Silver Sebright Sexing

[jenkassai]

Okay, I have a Silver Sebright and I am dying to know if it is a he or a she. What age can you start to tell? I suspect I have a roo, I've tried to look up pics of young Sebright roos, and mostly came up with pullet pics, but my Smidge's comb already looks bigger than most of the pullet pics I saw. Hubby is not happy, doesn't want a roo. Well, to be honest, didn't want chickens at all

but said NO ROOSTERS!!! Now I keep telling him that Smidge is so small, how loud can his crow really be? We are on some acreage and someone down the road has a roo, I can hear it crowing occasionally, so I don't worry about the neighbors as much as I do my husband! Secretly I will be tickled, unless he turns out to be nasty. So far s/he seems sweet and curious. Likes to sit on my but not be picked up, prefers to fly up and land on me when I'm hanging out and holding my cuddly Dominiques.

 

[fancyfowl4ever]

When I use to raise sebrights any chicks that at about 2 weeks old had any raised comb and any colour other then black(so flesh coloured or pinkish) was a rooster. if at 2 weeks the chick has a very narrow flat bald spot thats usually black in colour its a pullet and any more then that its a cockerel. I find them to be one of the quickest breeds to sex. At least the Show lines are. Hatchery birds may be different.

 

[jenkassai]

Thanks Mine is a hatchery chick, older than two weeks. I think the comb is on the big side, seems bigger, relative to size and age, than any of the combs on my pullets of other breeds. Also it is redder as well. Wooohoo

The funny thing is I kept calling Smidge a "he" even though I didn't know, just felt like Smidge was a he for some reason. I think I figured it was my luck that the one I didn't know for sure (the rest are standard sized breeds, all supposed to be pullets) would turn out to be a boy

I'll try to get some pics and post. Now what I can't wait to watch, if Smidge IS a he, is the tiny Sebright trying to boss the big girls around (2 Jersey Giants, 1 Col Wyandotte, 1 Buff Brahma, 3 Dominiques, 1 RIR, 1 Partridge Rock) . Will he still try to do that just because he is a rooster, even though he is so much smaller than the girls? I haven't yet seen any behavior like that, but he is a few weeks younger than the most of the others.

 

[NC29mom]

Do you have any pictures? I will try to sex them for you...I used to have a bunch of goldens. Having a roo with your hens is a great idea I think. They will run almost in a "clan" and look out for 1 another. The roos are very loyal and sweet.

I got rid of my sebrights, unfortunatley. They were my all time favorite birds. I hope you enjoy yours. You will get lots of complements.

BTW: my sebright roo was the KING of the yard....oh yes! Would run my standard breed (big) roos all over the yard ....... ever heard of "little man syndrome"

 

[jenkassai]

Oh yes, I have heard of the "Napolean syndrome", esp with the little dogs, who always crack me up and worry me when they make a fuss at my big dogs!! I will try to get pics of Smidge tomorrow and post. Can't wait to hear what you think!! I do find him(?) adorable!!! Makes me curious to get a couple more bantams, but REALLY have my heart set on a few Buckeyes next year, so don't know if that will work out. Of course Smidge was an impulse purchase, Meyers was setting out some bantams for sale when I was picking up my last group of chicks, and I just had to have him!! Cutest little chick EVER!!!

 

[jenkassai]

Just wanted to post an update - Smidge is DEFINITELY a rooster

He is SOOOO adorable!!! Just crazy about his tiny size, cracks me up to watch him out there with "his" girls who all tower over him. He crows now too, and I LOVE hearing it!! Doesn't seem to bother my husband too much either, who didn't want chickens and then said absolutely NO ROOSTERS

He thinks he is king of the castle too. A few of my dogs would love to get in the chicken yard, and occasionally I will see one staring longingly into the yard. One day I saw Smidge (a safe distance away from the fence) in a stare down with my one girl. He was ready to take her on. I don't think he weighs a pound, and she is 80 lbs! Then just yesterday I was in the chicken yard with my feathered kids, and hubby let "his" dog out. Of course the dog had to come see what I was doing with the chickens (from his side of the fence of course!). The hens all ran over to the other side of the yard. Smidge strutted towards the dog, again stayed away from the fence (although we do have the bottom wrapped in hardware cloth as an added protection, I'm glad to see he seems sensible about not getting too close to the dogs!), but started to stare down the 100+ lb dog. Hubby called the dog, and the dog went running away. I laughed and said "Great, now Smidge thinks he scared the dog away!". Sure enough he puffed himself up really big and flapped his wings as if to say "Well that takes care of THAT!"

So he seems to keep an eye out for the girls, and sometimes I think he tries to call them over when he finds something interesting, but they usually ignore him, poor fellow. He also is sweet / not aggressive with my husband and I, so that is nice. He was the source of entertainment at our cookout. I let the chickens out of their yard (dogs safely contained in their kennels of course!) thinking they would stay near their yard and not come near the house because of the guests. Not so. I turned around and all the chickens were mingling with the guests. Every time my sister-in-law would get out of her seat, Smidge would fly up and land on it, and sit there until she came back

We all got a big kick out of it!

 

[hibler60]

Could you post some pics up of your rooster when he was young so I can see. I picked up two assorted bantams from cal ranch and I'm pretty sure one is a silver sebright rooster and the other one is a dark brahma rooster. I'm not sure yet though. They both fight each other constantly and both of them hold their heads up higher than all of the other chicks I have. The silver sebright is 4 weeks and is getting a pink comb coming in. The dark brahma doesn't have a comb but they way they fight is making me wonder.

 

[silkieman123]

I know this is the silver Sebright tag but can someone help me sax my golden Sebright.

 

[silkieman123]

 

[silkieman123]