American serama thread!

[Ra_]

My bird's eyes seem to be a brownish orange.
Years ago I had a roo whose eyes were a bright orange red.
He was spooky looking.

 

[missxpistol]

Both of my Roos have the red/orange. My other pullets have almost hazel-y green eyes.

 

[snowy Mtns]

Hello. We are pretty new to Seramas, bought a pair three weeks ago, and we have a silkie Serama rooster cross we purchased last fall. The new pair where sitting on eggs when we purchased them(the eggs didn't make it). I was told the hen would start laying again soon. What can I do to encourage her to lay? And I have not seen him do his part either. Help, we want babies! He is 3 and she is 2 1/2

 

[drumstick diva]

You can't encourage a hen to lay or go broody. If your roo isn't doing his part, it's not your hen's fault. Maybe next time she starts going broody, you could buy some fertile eggs and put them under her. So even if your roo isn't capable, she can still hatch some chicks.

 

[snowy Mtns]

Any tricks for making a roo do his part?

 

[Ra_]

Make sure the hen has plenty of food and clean water at all times.
They need a certain amount of each to produce an egg.
I make a mash for my birds at the end of the day which they greedily gobble down.

Try putting your birds together in different locations.
Letting them both out together or putting them in a different enclosure often makes my roos feel romantic.

 

[nchls school]

I use pine shavings. How about you?

I got Flygirl to start sitting on the 3rd nest. That's great!

I notice a lot of people use shavings; I did too, but I kept finding eggs pushed away from the nest-buried in the shavings. I switched to straw. A nest of straw holds its shape better. Since switching I have not found any eggs pushed out of the nest proper. When I first started I was putting four to six eggs under a hen and losing some of those. Now the hens are sitting on 9-10 eggs and having pretty good hatches.

 

[nchls school]

Hello. We are pretty new to Seramas, bought a pair three weeks ago, and we have a silkie Serama rooster cross we purchased last fall. The new pair where sitting on eggs when we purchased them(the eggs didn't make it). I was told the hen would start laying again soon. What can I do to encourage her to lay? Laying mash-oyster shell-hard boiled eggs with the shells crush and mixed. And I have not seen him do his part either. I do not see my roosters mating much. When I do, it is early morning. The fertility of my eggs is high; nearly 100%. Point being that just because you don't see him mating doesn't mean he isn't. Yes, there might be a problem, but there may not be. Help, we want babies! He is 3 and she is 2 1/2

Be patient. It'll happen. Serama hens are great broodys and mothers. When she does start laying provide a number of nest boxes. My hens like seclusion so I use boxes that have a top. With just the pair I'd leave the eggs in the nest as they are laid; that is what I do. With my hens clutch size usually is between 8-10 eggs.

Good luck.

 

[Ra_]

All my roosters want to have sex constantly. They will only stop to try and start a fight with another male.
During free range time, my yard looks like a Cologne train station on New Year's Eve.
Worf is a very determined suitor & even tiny Charley keeps trying to mount numerous girls but keeps getting swatted down.

 

[Ra_]

Of the 4 chicks that hatched 5 & 6 days ago, there's only one big ole smoothie.