IN THE POULTRY YARD

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 18761, 27 December 1930, Page 10

IN THE POULTRY YARD

THE SEBRIGHT BANTAM. Owing to the delicacy and beauty of the plumage the Sebright is undoubtedly one of the most exquisite of all the charming members of the bantam family. It was produced during the present century by a scientific fancier —Sir John Sebright. About the year 1900, Sir John crossed some common bantams with a Polish fowl, with the object of obtaining the handsome laced markings. The results of this cross were afterwards paired to a short-tailed bantam cock, and this is said to have given the Sebrights the present shape of tail. The Sebright Bantam Club was subsequently formed, with the object of perpetuating the plumage of the Polish fowl on as small a bird as possible. The crest of the Polish had to be bred out and got rid of, and this was most effectually done. Some twenty years ago this pretty bantam was seldom seen, and was only saved from dying out by two or three fanciers. The lacing was difficult to obtain in perfection, and a large number of the eggs invariably proved infertile. Nowadays, however, the Sebright has become a great favourite, and many beautifully-laced specimens are to be found . There are two varieties of the Sebright bantam—the gold and the silver. In the former the ground colour should be of a rich golden yellow throughout, in the latter of a pure silvery white. In both varieties the ground colour should be clear and unsullied, varied only by the lacing of every feather, which Is black all round the edge, the black line being distinct and well defined. The cock Sebright has a rose comb, which is square in front, terminating in a spike behind, and free from depressions. The ear lobes are flat, round, and white, the neck well thrown back, the breast prominent, the tail square and straight, without sickle feathers, the wings large and carried low, and the legs blue. The back is short, the saddle being quite free from the usual male feathers, and the bird completely hen feathered. The hen resembles the cock, except tTTat the comb and head are smaller.

With regard to breeding Sebrights, the most hen-feathered cocks are generally rather infertile, many of the eggs laid by hens running with these Wrds being clear. A cock for breeding should, therefore, beselected that has a moderate tendency to sickle feathers. A three-year-old bird mated with two-year-old hens will be found to produce more satisfactory results than if the parents are in their first season. The cock will probably be somewhat grizzled at that age, but if he was a good specimen in his youth the young ones will turn out well. The best chickens are produced from a heavily-laced cock and a hen a little deficient in that respect. The gold and silver should not be bred together, the silver showing a great loss of ground colour if this system is adopted.

As with most other bantams November and December are good months for hatching Sebright chicks. They are fairly hardy. The young birds do well fed on bread and milk, boiled rice with a little dripping and finelyground oatmeal added, and for whole grain sound wheat, and occasionally some canary seed. There is a tendency

for some specimens to be too large. But the size must be kept down in bantams, or the whole character is lost. Twenty-one ounces for a cock and nineteen in a hen should not be exceeded. Sebrights are tame, lively, sociable little birds, and will do well in a small run.