American serama thread!

[WVduckchick]

So this hatch is not going well.
Most of the eggs had funky air cells to begin with. However out of a dozen eggs 9 made it to lock down.
5 serama, 2 serama X EE, 2 bantam EE. 3 of the serama had their air cells collaps in on them at draw down. The membrane was not white and dry like shrink wrap, more like the inner and outer membrane just separated and it didn't allow the chick to move into position. All 3 died in the shell.(the sadest was one with a fully absorbed yolk that never even internally piped) One of the remaining serama pipped into a vein and passed shortly after external pip.


The last is out and drying right now.

Of the other eggs the 2 serama X EE seem to be well on their way out and should hatch normally VERY soon, but both the bantam EE are externally pipped upside down. One is nearly out, but the other is just getting started.

I still have hope I'll have 5 new chicks by tomorrow.

Chicks yet??

Hi! Has anyone had experience with Serama pullets who are just starting laying eggs acting funny before their egg comes out?

We have gotten 2 perfectly normal-seeming eggs in the past 2 weeks from my 2 chickens.  I'm not sure if they each laid one, or if one of my girls laid both of them. My assumption is that due to one being a little larger than the other, I think both my girls have laid one egg each so far.

Yesterday afternoon, my smaller Serama (Ciara) was acting a bit lethargic, closing her eyes and not wanting to come out to roam.  Her somewhat larger sister (Fiona) seemed fine.  Two hours later, they were both acting funny, with their eyes closed, sitting still in their cage, and not wanting to eat their dried mealworm treat or come out to wander the house.  

I did some quick research and found out about the condition of being "egg bound" and started to wonder if that was what was happening.  After spending about 10 minutes online researching, I went to get them both to put them in a warm bath, and there was a small egg in between the two of them.  It was a shell-less egg, just a tough membrane, but whole.  

Both chickens then seemed more perky and were interested in free roaming, though neither would accept a mealworm still.  

Today, they seem fine.  My husband and I (who have never owned chickens before) are guessing that Ciara, the little one, was a bit egg constipated, for lack of a better term, and Fiona was maybe just having sympathetic symptoms.  After (we're guessing) Ciara passed her egg and felt better, we figure Fiona perked up too.  Any thoughts?

(also, I free-offer a grit and oyster shell mixture in a feeding dish in their cage, but will start sprinkling some additional oyster shell in their feed dish to supplement the calcium due to the shell-less egg last night.)

Personally I wouldn't be too concerned with new layers. It's common for them to start sporadically, and to lay shell-less eggs. Usually not an issue until their system gets into full swing. I'd say just keep an eye on them, but don't worry too much yet. JMHO.

 

[bluemoon72]

Chicks yet??

Personally I wouldn't be too concerned with new layers. It's common for them to start sporadically, and to lay shell-less eggs. Usually not an issue until their system gets into full swing. I'd say just keep an eye on them, but don't worry too much yet. JMHO.

Do you think their behavior (sitting still, eyes closed, no interest in coming out of their cage or eating a dried mealworm) was unusual for a new layer?

 

[WPFarmstead]

Do you think their behavior (sitting still, eyes closed, no interest in coming out of their cage or eating a dried mealworm) was unusual for a new layer?

In my experience with all chickens (my little Serama hen hasn't laid yet), they like to "practice" laying before they actually start. I would guess only one of them is laying and the other is playing at it for now. Eggs start out smaller and get bigger (slightly) as a chicken ages, with the first few eggs being tiny or even oops/fart eggs.

 

[WVduckchick]

Do you think their behavior (sitting still, eyes closed, no interest in coming out of their cage or eating a dried mealworm) was unusual for a new layer?

They are house birds?? Do you have others, besides these 2? Mine are outside, so I would say your guess is better than mine, but maybe someone else with ones kept inside will chime in. I personally haven't noticed much difference in my new layers, but it could happen without me noticing.

 

[bluemoon72]

They are house birds?? Do you have others, besides these 2? Mine are outside, so I would say your guess is better than mine, but maybe someone else with ones kept inside will chime in. I personally haven't noticed much difference in my new layers, but it could happen without me noticing.

Yep, entirely indoors, living in a large guinea pig cage on a desk in front of a large window. They free roam the house for a few hours daily.

 

[WVduckchick]

Yep, entirely indoors, living in a large guinea pig cage on a desk in front of a large window. They free roam the house for a few hours daily.

Ah. I just went back to the pic you posted. Pretty girls.

 

[Fluffyserama]

Chicks yet??

new baby serama!!

all the eggs hatched but I don't know if they will all make it. I have one bantam EE I'm really concerned about

It was and upside down pipper who had one wing partially out since yesterday. As I opened the hole to assist I saw a bunch of fluid build up at the base of the wing. I opened the Egg further and saw the yolk was absorbed, but the leftover hatching gunk was green and smelly, along with what looked like a bunch of the dark green first poo chicks produce.
I think it may have dislocated its wing or something. its eating, drinking and pooing

 

[TJChickens]

Yep, entirely indoors, living in a large guinea pig cage on a desk in front of a large window. They free roam the house for a few hours daily.

Since they are inside, do you think they are getting enough sunshine (vitamin D) for calcium absorption...?

 

[WVduckchick]

new baby serama!!

all the eggs hatched but I don't know if they will all make it. I have one bantam EE I'm really concerned about

It was and upside down pipper who had one wing partially out since yesterday. As I opened the hole to assist I saw a bunch of fluid build up at the base of the wing. I opened the Egg further and saw the yolk was absorbed, but the leftover hatching gunk was green and smelly, along with what looked like a bunch of the dark green first poo chicks produce.
I think it may have dislocated its wing or something. its eating, drinking and pooing

Awesome! Sounds like you made a good save, I hope it thrives.

 

[bluemoon72]

Since they are inside, do you think they are getting enough sunshine (vitamin D) for calcium absorption...?

Hmmm...I honestly don't know. They get sunlight from 7 am to 7 pm daily through the window that their cage is right in front of. Does vitamin D get absorbed through window exposure, or do you need to be in the actual sunlight outside? Any idea if chickens can metabolize vitamin D supplements?