American serama thread!

[ChristineR]

How long does everyone leave heat lamps on for their serama chicks inside? With most chicks, even banties that I've raised I've had their heat lamp off by a week old if they are in brooders inside. My serama's are from 1 week to 6 weeks old and still spend most all their time underneath the light (100 watt, shining onto a brick that holds the heat and the area under the light is about 100 degrees). I figure they are little enough they will need it awhile yet, but since even the 6 week old seems to enjoy basking under it should I just plan on keeping it on awhile lol? Do they need heat longer than others due to their small size?
And, since I am posting anyway I have to show off one of my little cuties.

My first little frizzle serama.

Very cute, Julie! I can't answer your question, though, as I've only hatched ducklings.

 

[BantyChickenLuv]

Happy Halloween!!!

Adorable, I'm so jealous.

 

[cluck-cluck]

How long does everyone leave heat lamps on for their serama chicks inside? With most chicks, even banties that I've raised I've had their heat lamp off by a week old if they are in brooders inside. My serama's are from 1 week to 6 weeks old and still spend most all their time underneath the light (100 watt, shining onto a brick that holds the heat and the area under the light is about 100 degrees). I figure they are little enough they will need it awhile yet, but since even the 6 week old seems to enjoy basking under it should I just plan on keeping it on awhile lol? Do they need heat longer than others due to their small size?
And, since I am posting anyway I have to show off one of my little cuties.

My first little frizzle serama.

I was talking to another member who said she read they needed 100 degrees, so smart @ss that I am, I said no, they should get the same care as any other chick. But what are mine doing? They're laying right up against the hottest part of the cage! They seldom leave that spot! So, yah, I guess they need more heat time than others do?!?!

Cluck-Cluck--what a really cool incubator! I am totally not handy, but would love one like that.
Congrats on the little ones guys!

I stopped in to catch up. Have not been online all summer.
I finally bought my farm and huge house and now I have to work every day to pay it off which does not
leave time to play much. lol--I hope to have it all paid off in 10ish years though!

I have been getting to talk about Seramas finally over on Facebook since we have posted some of our breeder
hens, pullets and cockerels for sale--but I miss BYC. The community over here has always been very fun and friendly.
Im going to go hunt up more Serama threads and see if I can help anyone answer some questions, lol

Hope everyone is ready for winter!!
~Jessi
http://www.facebook.com/BluegrassSeramas

How awesome! Congratulations! What a dream!, enjoy!

Adorable, I'm so jealous.

They are amazingly small! Well, time for you to hatch some then! LOL Hope you do!

 

[cluck-cluck]

Pooty, I never hit enter on this

This was awesome! I would love to make one of my own, I'm fairly handy, but I'm still a little confused. How does the thermostat work?

Also, would it be possible to make smaller? Like for serama eggs? Or does the size really not matter?

It's actually quite small already, just a small styrofoam cooler. The thermostat thingy ... well it's mechanical. If it's registers too cold, it makes a connection, and the electricity flows, if it's hot, it stops the connection, cutting off the electricity. The trick is to set it close to but not on the light bulb, adjust the temperature arrow and distance until you get it to stay within 1 degree +/- of 99.5. Give yourself a week or so before setting eggs, then when you set the eggs, don't mess with it for a while i found that when it got colder at night, I could just put a blanket on the box and adjusted the blanket as to how much of the cover I covered. I made far too many vent holes, don't know if I've already said that, but two is enough!

 

[JulieNKC]

I was talking to another member who said she read they needed 100 degrees, so smart @ss that I am, I said no, they should get the same care as any other chick. But what are mine doing? They're laying right up against the hottest part of the cage! They seldom leave that spot! So, yah, I guess they need more heat time than others do?!?!

How awesome! Congratulations! What a dream!, enjoy!
They are amazingly small! Well, time for you to hatch some then! LOL Hope you do!

Ok, at least mine are normal. Just heat loving chicks I guess. There are only 5 of them and they are in a 2' x 3' brooder and all crowded in the area under the heat lamp. I even put a brick in there (used to raise food for bigger chicks) and they love laying on that brick under the light soaking it up.

 

[cluck-cluck]

Yah, my poor little ones are shivering, I'm afraid. At night it gets down to 90 degrees but I can't get more heat down there

But they made it through last night and hope they'll make it tonight?!?!?! When they can wander up the ramps of this cage, they'll be able to bask closer to the heat lamp, it's an old critter cage. But they're so tiny, and I'm not about to put them up there until they have more control over their fine motor skills, LOL. I had leghorns in there last time, they were always at the top basking in the heat.

 

[Sumatra503]

Yah, my poor little ones are shivering, I'm afraid. At night it gets down to 90 degrees but I can't get more heat down there

But they made it through last night and hope they'll make it tonight?!?!?! When they can wander up the ramps of this cage, they'll be able to bask closer to the heat lamp, it's an old critter cage. But they're so tiny, and I'm not about to put them up there until they have more control over their fine motor skills, LOL. I had leghorns in there last time, they were always at the top basking in the heat.

I'd put the lamp on the oposite side and lower it so they can get to it without climbing the ramp. Just to be safe.

 

[BantyChickenLuv]

I was talking to another member who said she read they needed 100 degrees, so smart @ss that I am, I said no, they should get the same care as any other chick. But what are mine doing? They're laying right up against the hottest part of the cage! They seldom leave that spot! So, yah, I guess they need more heat time than others do?!?!

How awesome! Congratulations! What a dream!, enjoy!
They are amazingly small! Well, time for you to hatch some then! LOL Hope you do!

Sadly, I can't, due to where I live. No roos allowed = no fertilized eggs.

The chicks I did order are straight run and so if I get a roo (I'm sure I will) I'm working on a plan to keep it in the house, but it's gonna have to be Heritage Bantam RIR, if I do ever hatch eggs.

 

[Sumatra503]

Belle gave me my very first serama egg today! I'm assuming it's fertilized - Taco has been taking care of business every morning. She's not sitting on it, so I'm not quite sure what to do with it haha






This is a weird angle on their cage - the box looks super tiny but I swear she fits in it great, cozies up right inside and peers out at me with her little death stare.

I was wondering, does anyone just leave them out of their cage all the time? Right now I open the door when I get home and they like to sit in the opening or on top of the cage, and bring them out to watch TV with me in the evenings. I was thinking about just leaving diapers on them and letting them roam free in my room when I'm at school - just my room, don't want to risk the little house dog thinking those tiny chickens look tasty when no one is around.

They should be fine roaming as long as all things dangerous are removed from the room. Mine have free run of the house when I'm home and are confined to the bathroom when I'm not home.

 

[cluck-cluck]

I'd put the lamp on the oposite side and lower it so they can get to it without climbing the ramp. Just to be safe.

Yah, they're actually walking around, and when they go to sleep at the side where I have an oil heater going, I suspect they're warm. Unfortunately, it heats up the room too, ugh! I'd just really like to take that oil heater away!

Sadly, I can't, due to where I live. No roos allowed = no fertilized eggs.

The chicks I did order are straight run and so if I get a roo (I'm sure I will) I'm working on a plan to keep it in the house, but it's gonna have to be Heritage Bantam RIR, if I do ever hatch eggs.

I feel for you! I'm allowed 1, and I'm planning on keeping a few (shhhh!) but will have to keep them quiet at night so as not to bother the neighbors. I think if we can keep the noise down, they won't mind so much, but if they're too loud too often, then the neighbors will not be pleased, and I'll have to re-home them. I'll undoubtedly have to find homes for a few anyway. But no matter what, I really want to keep all the Seramas I've hatched. If that means keeping them in the house, then they'll stay in the house! LOL