American serama thread!

[Faraday40]

Here's a cutie! He's a silkied serama cockerel hatched in early summer.

I like the wing pattern.

 

[newchickychick]

We’ve got our first Serama eggs in lockdown now. I’m really excited! We had 12 shipped and they were stuck in the mail for a whole week. And 8 made it to lockdown! We just had one very awful hatch with Bantam purebred Ameraucanas (only one made it out of 6 total in lockdown), but I’m not sure if it was from the stock or something went wonky when I wasn’t looking. as these eggs are so itty bitty and I’m nervous! But I adore Seramas! The breeder has some super pretty ones, so really excited to see what colors we end up with.

 

[SnackMeat]

I would say, having just tried to hatch 2 Seramas last week, to isolate them in the incubator during hatch. One of my Seramas hatched, and the other was hatching. Then the hatched Serama jostled the partially hatched egg and killed it. Obviously, the second Serama could have died without that, but it was breathing, then I heard the egg being knocked into the incubator wall, and then went to check and the chick was no longer breathing.


I knew better. Had this happen with leghorns, but thought since it was just two in an incubator for lockdown there would be enough room to prevent pinballing. But nope!

 

[newchickychick]

I would say, having just tried to hatch 2 Seramas last week, to isolate them in the incubator during hatch. One of my Seramas hatched, and the other was hatching. Then the hatched Serama jostled the partially hatched egg and killed it. Obviously, the second Serama could have died without that, but it was breathing, then I heard the egg being knocked into the incubator wall, and then went to check and the chick was no longer breathing.


I knew better. Had this happen with leghorns, but thought since it was just two in an incubator for lockdown there would be enough room to prevent pinballing. But nope!

Oh my, I never knew that was possible. I’ve seen so many videos of chock-full incubators. I already started lockdown early this morning, and they’re in there with Silkie and Sumatra eggs. Should I risk getting them out now to another incubator for just the Seramas?

 

[SnackMeat]

Murderer and murder victim.

No remorse!!!!

 

[SnackMeat]

I don't know. I keep a mister on hand and mist everything if I have to open during lockdown (what I did when I saw the chick no longer breathing.)

I think small little cardboard boxes or similar. I know three d printed inserts for incubators are sold that can make the incubator into 4 separate sections.

I'm sure plenty hatch fine but I only had two and was watching closely so I knew exactly when it happened

It's up to you. I'm just a little bitter still because I'd had it happen before so I knew better.


The Serama that did hatch is very cute and full of personality, but I love darker chicks and loved the color variation in the chick that died

 

[SnackMeat]

Also it's not anything in particular to Seramas. Like I said, I had this happen to some Leghorn eggs I had (mixed hatch but those eggs were crystal clear so I knew they were healthy and ready to hatch before hatched chicks started hurdling themselves over eggs.)

 

[Faraday40]

I used simple strawberry baskets to make “chicken jails” (The plastic green ones they used to make).

If you don’t care if they get mixed after hatching, then an egg carton can work. Remove the top half (cover) and cut off the 12 bottom circles of each compartment for increased air circulation. Stand eggs with air cell up. Eggs will not roll around if they’re standing in an egg carton. The chicks hatch normally

 

[newchickychick]

I used simple strawberry baskets to make “chicken jails” (The plastic green ones they used to make).

If you don’t care if they get mixed after hatching, then an egg carton can work. Remove the top half (cover) and cut off the 12 bottom circles of each compartment for increased air circulation. Stand eggs with air cell up. Eggs will not roll around if they’re standing in an egg carton. The chicks hatch normally

Oh wow, I wish I had thought of this before lockdown! I also toyed with the idea of looping thick string/thin rope around the eggs just as a small “barrier” so they couldn’t knock each other around. I am so worried for this hatch! It’s a full house! I’d had a 19/21 hatch before with mixed standards and Bantams with few issues but now I’m worried about “if it can go wrong, it will.”