Chicken Breed Focus - Sebright

[uzisuzuki]

x2, my sebright hen even likes my 9 lb rock rooster over any of the little guys. However, I raised the rock rooster with my sebright rooster, and my little sebright just LOVED fighting and ended up getting beat up for that also. However, the hens seem to do fine.

Oh my lord, my little guy loved fighting, too! His son is a cross with my Polish & it only took the one good beating to change his attitude about fighting with a bigger bird. We are in the middle of a separation with the two right now. LOL He's fine with hens of all sizes, though.

 

[Sagebrush]

These are just beautiful birds! The first time I saw them in pictures they looked like an artist's rendering.

 

[Mountain Peeps]

About four years ago I bought two silver sebrights along with the rest of my flock. They were great at first but once they reached 8 weeks, one of them started being very aggressive towards the other birds. She attacked me as well. She was loud and loved to fly. She was impossible to catch let alone hold and cuddle with. Skittish was her middle name. When they moved out into their coop outside, she would fly all around inside and escape each time I opened the door. We couldn't deal with her anymore. So, we gave her to some friends who had many farm acres where she could fly and roam to her hearts content. She slept in trees as night. Eventually, she went broody and made her own nest outside. She was killed by a predator.
The other sebright, on the other hand, was very different. She loved to cuddle and was very adorable. Her voice was super cute and she was very sweet. She liked to fly too but didn't ever try and escape like the other one did. She laid about 100 eggs in her first year which is good for this breed. She was very popular around town due to her lovely feather patterns. She did very poor in the winter and I often had to bring her inside for the night. One month I went on vacation with my family and when I returned, she was a totally different creature. She attacked me, crowed like a rooster and tired to fly away numerous times. I really have no idea what happened. So, we ended up giving her to the same family we gave the other one too. She instantly settled down. I went to visit her about a year ago and she ran over to me and allowed me to pick her up. She remembered me! I was so surprised and happy! She is doing fine up to this point and is still laying eggs.

The bottom line is: This breed needs space to fly and roam. They are pretty and lay cute eggs. Their personalty really varies from bird to bird.

 

[N F C]

Nice review @Mountain Peeps it was interesting to hear how the one birds personality changed.

 

[Luvmy9hens]

They were given to me by a friend who ordered 25 mixed bantams but only wanted to keep 9. I received them at about 5 weeks of age. They are now 2 years old.

Favorite characteristics: Pretty birds

Cons:
They have dominant personalities, must be confined to a covered run, and are difficult to capture once loose. By the time the Sebright chicks were 8 weeks, the one male was becoming overly aggressive with the chicks that were nearly double his size. We returned him to his original owner and brought home 2 more hens (Cornish game bantams). Presently, the 2 female Sebrights that we kept are OK but not my favorites by any means. They are the first out in the morning and a bit aggressive toward birds twice their size when food is involved.

They are not as docile as hens that I have raised from hatching as my newborns are handled on a daily basis regardless of whether or not they are hatched and cared for by a broody hen. I would have to raise this breed myself (from hatching) before deciding not to get them in the future.

 

[Halloweengirl13]

I have 7 sebrights right now two gold roosters ( Baldor and Loki) 3 gold hens(Frigga, Sigyn and Hel) and 2 silver hens ( Odin and Sif) we also have some really pretty sebright mixes Spike and Angel

This is Angel (mix) and Hel gold (the blurry headed one) when they were younger.

Sif and Loki

I got them cause they were pretty and small.my first set was Igor,Eva, and Victor . they were all silvers and after I lost them I got Sif and Odin at an Auction , and then Baldor and Frigga and Loki. Got Sigyn at a flea market.

They are very flighty and roost in the rafters of our shed/coop at night. I have no problem catching them if they wander out while I am tossing them treats. Usually Sigyn cause she is the boldest and I let her wander around my feet while I watch herand shoo her back in when I am done, she also has gone broody and hatched 8 babies. Odin is blind in one eye so she is shyer but I can easily pick her up and hold her. I don't breed them intentionally one of my other bantams will often decide to go broody and hatch babies.

I love that they are beautiful and don't take up much space, my roosters get along with my other 3 bantam roosters and I have no problems with fighting.

 

[Jason McGowen]

I have five (3 Silver and 2 Golden) and I love them. They are quiet (except the Silver rooster how thinks he is supposed to chime the quarter hour). They are a bit flighty so consider that if you get some, a covered run helps. The only thing I would differ with in the description is that mine lay 4 eggs each day (one each) without fail. The females "egg song" sounds very much like the call of a peacock.

That's what I'm experiencing. My Sebright started laying about 10 days ago and has layed an egg everyday.

 

[mom98312]

Having just added to my flock one little silver Sebright that is a pullet of 8 weeks this thread has been very interesting to read. Thank you everyone for the insight with pro's and cons. I have to say I adopted her with a Silver Lacewing and the same time that is three times her size.. and the Sebright is the aggressor of the two. They just came out of quarantine this weekend. and the Sebright has put herself up HIGH in the pecking order. She has stood up to the Hopper, the TOP Buff hen who outweighs them all in the flock. I have thought of free ranging them all once the garden is finished and harvested but from what I read the Sebight will need to have her Primary's clipped to keep her grounded. Thanks again everyone and this really is a fun forum for learning.

 

[Jason McGowen]

 Having just added to my flock one little silver Sebright that is a pullet of 8 weeks this thread has been very interesting to read. Thank you everyone for the insight with pro's and cons. I have to say I adopted her with a Silver Lacewing and the same time that is three times her size.. and the Sebright is the aggressor of the two. They just came out of quarantine this weekend. and the Sebright has put herself up HIGH in the pecking order. She has stood up to the Hopper, the TOP Buff hen who outweighs them all in the flock. I have thought of free ranging them all once the garden is finished and harvested but from what I read the Sebight will need to have her Primary's clipped to keep her grounded. Thanks again everyone and this really is a fun forum for learning. 

I have 4 that are 5 months. None of their wings are clipped and I free range mine everyday with my Brahmas. While they can fly if excited or spooked I've never had it bean issue. They are back in bed with the others before dark. Probably ain't gonna catch em but they are so quick I don't know how you would even if their wings were clipped.

 

[Melodyschkns]

I ended up with my Golden Seabright on a rare occasion. We were looking for some Silkies in a bantam mix at Tractor supply and here they make you buy at least 6 we has all 6 picked out but she was just so different looking that I begged my husband for her and it took some major begging but I went home witg a seventh chick that day. We watched her grow and being so new to chickens I had no idea what she was at first.Shes actually now my hubbys favorite bird. She hangs out with the other 2 bantams that she grew up with a roo and hen that I have no idea what they are. The roo looks alot like a mini Astralorp but anyways they are in a run with all my birds and they do just fine. She does like to fly up towards the top of the run and sit on the edge og the higher wood post but she does fine down on the ground with the others as well. Im hoping to oneday get a few more and even a Silver one too as the Seabright just is a pretty colored bantam. We call our Golden Seabright Goldie.

The hubs petting her.

The two bantams she hangs out with and grew up with