American serama thread!

[nchls school]

Quote: My birds are not genetically weak and not the result of too much inbreeding. The small size is the result of selective breeding. As for "year old birds", I disagree believing it more important to look to the health of the hens and the quality of the eggs to be hatched. My flock is healthy, the overall hatch rate is good, and the vast majority of chicks that have hatched grow into healthy adults. I will continue to let my young pullets brood when they decide it is time to do so.

 

[froggiesheins]

Why are there two breed clubs? They both seem to sanction tabletop shows and do not mention each other in the resources/links.

American Serama Association: "The American Serama Association is a national independent breed club with Sanctioning Authority for Table Top showing of the American Serama and a points program designed to recognize breeders of merit."

Serama Council of North America: "The definitive voice of the Serama in North America."

WELL its like this: SCNA is the parent group as Jerry Schex was the gentleman that imported the original 135 birds. I am unsure of how the rules got set forth for the club, BUT as with everything people fight/bicker and I want to do it my way.....SO thats how ASA got formed. There is also Serama US, another splinter group. I was the Ca. state rep for ASA and after a few years of them and the PUBLIC TALK about how many birds I culled (killed) today I had enough and left them and am now the rep for SCNA.
YES both clubs sanction shows, the rules and SOP are very similair tho ASA is alittle more sticklers for perfection than SCNA

 

[froggiesheins]

My birds are not genetically weak and not the result of too much inbreeding. The small size is the result of selective breeding. As for "year old birds", I disagree believing it more important to look to the health of the hens and the quality of the eggs to be hatched. My flock is healthy, the overall hatch rate is good, and the vast majority of chicks that have hatched grow into healthy adults. I will continue to let my young pullets brood when they decide it is time to do so.

Originally Posted by nchls school View Post

Oddly, when I first started with my serama it did take 19 days to hatch; now I'm on 3rd and 4th generation birds and it now consistently takes 20 days for the eggs to hatch. The odd thing is the birds I now have are considerably smaller than their ancestors and lay smaller eggs.

My advice is to use broody hens instead of incubators. I have better hatch rates using natural methods.



nchls school, YOU STATED in your original post that:

the odd thing is the birds I have now are considerably smaller than their ancesters" UMMM excuse me BUT you were questioning your breeding in that statement YET you say on this post you are doing this on purpose. Get the facts straight BEFORE ya post ok?

 

[WVduckchick]

I think the reason for multiple clubs is just like the reason for multiple threads. Some just don't play well with others.

See yall around

 

[froggiesheins]

I think the reason for multiple clubs is just like the reason for multiple threads. Some just don't play well with others.

See yall around

YUP the truth!

 

[nchls school]

Quote: I did state that I kept the smallest with the best characteristics for breeding in an earlier post.

 

[Fluffyserama]

I'm with nchls on this one. He's been working to selectively breed smallest of his flock. his comment was about hatching time with eggs and that his tiny birds are taking slightly longer in the egg than the larger birds he started with.

Also froggie about your comments about hatching eggs from pullets. From what I have read and experienced hatching there are few problems hatching from young birds if you know any kinks have been worked out of their egg production. I.E NOT selecting eggs from birds who produce more double yolks, porous shells, leather eggs or birds that have a great disparity in the size of eggs produced. Once the laying of a particular bird had stabilized there should be few issues as long as the bird is healthy with proper nutrition. This requires close flock managment, and knowing which birds laid what, but over all health will not be compromised in the chicks who hatch from pullets, although you may see a reduced hatch rate.

Also comparing mammal reproduction to egg layers is worse than comparing apples to oranges, birds have a completely different way of allocating resources to their young.

Nchls is a great source of info for anyone seeking to hatch, raise or breed serama !!!

 

[froggiesheins]

I'm with nchls on this one. He's been working to selectively breed smallest of his flock. his comment was about hatching time with eggs and that his tiny birds are taking slightly longer in the egg than the larger birds he started with.

Also froggie about your comments about hatching eggs from pullets. From what I have read and experienced hatching there are few problems hatching from young birds if you know any kinks have been worked out of their egg production. I.E NOT selecting eggs from birds who produce more double yolks, porous shells, leather eggs or birds that have a great disparity in the size of eggs produced. Once the laying of a particular bird had stabilized there should be few issues as long as the bird is healthy with proper nutrition. This requires close flock managment, and knowing which birds laid what, but over all health will not be compromised in the chicks who hatch from pullets, although you may see a reduced hatch rate.

Also comparing mammal reproduction to egg layers is worse than comparing apples to oranges, birds have a completely different way of allocating resources to their young.

Nchls is a great source of info for anyone seeking to hatch, raise or breed serama !!!

There is a reason WHY the breeders of SQ seramas do not go on BYC anymoe, AND this is one of the very reasons.
(I asked the biggest breeder on the west coast about hatching eggs from pullets and she laughed. I talked to another breeder of Amerucanas today about hatching pullet eggs and she too looked at me cross eyed...
I go ask some of friends that are serama judges just for good measure and get back with ya'all...

 

[TJChickens]

There is a reason WHY the breeders of SQ seramas do not go on BYC anymoe, AND this is one of the very reasons.
(I asked the biggest breeder on the west coast about hatching eggs from pullets and she laughed. I talked to another breeder of Amerucanas today about hatching pullet eggs and she too looked at me cross eyed...
I go ask some of friends that are serama judges just for good measure and get back with ya'all...

I breed SQ and I'm here. Know several others on here also. There is usually no problem with pullet eggs. If they are good and viable they can hatch. If they aren't that good yet, they may not hatch. By the time a pullet is broody, she's usually laying fine eggs. A lot of people ship pullet eggs when possible, as soon as fertility is established, because they often ship better. Stronger membranes and less porous shells compared to older hens or end of season eggs.....
Sometimes pullets, especially the small breeds, take awhile to lay normal eggs. Sometimes their first egg is perfect.

 

[vasher]

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.