American serama thread!

[froggiesheins]

I hope pullet eggs are ok. Have a set in the incubator now (first hatch ever! is very exciting), and one egg she's decided to keep for herself to brood. They are about ~22g each.

CUTIES! Well I am not retracting my statement on that BUT after talking to a few breeders and judges, it is a 50/50 split on yea or nay. Some like to wait till after the first molt (1 yearish) to see what the final product is before breeding but we are talking about people who show&breed to show. The other thing one should consider is this: Alot of times a pullet first time broody will decide sometimes, after an hour or so, that I am done! OR they run from the fuzzies right after they hatch or anytime inbetween...

 

[TJChickens]

Okay, something Froggie just pointed out to me.... I didn't see it in the conversation, sorry if I missed it. Most breeders will wait until Serama pullets are old enough to determine whether or not they are show quality before incubating their eggs when they are trying to produce only sq chicks. I do incubate eggs from pullets as well as sq hens, but I end up selling a lot of pet quality as well as sq. I was thinking only in terms of egg quality, health and hatchability, but this is a valid point.

 

[TJChickens]

CUTIES! Well I am not retracting my statement on that BUT after talking to a few breeders and judges, it is a 50/50 split on yea or nay. Some like to wait till after the first molt (1 yearish) to see what the final product is before breeding but we are talking about people who show&breed to show. The other thing one should consider is this: Alot of times a pullet first time broody will decide sometimes, after an hour or so, that I am done! OR they run from the fuzzies right after they hatch or anytime inbetween...

I do both because I have the room, no neighbors, and I can't help myself!

 

[nchls school]

We share ideas, methods, thoughts, and experiences. We take from that and use what works for us; and when it doesn't-back to the drawing board and attempt something else. I have't seen many people trying to force their ideas and methodology on others. I certainly see no reason why people would leave BYC. unless the very thing that makes BYC great, the variety of thoughts and ideas, is unwelcome to them.

 

[WVduckchick]

3 weeks ago, I set some eggs, seramas and bantam cochins. The next day, 2 of my pullets laid their first egg (one Serama and one cochin). I put them in with the eggs I had already set.

Here's the serama from my pullet's first egg.

 

[TJChickens]

3 weeks ago, I set some eggs, seramas and bantam cochins. The next day, 2 of my pullets laid their first egg (one Serama and one cochin). I put them in with the eggs I had already set.

Here's the serama from my pullet's first egg.

 

[nchls school]

3 weeks ago, I set some eggs, seramas and bantam cochins. The next day, 2 of my pullets laid their first egg (one Serama and one cochin). I put them in with the eggs I had already set.

Here's the serama from my pullet's first egg.

Looks to be a nice healthy chick! With pullet first eggs I have mixed results. Of my first 17 silkied/frizzle serama eggs 14 hatched and are healthy chicks (half grown now). BUT of the first 15 eggs from my smallest (mini) serama only one hatched and is growing very slowly. This would back what froggie said in that more time may be needed for the birds to mature; at least I am hoping that is what is necessary. I'll know next month when the pullets brood their second clutches. Overall I find those pullet eggs worth trying, but when it comes to my minis, I'm going to give those young, first-time brooding pullets eggs from more mature birds to hatch.

 

[nchls school]

3 weeks ago, I set some eggs, seramas and bantam cochins. The next day, 2 of my pullets laid their first egg (one Serama and one cochin). I put them in with the eggs I had already set.

Here's the serama from my pullet's first egg.

Looks to be a nice healthy chick! With pullet first eggs I have mixed results. Of my first 17 silkied/frizzle serama eggs 14 hatched and are healthy chicks (half grown now). BUT of the first 15 eggs from my smallest (mini) serama only one hatched and is growing very slowly. This would back what froggie said in that more time may be needed for the birds to mature; at least I am hoping that is what is necessary. I'll know next month when the pullets brood their second clutches. Overall I find those pullet eggs worth trying, but when it comes to my minis, I'm going to give those young, first-time brooding pullets eggs from more mature birds to hatch.

 

[nchls school]

3 weeks ago, I set some eggs, seramas and bantam cochins. The next day, 2 of my pullets laid their first egg (one Serama and one cochin). I put them in with the eggs I had already set.

Here's the serama from my pullet's first egg.

Looks to be a nice healthy chick! With pullet first eggs I have mixed results. Of my first 17 silkied/frizzle serama eggs 14 hatched and are healthy chicks (half grown now). BUT of the first 15 eggs from my smallest (mini) serama only one hatched and is growing very slowly. This would back what froggie said in that more time may be needed for the birds to mature; at least I am hoping that is what is necessary. I'll know next month when the pullets brood their second clutches. Overall I find those pullet eggs worth trying, but when it comes to my minis, I'm going to give those young, first-time brooding pullets eggs from more mature birds to hatch.

 

[-kimm-]

We have our first eggs in the incubator. I am extremely excited. Is there anything that I need to do special for the baby chicks? Will they be fine with the standard chick crumble? Lol. I feel like I need to relearn everything.