'Bout ready to give up - HELP!!!!! W/ Serama chicks

[19hhbelgian]

Actually they are my own birds... I haven't had any trouble with other chicks. In fact, I have some others right now (in a separate brooder

) I have gotten my chickens from reputable breeders, and of course I know that isn't 100%, but I haven't had any problems with my adult birds or other chicks...

 

[swheat]

I know this is probably not the problem, but concerning pasty butt- I mix a little bit of play sand in with the started..since I have been doing that I rarely have any chicks with pasty butt. If you are keeping the temp steady and smashing the starter crumbles(I put my crumble in a old mixer/blender , makes mash in no time)- seems you are doing everything correct. Seramas do have a lethal gene, but I thought if the chick had it, it would not hatch - I think the lethal gene came from Japanese bantam ancestors.

 

[19hhbelgian]

Quote:
That pasty butt thing is good info! I read on the lethal gene and it said no hatch or dies with in 24 hours... Maybe I should just wait til spring, and allow the girls to become "seasoned". They are this years hatch, so these eggs are pretty new (the girl that is laying for sure, has only been laying for 2 months) - could that have to do with it? I'm reaching here

 

[chicknjane]

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Isn't that Gro-gel? I think Murray McMurry sells it.

 

[catwalk]

I'm trying to hatch from '09 Seramas as well. I've given a lot of eggs away, but of the three I kept that should have hatched by now, one was clear, one had a blood ring, and one made it to hatch but never pipped. I broke it open: it was white

! So I feel your pain. Except I haven't had the opportunity to fall in love with a live chick yet. If you're experienced in raising chicks, I'm sure you are doing things right. I supposse you would have weak chicks from young stock? Don't give up; they'll come around.

 

[19hhbelgian]

Thanks Catwalk

. Sorry to hear you're not having much luck either... I was hoping there was a secret Serama raising technique that only experienced serama breeders knew of, but I guess they're either not sharing or there is no secret

I have a few more eggs in the bator currently, so we will see what happens if they make it to hatch. Best of luck to both of us in future serama hatchings!!

 

[Bock_Bock]

Quote:
Isn't that Gro-gel? I think Murray McMurry sells it.

yes the gro gel i heard it is preatty good to give the new chicks a nice boost, but dont feel bad i had the same problems with my seramas, but what i noticed was that since them being so small it is easy for them to be trampled over even by other seramas, so even tho they show nothing on the out side they could still of internal problems which are not noticable, so just check to if you might have some jittery chicks in there that love to just run around over the other chicks or just pick on them in general, make sure that the chicks have enough room to move around and get away from this, but also be able to get heat from the light too. In my own experiance i learned to not house bantam chicks with regular chicks i had set up a seperate brooder for the serams them selves. So long story short make sure you have enough room for them and that there on no bullys in the brooder with them

 

[barnhopper]

im sure someone else will chicme in here but there is a substance you can add into the water for chicks that helps add nutrients for the chicks, i for got what it is called but it helps out alot, also do you have a temp gauge in your brooder where the chicks are staying, if not i suggest you get one, and if it isnt already try to see if there is ways to block any type of drafts that can blow the air around in the brooder as this can chill the chicks down real quick, and cold is very deadly for them as they have no feathers to protect them at all