Sumatras

[houndit]

Does anyone raise sumatras? I read that they are the best flier of all chickens. Is this true? What is there temperment like?

 

[flyingmonkeypoop]

We have bantam and large sumatras. Some are good fliers but our bantam phoenix are better. They vary in temperment, most are flighty, some are nasty, and others are calm. They seem to be seasonal layers.

 

[FractalFarmer]

I have one, and she is very shy. Especially with the humans, but also with other chickens. Whenever I got out with the treat bucket, Raven runs the other way when I throw food because she doesn't want to get caught up in the feeding frenzy. She seems to be above such juvenile nonsense as the pecking order.

Funny...I was just thinking earlier that a flock of black bantam sumatras would be perfect for somebody who was keeping secret chickens on the down low. They could be passed off as crows from a distance.

 

[Pinky]

I have one sumatra hen.She can fly well and is a little nervous around the other chickens.She's a great forager and mine just started laying

She waits until the other hens have been eating for a couple of minutes before she joins and eats.

 

[FractalFarmer]

I forgot to add that yes, they are good flyers. Or at least mine is, which led to her getting trapped on top of her run on the wrong side of the netting (more about that here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=114416). Ours is also very calm, and very quiet. Not a prolific layer, at least not now in the dead of winter, but certainly a very sweet bird.

 

[RockyToggRanch]

I have LB sumatras. They are excellent fliers and loved to sit on top of the barn until we put a metal roof on, now they slide off. They are great here in the forest. I don't worry about predators with them at all. They're also great foragers although mine run to meet me for a handout. They're not cuddly lap chickens and would prefer not to be touched, but I can pick them up if I have to. The roosters have multiple spurs and beautiful tail feathers. They all like to roost up high. They don't run out of the coop, they fly (and I duck).

 

[houndit]

Thank you for the responses.

 

[RedJungleFowl]

so they could fly very far or just alittle yard

 

[championsumatra]

I have a lot of sumatras
here are a few of them