Serama Hatch-A-Long!!

[darkbluespace]

I can never remember how old chicks are! I had to look up my post to see when I put my babies under the heating pad. I sold all but two of the chicks cause one of them is crazy tiny, but it looks like it is doing well now!

They are almost a month old and no comb whatsoever, so I guess they are girls, unless someone is a late bloomer! They are both silkied. The little one has an angry bird face that cracks me up.

 

[formerchickenlass]

Do you break all your broodies?

Frequently. A couple times I've allowed them to sit on the eggs and then have taken them around day 18 to finish them in my incubator. After the hens have been sitting that long, they seem to come right out of it after you take the eggs and put them out on the ground for a day.

Oh the color addiction is bad with Seramas. Every time you hatch a new color you have to keep it, and breed it... it's crazy.

So true. And it's hard to give up beautifully colored birds that don't have great type, but I'm forcing myself to do it this year.

I have a new guy who is a pretty blue with some barring and I have a frizzle who seems like a dark blue so of course I wonder what their babies might look like.

Would love to see pics! I hatched a frizzle this year that looks exchequer (not something I was breeding for) and is blue. He was feeling pretty shy in this pic, first time outdoors, but he's a total cutie.

I'm trying not to keep too many frizzles since they seem to be able to overrun a breeding program quickly, but this guy might have a place if he finishes out with good type.

Prissy with her 6, last 2 pics are the daddys
View attachment 1083406

Adorable babies! You've got a lot of different colors! Perfect!

Here are a few of my mottled babies... View attachment 1084155
View attachment 1084156

Hello sweeties! <3 <3

 

[darkbluespace]

Frequently. A couple times I've allowed them to sit on the eggs and then have taken them around day 18 to finish them in my incubator. After the hens have been sitting that long, they seem to come right out of it after you take the eggs and put them out on the ground for a day.



So true. And it's hard to give up beautifully colored birds that don't have great type, but I'm forcing myself to do it this year.



Would love to see pics! I hatched a frizzle this year that looks exchequer (not something I was breeding for) and is blue. He was feeling pretty shy in this pic, first time outdoors, but he's a total cutie.

View attachment 1085320

I'm trying not to keep too many frizzles since they seem to be able to overrun a breeding program quickly, but this guy might have a place if he finishes out with good type.



Adorable babies! You've got a lot of different colors! Perfect!



Hello sweeties! <3 <3

That little frizzle guy is adorable!

I am trying to have some discipline and not create more Serama coops! It's tricky.

 

[WVduckchick]

I checked my broody last night and one chick had hatched. I remember she went broody on one egg and then I gave her the rest a day later. So I gave her the two teeny tiny mottled chicks and took her eggs to hatch in the bator. I hear them peeping!

That little frizzle guy is adorable!

I am trying to have some discipline and not create more Serama coops! It's tricky.

x2!!!!
I'd really love to get rid of my chocolate Orpington flock, so i could refill that pen with lots more seramas, but I'm not giving the birds away. They were too expensive to start with. So I'll keep em! And try not to go overboard (any more so) with the seramas.

 

[darkbluespace]

x2!!!!
I'd really love to get rid of my chocolate Orpington flock, so i could refill that pen with lots more seramas, but I'm not giving the birds away. They were too expensive to start with. So I'll keep em! And try not to go overboard (any more so) with the seramas.

I bet you could layer that coop. The Orpingtons are tall and the Seramas are short, so I bet the Orpingtons wouldn't even notice them!

 

[formerchickenlass]

I'm beginning day 17 with my shipped eggs. Some of these air cells look monstrous! Hard to believe the chicks will be able to pip and hatch successfully but we'll see. I'm planning to set them upright in my hatcher (and moving them over in a few minutes).

Here are a couple of the eggs showing saddle-y air cells:

Anyone got any additional advice?

 

[SilksterTN]

I've noticed some real wonky saddle air cells from shipped serama eggs. I don't know why that is with them but it's much worse than other eggs that I have ordered. They do hatch tho so don't give up

 

[WVduckchick]

I'm beginning day 17 with my shipped eggs. Some of these air cells look monstrous! Hard to believe the chicks will be able to pip and hatch successfully but we'll see. I'm planning to set them upright in my hatcher (and moving them over in a few minutes).

Here are a couple of the eggs showing saddle-y air cells: View attachment 1089773
View attachment 1089774
Anyone got any additional advice?

That second pic looks like alot of "clear" area for day 17, but maybe its just the pic.

My advice for saddled air cells is to figure out where the air cell actually is. The saddle part is just where it has pulled away from the shell inside, but the whole part you see up there is not really all air. I hope that makes sense. Anyway figure out the actual round/oval air cell, and lay the egg accordingly.

 

[darkbluespace]

I'm beginning day 17 with my shipped eggs. Some of these air cells look monstrous! Hard to believe the chicks will be able to pip and hatch successfully but we'll see. I'm planning to set them upright in my hatcher (and moving them over in a few minutes).

Here are a couple of the eggs showing saddle-y air cells: View attachment 1089773
View attachment 1089774
Anyone got any additional advice?

Good luck! Crazy air cells are so deceptive, they always make me think the egg has lost too much moisure when they really haven't. It sounds like you are doing everything! Sending happy hatch vibes your way!

 

[formerchickenlass]

Thanks all for the advice!

That second pic looks like alot of "clear" area for day 17, but maybe its just the pic.

My advice for saddled air cells is to figure out where the air cell actually is. The saddle part is just where it has pulled away from the shell inside, but the whole part you see up there is not really all air. I hope that makes sense. Anyway figure out the actual round/oval air cell, and lay the egg accordingly.

Agreed, it does look younger in pic. I can't recall whether it looked more solid/dark in person. It probably did though, cell phone is terrible at rendering correct tones with extreme dark/light areas.

Interesting, I didn't know that wasn't all the actual air cell. I'm so glad I got these eggs! I'm learning so much cool stuff!