anyone have advise/opionions/stories about sumatras?

[mom wewantchicks!]

so i bought these chicks at tsc in may,of course noone there knew what they where! so i emailed the hatchery,they quessed black gaint,ba,blue andalusian/hamburg. well they are bigger now and have all been quessed as sumatras by the wonderfull byc folks! so tell me about these guys! our chcickens are pet/egg laying purpose.will they be good for that? i had made up my mind that if they where the andulsian/hamburg chickens that even if they where small they would be good egg layers so if need be they would have there own pen.(we have silkies with them and im a little afraid of introducing small breed in with my large breed chickens) ive read conflicting things about them,some say good layers and pets some say not good layers and not good pets!! any info would be great!!

 

[mom wewantchicks!]

here is the link with the pics!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=225756

 

[mom wewantchicks!]

anyone?

 

[ThePolishPrincess]

I heard that the Sumatra is a poor egger though my girl has not started laying yet. She is still very young. I know they are said to be friendly birds. My one pullet is really quite a wild thing, though. She LOVES roosting and flying and bouncing all over the place. I hear Sumatrans typically act this way.

They are an intellegent breed. I knew from the start that my pullet was a bright one. They can be bullies, though, if kept with sumbitting breeds. The pullet I have is always challenging other birds and is very fast. She will pester my dominant birds and run away if threatened, because she knows she can outrun them. But then she will go back later and eventually, they will give up fighting with her. She gets her way. I know that some da, she will rule the roost. In the pecking orde the Sumatra is usually quite high up there if they are kept with other breeds. My girl is quite a sight though, and is very friendly. They do go broody.

They really do best when free-ranged. They aren't tolerable of cages. I'm still worrying about how my pullet will do with my crested birds when the times comes that they will be sharing a coop. But from what I've heard and read myself, they rarely ever lose a fight. And if they do, it doesn't take them long to change that.

 

[BlackBart]

My Sumatras are not bullies and they like to be with people. My Blue Andalusians ARE bullies!
They are like a wild chicken, great bug eaters and beautiful blue/green sheen to their feathers. I was told they are not great egg producers.
Mine are two roosters (brothers) and they hang out together. Last to go in the coop at night. They free range and hate to be penned up. I think they can pretty much take care of themselves.

On another forum a poster described them as "black chickens, low tail sets, purple faces, ninja like ability to be invisible".

I think that describes them pretty well.

 

[cybercat]

Well, you do Not have Sumatras. Mt Healthy does not carry that breed.

http://www.mthealthy.com/page/1395107

Most likly it is black JG and Blue Andalusian.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Well, if you're looking for sumatras, I've got some. Mine lay nearly every day--and have been the only birds I have that laid right through 100 degree days for more than a week! LOL They are highly intelligent...probably the smartest chickens I have. They do fly well and don't like to be too confined.

 

[chicken_boy]

they are okay layers with small white eggs but the roosters are excellant at looking over your flock i once had one take on a 4 foot black snake they are very spooky though good mothers but only set in the oddest places

 

[mom wewantchicks!]

Quote:
what is really funny about that is i emailed them when i first got the chicks with pictures. they said the gray ones could be andalusians or hamburgs. well i called to see if they sell sumatras,they said they did not,BUT, the girl on the phone also says they do not sell andalusians or hamburgs!! so i call tsc back,talk to "the manager who orders the birds" and she says they got a shipment from texas,where she doesnt know. ok,what the crap!! shes in charge and doesnt know where they get them from? sounds like a crock to me!! so i really feel like im back to square one with these guys!!! still no idea what they really are!!!

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

post some pics...

Are their feet/beaks black? Do they look like little crows?

Ideal is in Texas and they have sumatras...