American serama thread!

[Faraday40]

I went out at 2am to check on the outside bantams & caved. The silkie seemed fine but the other 2 were puffed out & looked miserable. I brought the remaining bantams inside. They weren't happy being crammed into one cage (like battery hens) but they were at least warm. I kept them inside until 11am when the temp got up to 2'F. (Today's high will be 5) They'll be coming inside again tonight because the temps will be about the same. No signs of frostbite but as I recall it may take a couple days to look white or gray. They're in the run now eating & scratching around. I really wish they'd go up inside the heated coop area to warm up.

 

[WVduckchick]

I went out at 2am to check on the outside bantams & caved. The silkie seemed fine but the other 2 were puffed out & looked miserable. I brought the remaining bantams inside. They weren't happy being crammed into one cage (like battery hens) but they were at least warm. I kept them inside until 11am when the temp got up to 2'F. (Today's high will be 5) They'll be coming inside again tonight because the temps will be about the same. No signs of frostbite but as I recall it may take a couple days to look white or gray. They're in the run now eating & scratching around. I really wish they'd go up inside the heated coop area to warm up.

I worry about bringing them in to 60-70 degree temps, then taking them back out. Now that Spicoli is inside, I won't take him back out until we have a nice warm day.

I do have a reptile bulb in the top portion of my baby coop (pre-fab thing) and I had to close my BCM chicks inside the top for periods of time until they understood that its warmer up there. They finally figured it out, now they only come down to eat and drink, and run right back upstairs! lol

 

[nchls school]

An odd cockerel. No hackle or saddle feathers a rooster should have. Not a rooster tail either.

 

[WVduckchick]

An odd cockerel. No hackle or saddle feathers a rooster should have. Not a rooster tail either.View attachment 1655347

How old?

 

[nchls school]

The picture is a month old but the cockerel still looks the same. Age- about five months old. All the nest mate cockerels are decked out in their roo feathering and have been for weeks. Other than feathering he is rooster. There isn't the slightest sign of roo feathering coming in.

 

[WVduckchick]

The picture is a month old but the cockerel still looks the same. Age- about five months old. All the nest mate cockerels are decked out in their roo feathering and have been for weeks. Other than feathering he is rooster. There isn't the slightest sign of roo feathering coming in.

Very interesting! I figured he must be old enough, since you know your birds so well. I was just curious.

I’d love to know if his tail feathers ever pop up.

 

[nchls school]

Very interesting! I figured he must be old enough, since you know your birds so well. I was just curious.

I’d love to know if his tail feathers ever pop up.

I will try to remember updates. I'm wondering if the feathering will show up with the next molt. He is 8 ounces; it seems that all the serama I have less than 10 ounces mature slower than their bigger siblings. One of my tiny hens did not lay eggs until she was a year old.

Another question-I've read many times that serama do not live as long as their bigger relatives. What is the age of your oldest serama? My oldest is four and he is on a downward spiral. No sign of any disease just...looking old. Other roosters I have had in the past either died about this age or were sold before they got very old.

 

[WVduckchick]

Surely others have older ones than I do. I just started with them less than 3 years ago, but I do still have several girls from my first hatch. I think they will be 3 in April.

 

[nchls school]

Surely others have older ones than I do. I just started with them less than 3 years ago, but I do still have several girls from my first hatch. I think they will be 3 in April.

Thank you for your reply. The rooster in the picture is my oldest. My best hens are also about three. I'm hoping they live for many years yet.

I have my little cockerel with the hen feathering with two pullets a bit younger. One (the brown pullet in the picture above) laid her first egg today; An 8 ounce hen-a complete but really small egg. It will be fun to see if the eggs are fertile. Hopefully she will keep laying. As soon as there is four I'll put them under a broody.

This tiny trio live in a tub in the kitchen, but spend a lot of time out of it walking around the kitchen when I or my wife as there to chaperone. My wife raises dogs who are used to the birds and know they are not to be hurt. Still, we never have the birds out when we're not in the room. Rather fun to watch the little bantams eat out of a dish with a dog. The serama show no fear of the little dogs. Below is our Favorelle checking out the new puppies.

 

[Faraday40]

I worried about the bantams not spending enough time inside the heated coop area. ..... Guess who has a bunch of house chickens! The poor birds will be crammed in a large rabbit cage like battery hens until the weekend due to the weather forecast.

Only DD is enjoying having them in her room.

The -26'F on Wed night will be the actual temp, but it will feel like -40s easy. I know the seramas will be fine inside the house, but I'm worried about my orps in my reg coop. I do not heat & the forecast is scary when the "high" is only -15'F. Right after the arctic blast, we'll get a warm up with rain. UGH! Nothing messier than high humidity from melt & rain.

My new puppy loves it when the snow melts & mud puddles are exposed!