and can tell you, 'Brights, Mille's, and BB Reds are the best sellers in the Southern USA.

Here in the US, only Silver and Golden 'Brights are approved by the Association as Buffs won't breed true, for very long, I am told. The man that sold me my first Golden pair raises them, and said that was the main issue.

As for sexing 'Brights, females have very little comb, at all, and you can watch for the leader (that little point at the rear of the comb) to show in males at a very early age, often just 5 or 6 weeks. Males will often exhibit long sex feathers (in the tail) from early maturity thru the first moult, as their skin cells have not yet developed the ability to turn testosterone into estrogen. That is why 'Brights are "Henny-Feathered", as was Sir John Sebright's intention. He was asked by Charles Darwin to "come discuss Natural selection in Evolution", I have read.

As for egg production, if you're getting 5-6 a week from one hen, you are extremely lucky! 2-3 is average for my 7 hens in a week. They are very small, tho, which reduces fertility and egg production, in most breeds. Aften, the smallest classes of Bantams are sterile, that is why truly small reproducing pairs will bring such high prices, as they often do. I have been offered $100 for my Lemon Blue OEGB roo, just because he's so small and fertile. He's the size of a chubby-ish mocking bird. So is his son. ;) My breeding 'Brights are very small, as appears to be the case with the show-winner birds of Thumper's, that we saw the pics of. Those are all truly remarkable birds.

As for attitude, I have 2 almost standard-sized Silver Roos, who keep me bloody from feeding times. They attack like they are trying to kill me. I saw a Golden roo at a flea market, this Spring, that was as large as an Ameracauna roo. He probably weighed about 7-9 pounds. He, as are my 2 large Silvers, is probably hatchery stock, which tends to run large in order to make them more hearty. They aren't that easy to raise, as they seldom go broody. I use a 'bator and a barred game hen (preferred method), to hatch and raise my little ones. The game hen is mean as a rattlesnake, and does the best job of caring for the fragile chicks, I simply slip eggs under her after she goes broody. That has been my most successful method, tho I have incubator hatched them and had good luck, as well.

Very few birds have the attitude of the Sebrights. Hens are usually the little pet that wants attention and to sit on your shoulder. The roos usually want to kill you, if a female is anywhere in their sight.

I apologize for running on, but have been without a computer, awhile, and missed a bit of the thread. It's great to see more of us raising these crazy little beauties.
 
All the way up until 7 weeks old my silvers didn't want anything to do with me. At seven weeks I put a trio for sale and it seemed like almost instantly all of them don't mind me touching them! For the past few weeks they actually come to me when I'm tending them in the mornings. I was pleasantly surprised:) I now have 4 females and 3 males in a bantam coop. Once the holidays are over I will begin an aviary style coop for them so the three milles they currently house with can have the bantam coop to themselves. I am excited to be able to watch them fly up high and try to land on my arms like my crested breeds (even the buff orps and white leghorns try to fly up on me!). I had researched about the fertility problems and look forward to the challenge come Spring...
 

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