American serama thread!

[Lindseyblair24]

I can't seem to get him to eat or drink anything.... I have a friend coming over to help. Any suggestions on how to get him to drink something?

 

[popposgrl]

Hello!!
I am a newbie with Serama's. I received a Type C roo from a friend and could not find any hens. I bought 15 Malaysian bantam eggs and I am waiting for them to arrive. I have a little giant foam incubator that I am currently trying to get up to 100 degrees with humidity at 60% from what I have read online. NOW, Backyard Chickens has different %'s and temperatures and I am getting very nervous about what is what...
HELLLLLLPPPPPP!!!!
What is the correct temp and humidity? I live in Northern FLORIDA where you can cut the humidity with a knife. Also, where is the thermometer supposed to be??? Inside with the eggs right???
See what I mean about stage fright?? I'm getting to the point of no return here people....help a new mommy out, please!!!
Thanks in advance for anyone who gives advice, I want to let you know that I promise not to stalk you, and pepper you with questions, or bawl my head off if it don't work...well, maybe not the last thing, but anyhoo, thank you for reading!!!

 

[Jharper]

Hello!!
I am a newbie with Serama's. I received a Type C roo from a friend and could not find any hens. I bought 15 Malaysian bantam eggs and I am waiting for them to arrive. I have a little giant foam incubator that I am currently trying to get up to 100 degrees with humidity at 60% from what I have read online. NOW, Backyard Chickens has different %'s and temperatures and I am getting very nervous about what is what...
HELLLLLLPPPPPP!!!!
What is the correct temp and humidity? I live in Northern FLORIDA where you can cut the humidity with a knife. Also, where is the thermometer supposed to be??? Inside with the eggs right???
See what I mean about stage fright?? I'm getting to the point of no return here people....help a new mommy out, please!!!
Thanks in advance for anyone who gives advice, I want to let you know that I promise not to stalk you, and pepper you with questions, or bawl my head off if it don't work...well, maybe not the last thing, but anyhoo, thank you for reading!!!

The little giant thermometer needs to be on top of the eggs and the humidity for the first 18 days should 45-55% and 65% on up in lockdown.

 

[kukupecpec]

Has anyone had any luck getting their broody hens to adopt chicks?

I tried with Berry a while back and she killed them all.

Chip has gone broody but I been collecting all the eggs to give to a friend to hatch so I thought I'd try giving her some of the eggs in my incubator. 2 of them had pipped this morning so I replaced chips eggs with the 2 that were hatching, and gave her one of the chicks from my hatch a couple days ago because it was always alone and a day younger so though maybe she would do better out with momma hen.
I peeked through a crack and watched Chip pull the eggs and the chick up under her so left and came back in an hour to check on her.
One chick has hatched, and the chick that I gave her was decapitated.
She literally chewed the babys head off! Is this normal?!? Or should I just not have given her the already hatched chick? I thought maybe she would take it if her other eggs were hatching too. Now I'm worried about the other 2 chicks.

Is it possible there was something wrong with the chick I gave her that she could tell and I couldn't? She was always peeping super loud and pacing and being generally annoying whereas all the other chicks are eating and drinking and sleeping very quietly and peacefully.

 

[nop169]

It may be just the one hen - I have 16 adult serama hens and have had great success with introducing chicks to the broody hens. Seramas are such gentle birds & so easy to work with that I tried fostering chicks with broody hens a couple of years ago with great results. I only had an issue twice - one hen did indeed kill the 3 chicks I added to her own newly hatched chicks after several hours (but learned that she was a nervous hen with biddies and not a great mother to her own so I culled her) & I had one hen with 5 of her own chicks & added 6 frizzle polish bantam hatchlings to her brood... she did well until I was cutting grass nearby & she became alarmed & killed 3 of the polish before I noticed an issue & jumped off the lawnmower to save the remaining polish chicks and this was 2 weeks after introduction. But she was a first time mother and since then she has raised 2 more clutches with no issues (one of which I added chicks a few days after she hatched). I have 3 older hens that I can add chicks in at any time & they will adopt them & raise them as their own (have added newborns up to 2 weeks after original chicks hatched - but I do try to keep all chicks within size range as is easy when fostering non-seramas with seramas that are 2 weeks of age. Finally, I currently have 4 serama hens setting and just removed one from her nest to foster some new hatched serama from the incubator. She wasn't due to hatch for another week but I did not want to set up a brooder so I took her eggs & placed in the incubator & placed 4 day old seramas under her on her nest for about 2 hours then moved them all into a hen/chick brooder pen. Added a single newly hatched chick to her today. This hen is also a first time mother & took the chicks with no issue - as I have chicks hatching this week I will add more under her until I feel she has enough to cover (usually stop at about 10 serama chicks). I think allowing her to become accustomed to them while in her nest helps - after 2 hours she was clucking & "talking" softly so I went ahead & moved them to the brooder. They are doing great. One of my 4 year old hens will take chicks as long as I supply them - let her set & then add chicks, remove older chicks & replace with younger - she doesnt care - but she is a older experienced very gentle hen who likes having chicks.
Just place chicks under the setting hen & let her adjust - I like giving them at night & then moving to brooder the next day - giving them time to bond... but with the wild varying weather lately, I do what I have to do & just keep a close eye the first day.

 

[Jharper]

Are y'all's roosters and cockerels very father like? Because my cockerel I just got is very fatherly over some of my chicks that I have. He started acting like dad right when I put him in cage with the left over chicks after a sale and brought him home and he takes care of 20 chicks.

 

[kukupecpec]

It may be just the one hen - I have 16 adult serama hens and have had great success with introducing chicks to the broody hens. Seramas are such gentle birds & so easy to work with that I tried fostering chicks with broody hens a couple of years ago with great results. I only had an issue twice - one hen did indeed kill the 3 chicks I added to her own newly hatched chicks after several hours (but learned that she was a nervous hen with biddies and not a great mother to her own so I culled her) & I had one hen with 5 of her own chicks & added 6 frizzle polish bantam hatchlings to her brood... she did well until I was cutting grass nearby & she became alarmed & killed 3 of the polish before I noticed an issue & jumped off the lawnmower to save the remaining polish chicks and this was 2 weeks after introduction. But she was a first time mother and since then she has raised 2 more clutches with no issues (one of which I added chicks a few days after she hatched).  I have 3 older hens that I can add chicks in at any time & they will adopt them & raise them as their own (have added newborns up to 2 weeks after original chicks hatched - but I do try to keep all chicks within size range as is easy when fostering non-seramas with seramas that are 2 weeks of age. Finally, I currently have 4 serama hens setting and just removed one from her nest to foster some new hatched serama from the incubator.  She wasn't due to hatch for another week but I did not want to set up a brooder so I took her eggs & placed in the incubator & placed 4 day old seramas under her on her nest for about 2 hours then moved them all into a hen/chick brooder pen.  Added a single newly hatched chick to her today.  This hen is also a first time mother & took the chicks with no issue - as I have chicks hatching this week I will add more under her until I feel she has enough to cover (usually stop at about 10 serama chicks).  I think allowing her to become accustomed to them while in her nest helps - after 2 hours she was clucking & "talking" softly so I went ahead & moved them to the brooder.  They are doing great.  One of my 4 year old hens will take chicks as long as I supply them - let her set & then add chicks, remove older chicks & replace with younger - she doesnt care - but she is a older experienced very gentle hen who likes having chicks.  
  Just place chicks under the setting hen & let her adjust - I like giving them at night & then moving to brooder the next day - giving them time to bond... but with the wild varying weather lately, I do what I have to do & just keep a close eye the first day.   

She is a first time mom. I wonder what could have happened? Her 2 chicks seemed fine when I checked on then just now, I'd like to give her more but they won't be hatching for a grew days, I'd hate her to kill anymore.

 

[chickydee64]

Hello!!
I am a newbie with Serama's. I received a Type C roo from a friend and could not find any hens. I bought 15 Malaysian bantam eggs and I am waiting for them to arrive. I have a little giant foam incubator that I am currently trying to get up to 100 degrees with humidity at 60% from what I have read online. NOW, Backyard Chickens has different %'s and temperatures and I am getting very nervous about what is what...
HELLLLLLPPPPPP!!!!
What is the correct temp and humidity? I live in Northern FLORIDA where you can cut the humidity with a knife. Also, where is the thermometer supposed to be??? Inside with the eggs right???
See what I mean about stage fright?? I'm getting to the point of no return here people....help a new mommy out, please!!!
Thanks in advance for anyone who gives advice, I want to let you know that I promise not to stalk you, and pepper you with questions, or bawl my head off if it don't work...well, maybe not the last thing, but anyhoo, thank you for reading!!!

HI, Do you have a fan ????????? Temp with a fan 99.5 without a fan 102....I run35 to 40 on humidity the first 18 days.........
and stalk away.............

Questions are OK..........shows you care...Good Luck

 

[CarolinaHen]

HI, Do you have a fan ????????? Temp with a fan 99.5 without a fan 102....I run35 to 40 on humidity the first 18 days.........
and stalk away.............

Questions are OK..........shows you care...Good Luck

I run a "dry incubation". I don't put any water at all in the incubator until day 18. Then I bump the humidity up to 35ish and the babies pop out like popcorn. I am incubating Seramas for the first time and hopefully they will do the same! I have been much happier with this method and have had much better hatch rates since I started using dry incubation.

 

[Jharper]

I run a "dry incubation".  I don't put any water at all in the incubator until day 18.  Then I bump the humidity up to 35ish and the babies pop out like popcorn.  I am incubating Seramas for the first time and hopefully they will do the same!  I have been much happier with this method and have had much better hatch rates since I started using dry incubation.

I can see why dry incubation works because all the air cells can collect enough oxygen and not fluids.