sebright thread

[TattooedChicks]

My Sebright, Moonshine, is now 23 weeks old. She began laying 3 weeks ago, and has given us 16 tiny eggs! She's my only Sebright, I wish I had more just like her!!!
I just went out to check on her, she's on the nest....this will be 7 eggs in 7 days!!
Ps Does anyone in SW MO vicinity have a Sebright cockerel or young rooster they want to part with?
View attachment 1129938

Call Heartland Hatchery, they are in Amsterdam MO and have some very nice sebrights with really clean lacing. I'm sure they could hook you up with a nice cockerel if you can't source one. That's where I got mine a few months ago.

 

[SueT]

Call Heartland Hatchery, they are in Amsterdam MO and have some very nice sebrights with really clean lacing. I'm sure they could hook you up with a nice cockerel if you can't source one. That's where I got mine a few months ago.

I called them today, but w a new mission. My Sebright pullet has gone broody.... but now she has no fertile eggs. I've taken her off the nest several times, she returns. She screeches at the other chickens. If I decide not to break her broodiness, I can get Sebright chicks from Heartland in 3 weeks, they are actually having a 'chick days' in our area Sept 30.. They said just call the day before and reserve them. They will be hatched on 9-29.
What do you think? Is it okay for a pullet this young (24 weeks) to be allowed to stay broody? I realize there's no way to know if she'll be reliably broody for 3 whole weeks. And there's no way to know if she'll accept day old chicks in 3 weeks. I also am going to a poultry swap tomorrow and will ask around for fertile eggs. I haven't decided what to do.

 

[TattooedChicks]

I say it's worth trying, but only time will tell. Lots of stories here on both sides for successful young first time mothers to little ladies who play broody like kids play house.

Good luck! I hope you get some beauties, I know I sure did.

 

[Faraday40]

I called them today, but w a new mission. My Sebright pullet has gone broody.... but now she has no fertile eggs. I've taken her off the nest several times, she returns. She screeches at the other chickens. If I decide not to break her broodiness, I can get Sebright chicks from Heartland in 3 weeks, they are actually having a 'chick days' in our area Sept 30.. They said just call the day before and reserve them. They will be hatched on 9-29.
What do you think? Is it okay for a pullet this young (24 weeks) to be allowed to stay broody? I realize there's no way to know if she'll be reliably broody for 3 whole weeks. And there's no way to know if she'll accept day old chicks in 3 weeks. I also am going to a poultry swap tomorrow and will ask around for fertile eggs. I haven't decided what to do.

Yes. It could go either way with broody hens. My Sebright, "Trouble," turned out to be quite a force to be reckoned with when broody. Since like you we have no bantam roo, her eggs are always infertile. However, our big beautiful English orps have a roo, so Trouble gets to hatch their eggs. It's quite funny seeing Trouble attempt to cover her 6 wk old chicks that are 2xs her size. Her last hatch she mothered until 12 weeks old. Imagine a tall group of orp chicks with a tiny little speck of a chicken commanding them where to walk.

I've found that my hens tend to accept chicks easier if they hatch chicks at the same time. (ie -I put 1-2 eggs under the broody & the rest in the incubator. As the eggs hatch, I slip them under the hen & she thinks that she hatched all of them.) Sometimes a broody hen will not accept chicks unless they feel the eggs hatching underneath them. I think they can sense the development, because they get very intense during the last days & "Talk" to their eggs before the 1st pip even starts.

I had a bantam hen go broody when my incubator eggs were around 17 days. I gave her 1 egg & then slipped another 30 chicks under her as they hatched. From her perspective she sat on 1 egg for 4-5 days & hatched 31 chicks! SUPERHEN! Because she was small, I simply put her inside my giant brooder with all the chicks.

 

[SueT]

Yes. It could go either way with broody hens. My Sebright, "Trouble," turned out to be quite a force to be reckoned with when broody. Since like you we have no bantam roo, her eggs are always infertile. However, our big beautiful English orps have a roo, so Trouble gets to hatch their eggs. It's quite funny seeing Trouble attempt to cover her 6 wk old chicks that are 2xs her size. Her last hatch she mothered until 12 weeks old. Imagine a tall group of orp chicks with a tiny little speck of a chicken commanding them where to walk.

I've found that my hens tend to accept chicks easier if they hatch chicks at the same time. (ie -I put 1-2 eggs under the broody & the rest in the incubator. As the eggs hatch, I slip them under the hen & she thinks that she hatched all of them.) Sometimes a broody hen will not accept chicks unless they feel the eggs hatching underneath them. I think they can sense the development, because they get very intense during the last days & "Talk" to their eggs before the 1st pip even starts.

I had a bantam hen go broody when my incubator eggs were around 17 days. I gave her 1 egg & then slipped another 30 chicks under her as they hatched. From her perspective she sat on 1 egg for 4-5 days & hatched 31 chicks! SUPERHEN! Because she was small, I simply put her inside my giant brooder with all the chicks.

Great stories! Ok, I'll get at least a couple fertile eggs....a neighbor will probably have some....thank you!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Faraday40]

Do you have any fertile eggs from your own flock? That's always best for biosecurity & a free experiment. If using eggs from another place you could set up the hen in a separate broody apartment. (That way only she is exposed IF the other flock has something. You'll probably be fine but after 3 weeks of incubation & another couple weeks mothering, the quarantine period would be over. That way you can feel more confident.) I've also read about people misting eggs with Listerine to kill any bacteria on the egg shells. Not soaking or washing, just a fine mist. It's something to research anyway.
Note: Most people don't do anything special and are fine. I just happened to have a friend get Marecks in her flock & she was devastated. That's why I'm so over-protective about mine.

 

[SueT]

Do you have any fertile eggs from your own flock? That's always best for biosecurity & a free experiment. If using eggs from another place you could set up the hen in a separate broody apartment. (That way only she is exposed IF the other flock has something. You'll probably be fine but after 3 weeks of incubation & another couple weeks mothering, the quarantine period would be over. That way you can feel more confident.) I've also read about people misting eggs with Listerine to kill any bacteria on the egg shells. Not soaking or washing, just a fine mist. It's something to research anyway.
Note: Most people don't do anything special and are fine. I just happened to have a friend get Marecks in her flock & she was devastated. That's why I'm so over-protective about mine.

Today we went to a poultry swap and met a man selling Dutch bantams. I asked him about eggs, and he said he lives up the road, and to stop by later, and he'd give me today's eggs! I was so thrilled.
Anyway there were 3.... We came home, I removed the fake egg and left the 3 in its place. Moonshine stood up, looked at them a few seconds, then settled down, tucking the new eggs under her. So far, so good! The man called me later with all kinds of advice and asked me to let him know how it goes...

 

[Suprise-Chicks]

Does anyone know the sex of these four?
I have a flower, Star, heart and sun on the bird to help people tell me which is which.

 

[TattooedChicks]

Does anyone know the sex of these four?
I have a flower, Star, heart and sun on the bird to help people tell me which is which.

Nothing obvious yet, still too young. But heart looks suspiciously large to me.

 

[SueT]

My broody Sebright is now on day 13! She is sitting on 3 Dutch bantam eggs. I made a divider to keep the big chickens out. There is a 4" X 5" opening that she can fit thru and they don't try. She gets off the nest once a day, to eat, drink, poop, dust bathe, and preen.
I have not candled the eggs. What do you think about doing that? Will I be able to hear the chicks as they begin to hatch? I do not plan to get her baby chicks unless I think her eggs are not hatching. The thing is, Heartland's hatch day is the same as hers, and I will have one day to either get the chicks or no. The chicks days sale will be the next day. (9/30) They want me to call them the previous day if I want to reserve some Sebrights.