American serama thread!

[cluck-cluck]

Is winter over yet?

I never cared for winter, and now that I'm a chicken owner I REALLY could take a pass. I've got heatlamps in two coops, it's at freezing every night here already. I am defrosting 5 waterers each morning at 7 a.m. and I'm hearing it's only just begun!!!

Good Grief!!

Burrrr! But you get the beautiful lush green and lovely fall colors the rest of the year! And you can always get warm pretty easily, but cooling off at 110, is quite a bit harder to do!!!

This article was posted a couple days ago on one of the duck threads I follow. It does a pretty good job of explaining different breeding methods.

http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/issues/6/6-2/breeding_the_home_flock.html

Thank you, gonna go read it momentarily

Gonna throw ALL KINES of color!!!!

Oh, join up on the New Years Day hatch! Lots of games and prizes and FUN!

@WildWorks

wow, what a roo! He is awesome.

OK....I am beside myself, folks. Today....I hatched my first Serama egg. I ordered it, so not off my own birds, but still.......It is so cute. I was worried, but this one has made it out. There are 3 more eggs in there that I am hoping are going to follow tonight/tomorrow. So any good hatching vibes are appreciated.



sorry I got the egg in the shot for any weak tummies...I just had to snap this. It landed in a perfect spot thru the window. And please forgive my eagerness...its my first chicken egg ever.

I have hatched other types of birds including the cockatoo in my avatar, but never a chicken. And I am loving this breed. So I just wanted to share. Anyone recognize the color or pattern? It looks yellow and black right now. Me and some friends have a pool going. Mottled maybe?? I am just glad it made it this far. I will take it, any color.

Huge congratulations!!! So CUTE, poor sleepyhead! I love the way they walk around then plop down fast asleep at the drop of a dime! LOL

 

[Pinx]

Both of my chicks that hatched died. The first one was tiny tiny and at 4 days old was considerably smaller then the chick that just hatched. He died first and then the second gave up a couple of days later. Makes me so sad, I stressed and stressed hoping just 1 more chick would hatch so I wouldn't have a lone chick and ended up losing both of them. They were 4 days apart and each died at about a week old, even broke down and moved them into the spare bedroom cause it was so cold outside and threatened my son and husband with their lives if they let my Doberman in there. Didn't really threaten them but they knew I was serious. Pretty discouraged even though I have an incubator full of eggs.

 

[Lunar]

Aww I am so sorry Pinx. I hate to hear of your loss. I know that is hard to take.

I am apparently going to have a lone ranger in my batch. Nothing else is cracking. And my little single hatched yesterday at 5pm. I have divided my brooder so its smaller and this one can't get lost trying to find the food/water. When he? is dry I will move him over today. I hoped he might call another out of the shell, but so far, no luck. I was so hoping for a buddy. But I am thankful for my little "Uno".

 

[shanachie05]

Hi Lunar - there is more info and pics of the different color varieties on the ASA forum.  I highly recommend you join, just for that reason, if nothing else.  There is a great group of friendly people willing to help and answer questions there.


No cross breeding.  She was talking about using the OE color descriptions for reference only. 

Ok. Thank you so much for clarifying! I just adore this breed! There is a lot to learn.
Ericka

 

[ocseramas]

So sorry to hear, you must be so disappointed after all that waiting. Any ideas as to what happened? Are you sure they were eating and drinking? I have heard of this only when they don't eat or drink. Sometimes they seem to not know to go to the water when they are incubator raised. I have to watch mine closely and make sure they find the food and water.

 

[Smokin Silkies]

If anybody is interested in Silkie/Seramas I have some Chocolates and Blacks up for auction on the BST

 

[catwalk]

Both of my chicks that hatched died. The first one was tiny tiny and at 4 days old was considerably smaller then the chick that just hatched. He died first and then the second gave up a couple of days later. Makes me so sad, I stressed and stressed hoping just 1 more chick would hatch so I wouldn't have a lone chick and ended up losing both of them. They were 4 days apart and each died at about a week old, even broke down and moved them into the spare bedroom cause it was so cold outside and threatened my son and husband with their lives if they let my Doberman in there. Didn't really threaten them but they knew I was serious. Pretty discouraged even though I have an incubator full of eggs.

Sounds like starvation or failure to thrive. If there is something wrong with their legs, they won't be able to get around to the food. Also, they need to be taught how to eat, a task their mother usually takes care of. Many people spread food on a paper towel and 'peck' at it with a finger, encouraging the chicks to try it out. Also, dunk their beaks into the water to let them know what it is. I usually don't have to dunk a beak more than once, but if it's an especially small chick, I'll give it another 'drinking lesson'. If you can, line the entire brooder with paper towel for the first week. That way, you can keep track of the poops. No output = no input, and you'll figure out that they're not eating. Sorry about your loss, and good luck with your next chicks.

 

[JulieNKC]

Both of my chicks that hatched died. The first one was tiny tiny and at 4 days old was considerably smaller then the chick that just hatched. He died first and then the second gave up a couple of days later. Makes me so sad, I stressed and stressed hoping just 1 more chick would hatch so I wouldn't have a lone chick and ended up losing both of them. They were 4 days apart and each died at about a week old, even broke down and moved them into the spare bedroom cause it was so cold outside and threatened my son and husband with their lives if they let my Doberman in there. Didn't really threaten them but they knew I was serious. Pretty discouraged even though I have an incubator full of eggs.

I have no idea what happened with yours. I lost 2 of my chicks that hatched though a few days later. I think I'd taken them out of the incubator too early, and didn't have the post hatch brooder warm enough. Not for seramas at least, I'm used to ducks anymore which are much less heat needy than little serama chicks.

From now on mine are staying in the incubator until they are running around playing egg football, and the post hatch brooder will be warmed up and kept warm.

 

[cluck-cluck]

Gosh, I didn't know that ocseramas and catwalk! I mean, I dipped their beaks in the water and sprinkled food on the paper towel they started out on, and they figured it out, but had one not figured it out, I would have been at a loss as to why they were getting sick! I will remember to watch closer in the future!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Just put our first 11 serama eggs in the bator yesterday...... getting another doz monday for the other bator as these have alot of rolling air cells. SHIPPED eggs

Quick tips on incubating these? 99.5 with 40/45% humidity until day 18? then up to 60/65% ?

Thanks everyone! And Hello from PA!!