Sumatra Thread!

[Sumatra503]

They are one of my favorite breeds.

 

[Sumatra503]

Bump!

Just trying to keep this going.

 

[easttxchick]

You know, I have several of these beautiful birds, but I'm still sort of on the fence about their temperment-the hens all seem very flighty and shy and every male I have is a big 'ol gorgeous JERK! They are determined to challenge me at every turn.
I know it isn't due to their bloodlines, I have some birds from some of the best lines in the country and they are still tempermental.
Gotta love a bird that knows they are beautiful and poses for pictures, though.

 

[Sumatra503]

My hens are flighty, but my Roo is a big ol' baby. He cackles with the hens when they freak out over egg laying and he squeals when i catch him to trim spurs. I've only had one roo that challenged me and that was my Birchin. I was so excited about the Birchin markings, but he was a complete jerk. Needless to say I breed for temperment and he made really delicious soup.

Most of the big breeders don't breed for temperment, they breed for body and color and all those things they value most.

My Roo has three full spurs and two partial spurs on each leg. How many spurs do yours have?

 

[easttxchick]

WOW, impressive on the spurs! My oldest cockerals are showing 3-which is good for me.
My worst tempered boy, Trojan, is so brazen, that he'll jump up on the back of the chair I'm sitting in and just stare a hole through the back of my head. I am of the school of thought that EVERY time he challenges me, I pick him up and we have a "discussion on manners". I'm beginning to wonder if he doesn't just challenge me to get picked up and held.
I just hate the way they literally scream(no matter how old they are) EVERY time you pick them up! My husband always says, "What did you do to them?". Nothing-they're just big girly men!

 

[Amyable]

Liamm, those do look like Sumatras to me too. I got 6 of them from Sandhill this spring; 4 roos, 2 pullets. The boys were extremely friendly, but they had to go to freezer camp. I'm keeping the girls, interested to see how they will lay. They are somewhat flighty, but seem to be getting better. One girl seems to be an off-type, she has a lot of brown on her head, and a red comb, while the other is totally black with a black face as well. As long as she gives me eggs, she's staying. She's actually quite nice, she lets my 4-yr-old pick her up sometimes.

At what age did yours start laying?? Mine are 23 weeks old. How can you tell when they're close? Black comb, too shy to squat by me...

 

[Sumatra503]

It can take a while for them to start. Mine often wait until they are 8 months old or older before they lay. It just depends.

The shorter daylight hours may be part of it. You can hang lights with a timer to even out the daylight hours. This help a lot. They need at least 14 hours of daylight in order to lay.

 

[Sumatra503]

Getting ready to hang the lights and try again to get some more eggs. Want to have eggs to hatch for New Years!!

 

[gallo4319]

I crossed a pure breed double spur sumatra to a black shamo, babies are triple spurs how do that happened?

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Quote:
It's just the sumatra blood in them, I have had them with up to 7-8 spurs on each side before.