American serama thread!

[lareynadenada]

At what age do Seramas generally start to lay?? are they later than most breeds?

 

[kukupecpec]

Still sending warm thoughts to turtle. Let us know how it goes.

We had some bike ride for some cure close off our street yesterday so I couldn't get to the feed store before they closed.
I went out to check this morning half expecting a dead chicken and when I opened the coop there they both were enjoying their breakfast looking healthy as ever!
I checked them both and no bugs and Turtle's comb is back to normal. Should I just leave it be or do I need to do something for them still?

I wonder what happened to him!

 

[cluck-cluck]

Still sending warm thoughts to turtle. Let us know how it goes.

Thank you

I know you guys incubate alot. Is this because your hens don't really go broody? I've seen one of my hens and her boyfriend standing over her eggs as if they are discussing starting a family. Kinda hovering. Does this mean she is close to going broody, or wants to? Or are fresh-laid eggs really just the most interesting thing in a chicken's world?

I think if you keep picking up their eggs, they'll mostly keep laying, but once a few start to pile up, that will signal to them to set them. I wanted to see if I could get my girls to go broody, so I let a huge pile grow, and two took the bait. Now one seems to have taken over the job, but the other two aren't laying, at least the last two days nobody has laid an egg, so maybe they're broody from afar? When my girl took to being broody, there were 18 eggs under her (I think another was laid after she started setting at some point) and that was WAY too many for her to cover. I took all bu 5 from her and put the rest in my re-vamped home made incubator, as I was wanting to try it out and the eggs I was planing on were taking too long to be laid, LOL (still waiting on them) So, yah, leave the eggs in there for a while and when she starts to set, take a few out if there are too many!

At what age do Seramas generally start to lay?? are they later than most breeds?

I think they can lay pretty early, if I remember correctly, mine started at around 15 or 16 weeks. But I think average is closer to 5 months, and of course the weather can make a difference, say, if they "come of age" in the middle of winter and there isn't enough sunshine?

 

[BantyChickenLuv]

Thanks everyone for the condolences. I still can't believe what happened.

As for Raine, s/he is doing great by herself. I'm hoping she's a she. Before Stormy died, she showed no interest in me. Now she's my best friend. I'll bring her into the house for a few minutes and set her down on a paper towel while on the counter while I get a snack, and she'll run to me and try to jump on my hand. Just the sweetest little thing. I'm going to a show in 2 weeks with a big Table Top Serama show so I'm hoping to get her some buddies. Here she is yesterday, and a few days ago - any guesses on gender?

A few days ago:

Yesterday:

 

[BantyChickenLuv]

Double post, sorry.

 

[cluck-cluck]

If she's over a week old, she's a she They really show their "colors" in a week (marked redness in the comb)

 

[BantyChickenLuv]

If she's over a week old, she's a she   They really show their "colors" in a week (marked redness in the comb)

That's great to hear. Where I live, I'm not supposed to have roo's, but I have some anyways. So far, so good. (Knock on wood).

 

[Brookhavens]

At what age do Seramas generally start to lay?? are they later than most breeds?

Mine started to lay at 18-19 weeks.

 

[Fuzzybird]

So glad Turtle is better!!

 

[larps1234]

again... overnight changes with my serama! last week she was 17.49 ounces. i just weighed her at 18.80 ounces with an empty crop!!! comb and wattles even bigger! almost like a rooster. and vent defiantly got wider! OK now for the best part! i think shes squatting! she only does it when i walk behind her fast... not when i pet her! and she did it 5 times before not doing it anymore. what do you guys think? when you guys think the eggs are comin?