Anyone an expeirienced sebright owner...?

[Sebrite_97]

I need 2 ask a q... are sebrights always so jumpy and scared? all of mine, even the old roo, is sorta scared when ur in the coop. there is 1 hen tho named Rina, who is not as scared, but follows the crowd and runs away anyways. she definetly is slow and easy to grab. she doesnt fly when i try to get her, but you can pik her up by just cornering her and slowley sliding ur hand under there breast and feet. anyways... is there a way to make em cautious around predators ( dogs, cats, hawks, coons, ext... ) but stay normal and not scared around me? cuz when u come up to the coop and ur outside, alot of times they try to run up to the cage and pace back and forth. its weird, its like they love me when im out, but are scared when im in... any input, pleez?

 

[Mudsow]

I dunno, but I'd be sitting in there with food in my hands until they found me less scary. There's something about food that helps most animals over come their fears.

Mudsow

 

[farmin'chick]

After 3 months of daily being in the coop, and hand feeding a number of other birds, my Sebrights will let themselves be touched, and occasionally will fly up to the roost to take food from me...they are historically a "flighty" breed.

 

[Cindy in PA]

Not an experienced sebright owner, but got one hen as the free chick from MM. Everytime I open the door to put feed in she comes over and wants to eat out of my hand. She initiated this & I was surprised, as I had read that they were flighty & unfriendly. I have named her Peepers.

 

[Sebrite_97]

Ya but wit da food thing.... They will come up but i always use a bowl cuz im nervouse about how my roo will act eatin from my hands. until reasently, he has been fiesty... but has calmed down. any ways... does it hurt when they eat from ur hands?

 

[lilcrow]

I'm not an expert with Sebrights, but I do own a pair. I hand raised the hen so she is VERY friendly and takes food from my hand or fingers and I'm not fearful of doing that. Eventhought she is that friendly she is very nervous and flightly. That is part of the Sebright nature so there is nothing you have done wrong and I don't think you'll ever make any significant dent in taming them if they weren't hand-raised. I agree that you could get them more comfortable with you by sitting in the run with them and trying to get them to take food from you. Chickens have excellent eye sight and know exactly where the food leaves off and your fingers/hand begins. If they want to be careful, they will be. My tame hens are always very gentle and careful about taking food, even when they're excited. Roos on the other hand I've decided it's not a good idea to feed from the hand. I toss the food at them and let them pick it up from the ground in front of them. I've not heard that Sebrights have a reputation for being mean, but I wouldn't push it with him. The Sebright that I have is a regular little snake. When I first brought him home he was terrified of me and bounced off the walls of the pen trying to get away. (The hen looked at him like he was nuts). I did everything in my power to work calmly and gently around him. I used every tool on animal behavior and psychology I possessed to try to reduce his stress and help him feel more secure. HA!

Man do I wish I could go back and rework some of that. Every one's situation is different and I can't say that what happened to my roo is what will happen to yours, but I'm afraid the more you encourage him to be bold and fearless with you, the more likely it might be that he will take advantage of the opportunity to challenge you. Heaven help you if he would make the turn that mine made. He turned into a regular "fighting chicken" with me. Now when I go in the pen, I have to carry a net if I want to get any work done, I actually have to net him.

I've tried all the behavior modification techniques and it has had no effect on him what so ever. The only thing that has happened has been that I ended up with bloody, scratched up arms and I was just getting sick of that, so now things are much more peaceful when I just net him, lay the net on the ground and go about my business feeling relaxed (and a bit smug).

 

[chickensioux]

I have 1 sebright hen I got when she was almost a year old and she is the friendliest little thing. I carry her around alot, she insists.

 

[txchickie]

I have a little (and I mean LITTLE!) sebright hen and she's extremely feisty and at the top of the pecking order. She'll get close to me but I've not picked her up or even attempted to.

 

[Akane]

My sebright pullets don't seem any more jumpy or flighty than my other chickens. I have japanese bantams, bantam EE that are crossed with d'uccle, seramas, standard EE, and some dark brown laying mutts. The sebrights fit right in and for awhile were penned with my seramas.