A reluctant Sebright rooster.

[KMeade]

Hello all,

I am new to all of this, but have purchased 4 sebrights. three are hens and one a rooster (allegedly). I only have them little over a week- and I know it takes time for them to settle into a new location, and they do seem quite relaxed.

So my questions are
1. I am not seeing any mating behaviour between my rooster and hens? What shoudl i expect? Perhaps he is too old, as he does spend quite a bit of the time with his eyes closed, but has a fine appetite and does seem healthy. [I must admit that I dont actually know that that bird is a he as he and a one of the hens are identical to my eyes].
2. Furthemore, the previous owners told me that the hens were laying and as of yet I have not seen one egg.
3. I would like to let my sebrights free range with my other hens, but dont want to clip their wings. Is this a bad idea?

Thanks,
Kieran

 

[chicmom]

Hello,

If you could post a some pics, then we could help with determining if your rooster is really a rooster and your hens are really hens......

It can take a little while for them to relax completely and begin laying again....Give them another week or even two.

I would let them free range after about two weeks in the coop. What I do at first is, I open the run just an hour or two before dark, and then they will usually go back in on their own. Don't give them too much time at first....Do this for about a week, then you can let them out longer.

They are small, so they I would be a bit careful free ranging them......Easy prey for a neighbor's cat and other predators....

Take care and good luck with your new chickens,
Sharon

 

[chicmom]

Oh, and I never clip wings......I want my hens to be able to escape predators. I have a few turkeys and they can fly, but they still stick around....

 

[KMeade]

Thanks Sharon - the only predator I need to worry about is the fox, and I only allow them free range when I am around the house. I wil upload some pix later on.

 

[KMeade]

Very coincidentally, after I came home from work today, we had our first sebright egg!!! Delighted - it is so cute. It is obviously the small one in this picture.

Also, here is a pic of my sebrights. I think it is an impossible task to identify the male, but he is one of the front two (he was one of the darker lace ones I bought).

I meant to ask - the two in the front of the photo are making high frequency rapid tweeting noises to each other and return to the coop box together- is this a courtship behaviour?

 

[KMeade]

Hi All,
Well I let my sebrights out today for a forage, and they loved it. The attitude of these little birds is hilarious. They have already moved several steps up the pecking order, including bullying a big sussex and brahma into place. Some low level flying but stayed relatively close to the coop, which I am relieved about. Still no signs of mating from the cock though.

 

[Chickangel79]

To me it looks like all four girls.

http://www.ruleworks.co.uk/poultry/sebrights.htm

We had a sebrite roo and his comb was massive. Silly things kept taking walks up the road and people kept bringing him back!!!

 

[KMeade]

I had previously bought a sebright rooster but there was nothing happening between him and the ladies. After posting a pic, and people advising me he was a she, I bought another rooster. Now they are both fighting, so I think he really is a he, if you know what I mean.....

Question is can I keep the two roos together? Especially if one is old, and is not challenging the young guy, but is being submissive.

Any help would be appreciated....

 

[KMeade]

Hi All,

My new roo died, and not sure what the cause was. However, very interestingly the two chicks in the front of the picture above are now crowing. So turns out I have two Roos and two hens. Do people think that these two Roos (who are probably brothers) and have lived with me for the last 3 months will live with each other and the two ladies? They spar a bit but are both wooing the ladies. Will they start to fight?

Thanks.