sebright thread

[Faraday40]

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.

Sounds like you have a good set up. You can try to candle the eggs to make sure they're developing. (Do it after dark with a small, bright flashlight, so you can see better. It only takes a few seconds to look & then put back.) Once you know the eggs are good, then there's no need to disturb her more.

This is what you'll see inside the egg. The rim of flashlight should seal against the eggshell to prevent escaping light. If you have problems getting a flat flashlight against a round egg, just make an "O" with your fingers to place between the egg & the flashlight.

 

[TattooedChicks]

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.

As an enabler, I'd say get more sebrights and slip them under her in the night, but maybe throw a heating pad in nearby just in case. I'd doubt your girl is a very good counter.

 

[Faraday40]

Good idea! LOL
Sebrights can be very determined mamas.

Here's my Sebright (Trouble) who frequently mothers giant English Orpington chicks. (Only roos are too big for her, so she never has fertile eggs.) She stayed with this batch until about 10-11 weeks. LOL It was funny watching her lead her 6 giants throughout the yard.

...and I mean giants! Here's one of her Feb/March babies all grown up.

 

[TattooedChicks]

Good idea! LOL
Sebrights can be very determined mamas.

Here's my Sebright (Trouble) who frequently mothers giant English Orpington chicks. (Only roos are too big for her, so she never has fertile eggs.) She stayed with this batch until about 10-11 weeks. LOL It was funny watching her lead her 6 giants throughout the yard.

...and I mean giants! Here's one of her Feb/March babies all grown up. View attachment 1141943

She looks proud as punch!

 

[flowerfaeiry]

What do you think about this little girl, mama is a buff and no idea who the roo is. She is now laying and I'm wondering who to mate her with. I don't raise sebright but got the buff on a whim, hatched out her first week eggs and got this and a few dominant whites. I'm willing to get a sebright roo but what should I get to pair her with or is it not worth pursuing?

 

[TattooedChicks]

What do you think about this little girl, mama is a buff and no idea who the roo is. She is now laying and I'm wondering who to mate her with. I don't raise sebright but got the buff on a whim, hatched out her first week eggs and got this and a few dominant whites. I'm willing to get a sebright roo but what should I get to pair her with or is it not worth pursuing?View attachment 1143336

For interesting looks alone, I think a strongly laced silver male might make some fun looking chicks with how smokey gray this one is.

 

[flowerfaeiry]

For interesting looks alone, I think a strongly laced silver male might make some fun looking chicks with how smokey gray this one is.

I'd like to keep the feather pattern which is striking now that she is matured. Silver could make some nice chicks! Thanks!

 

[SueT]

Tomorrow, Friday, should be my broody Sebright's hatch day. However the day I got the 3 eggs, I didn't get them to her until after 2 pm. So perhaps it will be overnight? I tried, on day 16, to candle the eggs with a little led flashlight. I have no experience in candling. But no light shown thru at all. So I reached into one of the other nests and got an infertile egg and tried that, and could easily see the light thru the entire inside of the egg. I assume that means at these fertile eggs have been developing.

If for some reason, these eggs were not to hatch, a nearby feed store is having their last chick days event Saturday until noon and will have Sebrights from Heartland Hatchery, (which I believe is their last hatch of the year.) The chicks would be at least 1 day older than ours, maybe 2, they say today is their hatch day.. I am thinking of just going over there and getting 2 Sebright chicks just in case, because I don't want to do another broody busting if our eggs don't hatch. I'd add them to her chicks after they hatch....how does that sound? Will that put our hatching chicks in danger of being rejected? Will she be likely to reject 2 day old chicks?
These incubating chicks are Dutch bantams, a breed I wasn't planning on but these were the eggs available, and I think I may like the breed from what I read about it.

 

[Faraday40]

Dutch bantams! So lucky! That's a breed I wouldn't mind having. When using a broody, the hatch day may vary due to outside temp & how frequently she leaves the nest. Be ready on day 19-25. My bantam broodies tend to run hot & usually hatch day 19-20.

If you want more sebrights, then go ahead & buy a couple chicks. I'd keep the store chicks inside with you until your broody's eggs hatch. (After all this time, you don't want her abandoning her eggs now.) Once you hear some peeping in her nest, slip the sebright chicks under her and check back throughout the day. Or, just wait until night & add them when all are sleeping. Mama wakes up with her babies, never knows the difference, & assumes they're all hers. As far as the chicks, all they want is a warm soft place to snuggle, so they'll stay put all night.

 

[TattooedChicks]

Dutch bantams! So lucky! That's a breed I wouldn't mind having. When using a broody, the hatch day may vary due to outside temp & how frequently she leaves the nest. Be ready on day 19-25. My bantam broodies tend to run hot & usually hatch day 19-20.

If you want more sebrights, then go ahead & buy a couple chicks. I'd keep the store chicks inside with you until your broody's eggs hatch. (After all this time, you don't want her abandoning her eggs now.) Once you hear some peeping in her nest, slip the sebright chicks under her and check back throughout the day. Or, just wait until night & add them when all are sleeping. Mama wakes up with her babies, never knows the difference, & assumes they're all hers. As far as the chicks, all they want is a warm soft place to snuggle, so they'll stay put all night.

I agree, her hormones will be running high and the urge to mother will take over. Let the Dutch hatch out and slip the sebrights in at night. She'll be very pleased with all of her magically twinned eggs.

And grab a couple silvers if you can, Heartland makes them so lovely and sharp. Here's mine now almost 3 months old.