Anyone hatching Serama eggs?

[kvmommy]

I'm going to hatch some seramas for the easter hatch. Any special advice? How do you fit them in the egg turner? Is the humidity the same? Thanks!

 

[Silkie Nut]

We are currently hatching some now, they are just starting to pip this morning. We used our regular egg turner, be sure to put them in pointed side down. We kept the humidity at right around 50+ the temp has remained a steady 99.7-100. the eggs did fine in the regular turner. They pretty much run the same as the other eggs... :O) Good Luck. we are just so excited to see them start. We took the turner out at the end of the 18th day and then of course sat and stared at them and worried but they are just now pipping on the 21st day. They are sometimes know to hatch early if your temps run a little highter.Have Fun!

 

[KLRA]

Most serama breeders I've spoken to don't use turners because they claim they're too harsh for the eggs. I've never used a turner so I can't share my personal experience with them. But everything else is the same as far as settings go!

 

[kvmommy]

I was worried about them, because they are just so fragile. Did the breeders tell you to incubate them upright or on their sides if you don't use a turner?

 

[KLRA]

Well most people I know incubate them on their sides (I do too), but there are others who incubate upright. The only eggs I've incubated upright were eggs with damaged air cells and they quit a week or so in but I'm sure it was because of the damage. Egg position might just be a matter of personal preference or incubator design.

 

[Silkie Nut]

We are currently actively hatching some which we incubated with a turner in a Little Giant. I removed the turner on the 18th day and now one has hatched this afternoon and another one is almost fully zipped but not quite out yet... resting now ) I have not seen it do much in the past couple hours, hopefully it is okay.. not sure if I should help or now... any suggestions? The rest are still in the pipping stage.

 

[KLRA]

If your humidity is in a good place just let them be good luck! Post pics when they're all fluffed up!

 

[Silkie Nut]

Our first chick is very active and healthy, but the second one died inside the egg
Two more eggs to go! (Our friend is incubating the rest of the eggs.)

 

[KLRA]

Unfortunately that is the nature of hatching seramas... I'm sorry I know how disappointing it is to have them make it up to hatch day then die in the shell. But it's even worse when they hatch then fail to thrive.

 

[viking princess]

I have been trying to hatch Seramas since October with a total of five chicks hatched out of dozens of eggs ordered through the mail. The first four before it became cold and my one single survivor is one of from my adult Seramas. I find they die while trying to hatch. I know you are not supposed to help them but if I hear robust sqeaking, I will very carefully part of the shell and then keep them in an extremely humid environment so they don't dry up and get stuck. Leave them alone? I read that and followed that advice when I hatched my first four and had six die in the shell. I would rather fight with them. I do have a bowl of warm water and place keep dipping the hatching chick in the warm water to make sure that the fluid doesn't dry up and slow them down. That's how I hatched my last one.

The humidity in my incubator is very high - as high as possible. I live in Northern Illinois and my chickens live inside my laundry room. I wonder sometimes if they get a cold draft. My incubator is a Repti-Pro and very air tight so they don't get drafts. My first incubator was a styrafoam one and I lost every single batch of eggs. When I buy eggs on the internet and I see they are porous, I will only keep them one week and if not blood vessels are forming throw them out. I find they need a lot of special calcium and extra vitamins in their diet to have nice hard shells.

Here is a pic of my lone survivor. I put a stuffed chicken in baby pen while I slowly lower the temp as his feathers grow and I also put a cage of two adolescents in visual range so that he learns chicken behavior.