New to Chickens with Serama -Chicks- *~7 Week Photo Update!*

So, I decided I wanted seramas as soon I first heard of them...lol So has begun my first ever venture into birds! I have bred leopard geckos in the past, so incubating eggs is not new to me...but having to turn them is! I timed it so the chicken eggs came a couple days after the last leopard gecko eggs we had hatched...heh

At any rate....I waited to post anything on the board until I knew I had something going on with the eggs. I Purchased on ebay from someone in Media, PA since I live in Allentown and they were the closest eggs I could find. I didn't want to get them shipped long distance as I know how easily eggs can be damaged and b/c from everything I've heard/seen serama eggs can be harder to hatch than others.

Anyway....I recieved 16 eggs (the auction was for 13+) and started incubating them on April 28th (in homemade incubator made from a minifridge). I have the incubator set to 101 and the temps are staying between 100.2 and 100.9...humidity is varying between about 40 and 60%....I'm having trouble keeping it steady. At any rate, I candled some of the eggs today (I think about 8 of them), and every one was showing development! After looking at several of them I noticed one that was moving!...so I looked at several more and back at a couple I'd already checked and every one I checked was moving! YAY! I know seramas can have a low hatch rate....now is it usually that a lot of them just don't develop, or that a lot of them quit at some point? What can I expect now that I know most of them are developing well at this point?

So my hatch date should be some time between the 16th and 19th correct? I know some have seramas hatch day 18 and some day 21....so it should be somewhere in that range?...lol I hate waiting!!!!!

The Serama carries a diluted from of the Creeper Gene, which is lethal. If purebred Seramas, expect to lose about 1/4 of the eggs around day 10 of incubation. Also, they have short legs and sometimes have difficulty hatching, so you may need to help em after a while. But they're bloody cute. I have a month oll bugger running around right now, and I have more expected in one week!

supposedly they're purebred... Day 10 is Friday!...awe I hate to lose any

They are the cutest very things! I haven't even actually seen any in person....but the photos I've seen are absolutely adorable!!!!! lol

I have handled chickens and chicks before....but not many and not for any extended period of time. I worked at a horse farm one summer several years ago while in college where another girl and myself cared for all the animals on the farm, including the birds! We raised some ducks, chicks, and geese and cared for the adults they had as well. There was this one little black and white roo that would chase you around to peck at your heels....he was so cute! lol I can't wait for my little chickens!

So, I just had to show my hubby how to turn the eggs before he went to bed (I will be going to my parents' house tomorrow so I will miss at least one turn)....so I took the chance to candle all of the eggs. of the 16, I pulled out 3 quitters and 2 look like "yolkers,"....didn't pull those 2 out yet though. One is definitely developing but the shell is thick and I can't see the baby moving....the other 10 all look great and I could see moving! So if I expect to lose another quarter that will *hopefully* leave me with 7 or 8 chicks

....now I want to try to resist candling till day 11 or 12......

I keep my 'bator at normal temps (its a LG, with no turner) and stop turning on day 16. They hatch on 19-21 days..ish. lol
I usually use my broodie bantams, but have had pretty good luck with the 'bator this year. Good luck!

As of today there are 7 perfectly developing eggs, lots of movement

there is 1 egg that seems to be developing well, but the air cell is detached (or at least partially detached)

1 egg has movement but the air cell is HUGE...I don't expect this one to make it.....when candled it seems lighter than the other eggs as well.....anyone have any idea what could be going on here?...

Day 16 and 8 eggs looking great! One of them has the detached air cell...but the chick is still moving and everything, so fingers crossed for that one! I so hope I can get them all hatched!

Considering these eggs were shipped and this is my first time hatching (and I didn't wait 24 hours before putting them in the incubator...I didn't know I should) I'm very pleased everything has gone as well as it has so far!

I'm turning today, but won't tomorrow.....my incubator is pretty well sealed and has no window...so I will still have to open it to let fresh air in, check humidity, and check for babies! I'm so excited!!!!!...I may have to put a window in the door after this hatch.....lol

I have pips!!!!! 2 pipped as of now!...and candling (eggs are upright in cardboard egg crate...just lowered the flashlight above them) I can see at least 2 more that are about to pip!

Question on 1 of the pipped eggs....the pip is just below the edge of the air cell........is that bad?....

Nope not bad just make sure there is no blood from an accidental vein puncture! Congrats on the pips, I hope they all make it, we love our Seramas.

Didn't see any blood

Unfortunately the one with the detached air cell didn't make it! I don't know what happened to it...but it always moved a lot and then the past 2 days there was NO movement in the egg and the shadows were in the exact same position (so there had been no movement for a couple days).....I cracked the egg open (gently...just in case)...and the poor little thing had been so close! lots of feathering...but LOTS of yolk unabsorbed.

Hopefully the rest will be ok! I will try to resist getting back into the 'bator till after work tomorrow!