American serama thread!

[Suzi18]

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I regret having sold this one.

Oh what a cutie

 

[Faraday40]

That's what I told myself at the time. Then the storm with high wind hit, then the rain and flooding, then fire ants, then a dog, then a cat, and on and on. Now I lookat pictures of the birds I sold and...

I know what you mean. i had some massive Coronation sussex, a bielefelder quad, a laced Isabel Orpington Rooster (from imported English bloodlines), and even a rare gold laced English Orp hen. I sold them mainly because I needed to get my numbers down so my flock would not be overcrowded when cooped up for winter..... but they were very impressive! I keep telling myself it was for the best that those magnificent birds went to good homes where they can be spoiled. I decided to stick with the only the individual birds I love & a few lavender & laced orps for breeding.

It's funny, because in winter, my chicken chores are done so quickly. No messy chicks to clean, less feeders/waterers, only one coop to clean, and no email, texting, calling, & waiting for customers. Yet, every spring we decide to hatch, sell, grow out, & keep more chickens. Such is my cycle for chicken math.

It sounds like 2018 was a very unfortunate year for your flock.
What happened with fire ants? We don't have those up here. Is it like lice & mites where they they bite & weaken immune system?

 

[nchls school]

The day of hatching the ants invaded the nest. Under the brooding hen ants bit newly hatched chicks to death, then starting with the eye...pieces were carried back to the anthill. Pipped eggs went the same way. I was able to save a couple of chicks who pipped after I had moved unpipped eggs and hen to safety. This happened twice. Some days I wish I were back in WI; no fire ants there either.

My wife says not to look at what I had, but look at what I have. She is right.

One of this summer's babies. I'm pleased. A huge improvement to its great great grandparents I started with several years ago. Genetics is fun to work with! But I'm not crazy about chicken photography; I never seem to get a photo that looks as good as the real thing.

 

[nchls school]

Two more summer babies.

 

[Faraday40]

Two more summer babies.

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I like your black roo. There's nothing prettier than that iridescent green shine in sunlight.

 

[Suzi18]

The day of hatching the ants invaded the nest. Under the brooding hen ants bit newly hatched chicks to death, then starting with the eye...pieces were carried back to the anthill. Pipped eggs went the same way. I was able to save a couple of chicks who pipped after I had moved unpipped eggs and hen to safety. This happened twice. Some days I wish I were back in WI; no fire ants there either.

My wife says not to look at what I had, but look at what I have. She is right.


View attachment 1630827

One of this summer's babies. I'm pleased. A huge improvement to its great great grandparents I started with several years ago. Genetics is fun to work with! But I'm not crazy about chicken photography; I never seem to get a photo that looks as good as the real thing.

Oh that's so sad. Never heard of such a thing. You're rooster is gorgeous

 

[nchls school]

I like your black roo. There's nothing prettier than that iridescent green shine in sunlight.

Thank you. And he is only three months old. I think he looks great for that age.

Ants-I never heard of such a thing either; until this summer. We had ants everywhere- new ant hills all over the property. I finally had to abandon use of every outside pen/run and put the birds in coops. The ants were so bad they even attacked my male quail; when I found him in the morning he was covered in ants being torn apart.

 

[Faraday40]

The day of hatching the ants invaded the nest. Under the brooding hen ants bit newly hatched chicks to death, then starting with the eye...pieces were carried back to the anthill. Pipped eggs went the same way. I was able to save a couple of chicks who pipped after I had moved unpipped eggs and hen to safety. This happened twice. Some days I wish I were back in WI; no fire ants there either.

Wow! I knew fire ant would bite if nest was attacked, but I never knew they would attack nesting birds. Normally ants will scavenge a dead body - but a live one?! Ick! That's so sad to lose the chicks after all those days of incubation.

I recently lost a silkie x serama mix when my scatter-brained broody hen left the nest. 1st the hen decided to go broody in Nov when temps are constantly below freezing. She was a good mama over the summer, so I allowed her to stay broody. Then when it was single digits & the chicks were only 2 days old, she hopped off the nest to get something to eat/drink. The poor tiny ones couldn't hop out to follow & slowly froze. We discovered the lifeless bodies & were able to revive them with a hairdryer. (Quite an amazing experience that I wouldn't believe if I didn't see it myself.) One died the next morning - probably due to the shock / stress. The other is alive but her frostbitten toes fell off. That chick has a very strong will to live and doesn't seemed slowed down at all by her disability. BTW- All the chicks were given to my broody silkie (who's currently a house chicken) & the orig hatching broody went into molt after I took her chicks away.

 

[Suzi18]

Wow! I knew fire ant would bite if nest was attacked, but I never knew they would attack nesting birds. Normally ants will scavenge a dead body - but a live one?! Ick! That's so sad to lose the chicks after all those days of incubation.

I recently lost a silkie x serama mix when my scatter-brained broody hen left the nest. 1st the hen decided to go broody in Nov when temps are constantly below freezing. She was a good mama over the summer, so I allowed her to stay broody. Then when it was single digits & the chicks were only 2 days old, she hopped off the nest to get something to eat/drink. The poor tiny ones couldn't hop out to follow & slowly froze. We discovered the lifeless bodies & were able to revive them with a hairdryer. (Quite an amazing experience that I wouldn't believe if I didn't see it myself.) One died the next morning - probably due to the shock / stress. The other is alive but her frostbitten toes fell off. That chick has a very strong will to live and doesn't seemed slowed down at all by her disability. BTW- All the chicks were given to my broody silkie (who's currently a house chicken) & the orig hatching broody went into molt after I took her chicks away.

WOW.......such sad stories. Hope the little chick makes it. Sounds like she/he is a fighter. I would love to see pics of her/him

 

[nchls school]

best of luck to all of us.