Baby Serama Chicks

[telechick]

I have 3 baby Serama chicks - born May 17th. I have them under a heat lamp - how long do they need a heat lamp? I am keeping them indoors currrently, and not sure when they will be good to go outside in another cage...

Just sorta curious as to how long do chicks need a lamp?

 

[Stina]

Mine were born the 17th and 18th!!

Do you have photos of yours??

I am just moving the lamp away as they seem to sleep farther from it.

 

[BluegrassSeramas]

Are you using a thermometer to record the temps in your brooder?
You start with 95 degrees and then raise the lamp higher and lower the temps about 35 degrees per week as they feather out.

Seramas grow feathers pretty quickly. Most people move chicks outside in 2-3 weeks, but I keep the Serama in for longer. They are just so small and fragile. I dont mind giving them an extra week or two to get bigger and get more feathers.

 

[Akane]

I found despite feathering quickly mine have needed heat longer than average. I'd keep them above 80F until the 4th or 5th week and still keep them indoors until 8weeks unless temps are fairly warm where you are. I think moving them out from under the lamp too quickly at 5weeks led to the death of my serama pullet and it's the only chick I've lost that hatched healthy.

 

[cmom]

I keep my brooder between 90 and 95 degrees the first week and decrease the temp 5 degrees per week thereafter. Also i put a wireless digital thermometer with an alarm in the brooder. I set the temp on the alarm so if it gets below whatever I set the alarm for the alarm will sound. I have had the alarm go off and when I went out to the barn to check on the chicks their lamp was off. The cord to their lamp was plug into a ground fault electric outlet and it tripped for some reason and shut off. I reset it and all was ok. Thankfully the alarm sounded. I work the graveyard shift and luckily it happened on one of my nights off. That night the temperature was forcasted to be in the mid to upper 20's. Naturally it would have to happen on one of the coldest nights. I use the thermometer because the brooder is in the barn.

 

[cicene mete]

Yes, decreasing 5° per week is the general rule (not 35° probably a typo

). I would keep them in a while; they are so tiny.