Another true bantam with special appeal, the Sebright was bred by Sir John Sebright in England back in the day when poultry was big business in the show ring.
This is a soft-feather breed which lays a white or cream egg that is certainly bantam sized.
The breed comes in two colours the silver and the gold, but it is the lacing of the feathers which gives this bird its distinctive look.
The breed was once very popular and quite successful on the show bench and became known as the ‘ladies breed’ because of its slight size and perfect lacing.
It was, of course, this lacing that made them a popular bird, especially as the male bird has hen feathering.
Yet it is this lacing that is so hard to get right.
When the lacing is wrong, it can be undefined and/or grey which makes the bird smutty.
The breeding of these birds can be quite manageable as long as the birds are well rested after showing as the females lay a goodly number of eggs.
Male birds are occasionally reared that have the sickles feathers of the male.
These can be bred with and it is said by experts that these give better fertility and breed better cockerels, but not hens.
If this is the case, breeders may need two breeding pens but it is not essential.
Care must be taken with the young as the Sebright chicks are extremely tiny and it can be a shock to those used to larger fowl.
Despite this, when of a size they can be just as aggressive as their larger cousins and need space.
As I have said, the breed lays a good number of eggs but you will need two to match the size of a normal hen egg.
These birds are excellent for those people with a shortage of space and they will take to being penned for long periods without a problem, but will take to the open like all fowl.
Their care and feeding are the same as for all poultry.
They are well worth trying out as a breed as they give great reward.
They do reward a breeder who gets the right mix of birds to breed from as they can be quite a sight in the show pen.
A flock on the lawn of the backyard is also a treat.
The beautiful lacing and the proud nature of the breed can make them a wonderful addition to the visual landscape.