Description
Silver Sebright Bantam Chicken
Breed History and Origin
Cackle Hatchery® offers the Silver Sebright Bantam, a true bantam breed with no large fowl counterpart. Developed in England in the early 1800s by Sir John Sebright, this breed was selectively bred for appearance and uniformity rather than production traits. It was admitted into the American Standard of Perfection in 1874 and remains one of the most recognizable ornamental bantams today. The Silver Sebright is also listed on the Livestock Conservancy Watch Status, making it a sustainable heritage breed worth preserving. Cackle Hatchery® has been developing its own bloodline or strain of pure Sebright Bantams since 1979.
Appearance and Breed Characteristics
The Silver Sebright Bantam is known for its highly refined feather pattern, featuring a bright silver-white base with crisp black lacing around each feather. This uniform lacing creates a clean, outlined look across the entire body, making it a standout in exhibition. One of the most unique traits of this breed is that males are hen-feathered, meaning they lack the long, pointed sickle and saddle feathers typically seen in roosters. As part of the Rose Comb Clean Legged Bantam class, they have a compact, upright build with a distinct rose comb. Mature roosters typically weigh around 22 ounces and hens around 20 ounces, with pullets and cockerels slightly smaller.
Egg Production and Broodiness
The Silver Sebright Bantam offers fair egg production for a bantam, laying small cream or tinted eggs on a moderate basis. However, hens are non-setters and rarely go broody, meaning they are not typically used for hatching eggs. Fertility generally ranges from 40–55%, with a recommended mating ratio of approximately six females to one male.
Temperament and Backyard Suitability
This breed is active and alert, with a temperament that can be described as both docile and somewhat flighty. They can be handled with regular interaction but are generally more energetic than heavier bantam breeds. Their small size makes them suitable for backyard flocks with limited space, though they benefit from secure enclosures due to their ability to fly. A roost height of 0 to 2 feet works well for their size and structure.
Production Positioning and Exhibition Use
The Silver Sebright Bantam is best positioned as an ornamental and exhibition breed with limited production value. While they do lay eggs, their primary appeal lies in their precise feather lacing, compact build, and unique hen-feathered males. This makes them a strong choice for poultry shows and for hobbyists interested in maintaining a distinctive heritage breed.
Breeding Note / Color Note
Maintaining sharp, consistent black lacing on a clean silver base is essential for exhibition-quality birds. Sebrights can be more challenging to breed due to their smaller size and lower fertility rates, so careful selection and management are important for maintaining quality and consistency.
Related Resources
Also may like Sebright Bantam Surplus Special. https://www.cacklehatchery.com/product/sebrightsurplus-bantam-special/
FAQ
What makes Silver Sebright Bantams unique?
They are a true bantam breed with no large version and have hen-feathered males without sickle feathers.
Are Silver Sebright Bantams good layers?
They are fair layers for a bantam but are not kept for egg production.
Do Silver Sebright Bantams go broody?
No, they are non-setters and rarely hatch eggs.
Are Silver Sebright Bantams hard to keep?
They require a bit more attention due to their active and flighty nature but do well with proper care.
Are Silver Sebright Bantams good for showing?
Yes, they are highly valued in exhibition for their precise feather lacing and unique appearance.
Availability
Available Low Availability Unavailable
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Eira –
I ordered 25 sebrights in the spring of 2025. I purchased them with the intention of starting a breeding flock for showing as I was unable to find any available local to me. My review is based upon how my birds from Cackle have matured out in comparison to the APA Standard of Perfection.
Pros:
– Fairly solid and consistent lacing, although a few birds had broken lacing on secondaries
– Fairly well body shape on most birds, however obviously not as balanced as show quality birds
– Nice rosecombs with points on roosters. I did not have any single comb cockerels in my order.
– Good personalities
– Hearty bloodlines, they have held up well to both hot (110+) and cold (-4 with windchill) days without any problem
Cons:
– Many, many, many pink toes. I removed 3/4 of the chicks from the breeding program within the first month due to pink toes
– A few hens with red combs versus mulberry combs
– Some roosters popping up with almost solid black hackle and saddle feathers
– Sooty tail feathers on multiple roosters
All in all, if you are wanting to show sebrights, starting with hatchery stock obviously puts you behind but it is possible to do with consistent work and heavy culling. If you are wanting flashy, pretty birds for your yard, these are absolutely them!
I give them 5 stars because for hatchery quality birds, they are perfect! I do highly recommend!
etayl14 –
I received Silver Sebright chicks at the beginning of August. The chicks are almost fully feathered out and I had 100% success raising them with a group of Porcelain D’Uccle and Spangled OEG Bantam. Seems its almost 50% rooster to pullet ratio if I am guessing gender at this time. One “rooster” has a single comb instead of a rosecomb. One chick still has chick feathers on its head and is smaller than the rest of the group. They are curious and friendly and usually the first ones to approach when I bring them treats. They are so tame they can easily be picked up.
Tyler McCaughn –
Out of all the birds that I purchased this year, these are my favorites. Small & docile birds with a striking appearance. When I realized that I had more than I needed, there were people lining up to adopt them from my flock. I don’t remember losing any of these when they arrived. Just like the goldens, I’ll purchase again.
Keshka Kotera –
Cute and perky. They have a fun personality and are quite curious about what you are doing. The pattern is very distinct and they stand out looking very pretty.
Whittni (@WhitsFlock) –
We ordered 5 and received 6. 3 were roosters and were rehomed. Of the 3 pullets we kept, 2 passed away prior to lay (within a couple weeks of each other). They seemed like healthy rambunctious new chicks, but did not survive well enough to become adults. They were human friendly, but 1 rooster was especially spooky around people. I don’t recommend sebrights, they just aren’t a hardy breed, and even if they do make it–they only live 8 years compared to an Old English Bantam who can make it to 15 (nearly double). Our chicks were vaccinated and raised in a great setup. No parasite or predators impacted mortality of the sebrights.
Curtis Hawn –
Ordered ten of these last year. They are by far some of the prettiest bantams to raise. All of them thrived. Ordering more this year to add to my flock. If you love bantams you will not be disappointed. Their coloring and lacing is absolutely stunning. Great job cackle.
leonel –
do you have sebright pullets
do you have sebright pullets or when do you gonna have
Spiderbunny in PR –
Thanks
Everything went perfectly. We ordered 28 chicks from different varieties & got 35 total. Shipped on May 26 & got here on the 28th. I was so worried the post office would mess things up. They never called me but thanks to Cackle’s system, I got the tracking # & monitored the shipment. They all arrived perfectly fine chirping like crazy & moving around. I followed their instructions & all were doing great til Saturday when 1 of the porcelain duccles died overnight. For such a long journey I am extremely & pleasantly surprised. We ordered 5 of these silver sebrights & got 2 extra. Very pleased with the way the company works. Thank you so much.Highly recommend.
Eric –
Great purchase
We ten silver sebrights this August, and discovered 12 in the box! All were fine, except one which was listless and didn’t recover. Now we have eleven wonderful little critters. The roosters seem to get along (so far) which is nice. Thanks!
Sierra –
Very Happy 1st Time Chick Mom
Received my 5 with 1 extra silver Sebrights along with a few other breeds. All chicks arrived healthy & full of energy. 3 weeks later they’re doing Great! I’m glad I did my research & ordered from Cackle Hatchery!
Reggie –
Chicks welcome home
Thank you for sending a great looking bunch of CHICKS. I ordered 5 and you sent us 8. They all arrived alive, the pad that you placed inside for heat was still warm. The Post Office call first thing in the morning. My daughter is very happy, hopefully there is a 4H champion in there somewhere!! Will send pictures if so. THANK YOU AGAIN!
Kristi, Virginia July 2013 –
Our new chicks
Our new babies arrived yesterday. I want to commend you. They arrived carefully packaged with the somewhat larger chicks in a separate space and all looking spry and safe. I had sworn I would never order from a hatchery again after an absolutely HORRIBLE experience one time with another hatchery. If you order less than 25 they put in extra chicks for warmth during shipping. i didn’t know that having never ordered them before and I ordered 20 banties. Some person put in extra-regular-size chicks (leghorns) with the banties and seven of my little banties were crushed in transit. Nevertheless, nothing would bring back those poor little chicks and I knew I would never do business with them again. When we have occasion to order chicks again, you can be assured it will be from Cackle Hatchery.
Pam Texas May 2010 –
Attn: cackle-Extremely Happy Customer
Just a quick note to thank you for my surprise package and to let you know how much I enjoyed visiting there on Tuesday. All the babies in the surprise package arrived alive and are growing like weeds. The three little turkeys and silver Sebright chicks I when I visited made the trip home with us just fine and are doing great. I told Don we would have to make a “Cackle visit” a routine part of our trips north from now on. Thanks Again!!!
Michael New York April 2010 –
My praise to Cackle Hatchery and their staff
Good Evening, I just received my order of chicks from Cackle Hatchery today. I want to extend my sincere praise to your company and staff. My chicks arrived healthy and without a single casualty!!! I have ordered from other hatcheries in the past and have waited anxiously for my chicks to arrive only to be disappointed by dead or nearly dead chicks. Your chicks are the best I have ever received from a hatchery. Although, I am experienced enough to be able to tell which breeds are which, I appreciated the fact that your staff took the time to mark similar breeds. Again, thank you to your staff, They won me over as a customer. I will be sure to tell all of my fellow chicken fanciers how impressed I am with Cackle Hatchery.
Jeffrey April 2014 –
Chicks Arrived
I ordered 15 Sebright chicks, you placed 18 of them in the box. All arrived alive and healthy, they were packed very well. I received three calls from the Post Office to come and get them, they were driving the staff nuts with all the noise. Thank you very much.
Sandy Wisconsin May 2011 –
Thank You
I ordered 15 little sebrights bantams. I received them this morning. I wanted to let you know they all lived through the shipment. They ate so hardy and vigorous little guys. I am so happy. You guys made a 13 year old boy so happy. Just wanted to thank you. Thank You