American serama thread!

[cluck-cluck]

You know, I don't know why i went into such details, LOL. Unless you're on a SUPER tight budget, or are very weird, and just have to build things to see if you can make them work (like myself on both counts

), I'd get the lovely Brinsea Mini Advance incubator. Especially if you're not home to monitor it. Now that I made my incubator, it was fun, I enjoyed learning how, and turning the eggs and watching the temp was fun the first time, tiring the second time, and annoying the third time... LOL I really wish I could have bought myself a nice little machine like the Brinsea! Especially because I'll never hatch more eggs at once than it would fit (7 or 8?)

Just my 2 cents. It also takes a lot of trial and error to get it up and running, Making sure you wired everything right, etc... it's actually tiring to make the thing! A lot of hunching over to tie tiny wires together and then wrap with electrical tape, the cost goes way up, the more items you have to buy from the store. Only worth it if most of the stuff is laying around the house/garage already!

 

[kukupecpec]

You know, I don't know why i went into such details, LOL. Unless you're on a SUPER tight budget, or are very weird, and just have to build things to see if you can make them work (like myself on both counts

), I'd get the lovely Brinsea Mini Advance incubator. Especially if you're not home to monitor it. Now that I made my incubator, it was fun, I enjoyed learning how, and turning the eggs and watching the temp was fun the first time, tiring the second time, and annoying the third time... LOL I really wish I could have bought myself a nice little machine like the Brinsea! Especially because I'll never hatch more eggs at once than it would fit (7 or 8?)

Just my 2 cents. It also takes a lot of trial and error to get it up and running, Making sure you wired everything right, etc... it's actually tiring to make the thing! A lot of hunching over to tie tiny wires together and then wrap with electrical tape, the cost goes way up, the more items you have to buy from the store. Only worth it if most of the stuff is laying around the house/garage already!

One day I hope to have all those kinds of gadgets just lying around the garage because honestly, I really am a DIY contraption lover, but I just don't have the money. Somehow it always ends up costing more to make it myself than to just buy whatever the heck it is! I start out simple... but because I'm doing it myself it turns into this giant custom project - which of course rarely gets finished! Pinterest is my mortal enemy lol
Then again I like to think that someday I'll have the time to work on projects all day and the patience to save up for the supplies, but hey, I'm 21 and only a year into marriage, not even finished school yet! Still got a little over a year to go haha, my time with the mini farm will come! Im hoping I never have to have children cause animals are so much more fun! LOL

OMG does anyone have rabbits? I think I might be back tomorrow to buy a couple, it's my leg into goats I think, I'll just start overbuying hay and eventually convince DH tthat gots are wonderful! HA, all because I saw the CUTEST baby bunnies at the feed store (unfortunately NOT the flemish giants that I've been searching for

) picking up some feed for my seramas - I took them off the layer feed because of the roo, but I really have no idea what else to feed them... I asked the lady at the feed store, and she seemed to think the layer feed was just fine for them both, but suggested an "all-flock" for a mixed flock of ducks and chickens and whatever other birds or a the high protein meat bird feed. The only other thing they really seem to carry is a chick feed so I went high protein ince it IS winter and al and I will be moving them outside hopefully soon. Any suggestions on which is actually better?

 

[rach]

I prefer using the layer crumble for my adult bird and during the winter give them a small amount of cracked corn in the evening to help keep them warm at night.

 

[cluck-cluck]

Quote kukupecpec: "Im hoping I never have to have children cause animals are so much more fun! LOL"

If you ever want children, let yourself enjoy them, adore them, let them amaze you and teach them lovingly, they're the best "pets" in the world! So don't say that quite yet, it may come to you

And if they do, you will be blessed!

Don't they have growing pellets or mash? or even chick feed is ok, just add crushed oyster as an option for your hens?

rach, do you have roosters with the hens? I've always heard the extra calcium is too much for chicks and roosters, bad for their kidneys?

 

[rach]

I have my birds in pairs Roo with hen. I haven't had any problems.

 

[Aschenfire]

More (new) pics of my 4 week old little girl, Autumn. I love her color so far! Anyone got any idea what she might turn out to look like? The feathers over her shoulders are coming in colored, with white dots in the middles. She is still very timid, going through the "scaredies" right now, so she crouches when I take her picture... Gah.

 

[Sumatra503]

OMG does anyone have rabbits? I think I might be back tomorrow to buy a couple, it's my leg into goats I think, I'll just start overbuying hay and eventually convince DH tthat gots are wonderful! HA, all because I saw the CUTEST baby bunnies at the feed store (unfortunately NOT the flemish giants that I've been searching for

) picking up some feed for my seramas - I took them off the layer feed because of the roo, but I really have no idea what else to feed them... I asked the lady at the feed store, and she seemed to think the layer feed was just fine for them both, but suggested an "all-flock" for a mixed flock of ducks and chickens and whatever other birds or a the high protein meat bird feed. The only other thing they really seem to carry is a chick feed so I went high protein ince it IS winter and al and I will be moving them outside hopefully soon. Any suggestions on which is actually better?

I feed Payback brand All Purpose Poultry or APP. It works well for all my birds, seramas, ducks, quail, ans even the pigeons.
The chick feed is fine for them. Avoid meat bird ration and most grower rations as they have too much of everything. A good all flock should be just fine as well.

 

[cluck-cluck]

Aschenfire, I have no idea as to color, but she certainly does NOT have a case of the uglies! She's so darn cute! All my birds have entered the uglies already, LOL. Too adorable, though!

I'm going to check out all purpose fowl feed next time we go to the feed store! Thanks for that tidbit, Sumatra!

 

[kukupecpec]

I feed Payback brand All Purpose Poultry or APP. It works well for all my birds, seramas, ducks, quail, ans even the pigeons.
The chick feed is fine for them. Avoid meat bird ration and most grower rations as they have too much of everything. A good all flock should be just fine as well.

Oh good to know! My feed store has an all flock feed but I wasn't sure what to go for. I'll give that a try next week! I just bought an eensy bag of the meat bird to try. I'm assuming my hens will still need a calcium supplement?

 

[Sumatra503]

Oh good to know! My feed store has an all flock feed but I wasn't sure what to go for. I'll give that a try next week! I just bought an eensy bag of the meat bird to try. I'm assuming my hens will still need a calcium supplement?

If they aren't laying they won't need a suppliment. If they are, then I'd give oyster shells run through the food processer or a good calcium grit for finches.