Serama Hatch-A-Long!!

[chicken hawk 33]

Half way through day 19

 

[codiallynn422]

Both parents of this one's parents STRONGLY DISLIKE me. I think a big reason why it's so friendly not only bc of the incubator but also because It was the only chick, it didn't have an option to identify or imprint with anything else but me. In the long run it might cause problems but since mine are paired and not grouped I'm hoping social skills won't be a big factor. I do handle it often, once it was mostly dry I held it for a while in front of the heater. After that anytime it would cry I put my hand in the brooder to comfort it, seemed to work so I just kept doing it. It's little friend never hatched. Today was the dead line to make it officially failed. I did get two from my other hen in the incubator without candling for a few days but after the first exam no air cells, one is porous and neither seemed to be developing. I'll give it another day or two to be sure. Anybody know if the first laid eggs are even hatch worthy? She's a bigger girl with a smaller roo, getting concerned he may not be fertile, I don't have any experience here all I can do is guess. I'm not in a hurry to figure it out I'm enjoying hanging out with little Sherman

How's your littles doing????

 

[formerchickenlass]

Both parents of this one's parents STRONGLY DISLIKE me. I think a big reason why it's so friendly not only bc of the incubator but also because It was the only chick, it didn't have an option to identify or imprint with anything else but me. In the long run it might cause problems but since mine are paired and not grouped I'm hoping social skills won't be a big factor. I do handle it often, once it was mostly dry I held it for a while in front of the heater. After that anytime it would cry I put my hand in the brooder to comfort it, seemed to work so I just kept doing it. It's little friend never hatched. Today was the dead line to make it officially failed. I did get two from my other hen in the incubator without candling for a few days but after the first exam no air cells, one is porous and neither seemed to be developing. I'll give it another day or two to be sure. Anybody know if the first laid eggs are even hatch worthy? She's a bigger girl with a smaller roo, getting concerned he may not be fertile, I don't have any experience here all I can do is guess. I'm not in a hurry to figure it out I'm enjoying hanging out with little Sherman

How's your littles doing????

Oh goodness, what a sweetie! I can't say it enough!

The lady I bought my serama flock from was a breeder; her advice to me was to start raising a new breeding flock now and not to take their eggs for hatching until they were 10 months old. I'm guessing that's just because the eggs can be so small and variable in the beginning. My large fowl flock's first eggs all looked like bantam eggs, though I did hatch 3 chicks from them after they'd been laying about a month.

Which segues nicely to your next question. I have a bantam cochin roo covering 10 full-sized ladies (and 1 banty). He's definitely fertilizing at least a few of my full-size gals. So it's possible for them to do it even if they're a bit smaller than the hen. Seramas could be different though. And I imagine the hens settle down a bit and tolerate the mating more as they get older. At least it seems that way among mine.

My two newest littles are doing well! I'm trying to pull them out & hold them more than I did with the last group early on. And I've got a new batch of eggs in the incubator. This time I'm hand-turning since I had so many turner-related mishaps last time.

 

[Bryam]

Hey, my serama eggs are going into day 20 tonight, still no pips, is that normal? I have read in many places that tiny serama eggs hatch on day 19, true or false? I have a forced air incubator, running at 99.5 to 100F CONSISTANTLY, HUMIDTY IS 64 PERCENT.

 

[formerchickenlass]

Hey, my serama eggs are going into day 20 tonight, still no pips, is that normal? I have read in many places that tiny serama eggs hatch on day 19, true or false? I have a forced air incubator, running at 99.5 to 100F CONSISTANTLY, HUMIDTY IS 64 PERCENT.

Mine have been hatching on day 20. I can say that if it were me and I got to day 21 with no external pips, I'd carefully but quickly candle the eggs to see whether they'd pipped internally, if so I'd leave them alone awhile longer, if not then I would float test them:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ng-egg-viability-for-late-or-overdue-hatching

 

[Bryam]

Mine have been hatching on day 20. I can say that if it were me and I got to day 21 with no external pips, I'd carefully but quickly candle the eggs to see whether they'd pipped internally, if so I'd leave them alone awhile longer, if not then I would float test them: 

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ng-egg-viability-for-late-or-overdue-hatching

Thank you for the helpful! I have 2 external pips out of 6 eggs for far. Day 21 starts at midnight!

 

[formerchickenlass]

Thank you for the helpful! I have 2 external pips out of 6 eggs for far. Day 21 starts at midnight!

Ah, sounds like things were just progressing a little slowly (or also a difference of how the days are counted, I presume some people count the first day they set eggs as Day 1 and others count it as Day 0).

I would definitely give them more time then. I would personally give it 12-24 hours after the 2 external pippers have hatched. If no others have pipped externally by that time then you can start thinking again about candling.

 

[Bryam]

Ah, sounds like things were just progressing a little slowly (or also a difference of how the days are counted, I presume some people count the first day they set eggs as Day 1 and others count it as Day 0). 

I would definitely give them more time then. I would personally give it 12-24 hours after the 2 external pippers have hatched. If no others have pipped externally by that time then you can start thinking again about candling. 

Thanks! One hatched. And I two other external pips. Tonight at midnight will be a complete 21 days. I counted after 24 hours is day 1. I think the temp was slightly low in my incubator 99.1, so maybe that's why the delay! Who knows!!

 

[formerchickenlass]

Thanks! One hatched. And I two other external pips. Tonight at midnight will be a complete 21 days. I counted after 24 hours is day 1. I think the temp was slightly low in my incubator 99.1, so maybe that's why the delay! Who knows!!

Oh yeah I've read lower temps will cause that. Congrats on your new baby and here's to many more!

 

[Bryam]

Is ur just me or are Seramas harder to hatch? I have 3 chicks, but one started to zip and stopped. I helped it out, but it was very weak. Now it is resting. Kinda funny!