Broody Serama hen

[WVduckchick]

hello, It's been almost 3 weeks. The hen always leaves the nest around 11 am for about 30 minutes. Today she left to eat and drink and I saw one of the chicks peeped! Now I am afraid that it will not hatch since she let the eggs while the egg was cracked already. She is back on eggs, but why did she leave? I thought hens are supposed to know not to leave the nest for the last few days...

Should be fine. Just let her do her thing. I know it can be tough.
I found 2 had hatched yesterday, and another 2 this morning. You should see chicks soon!!

 

[Lidiapac730]

Should be fine. Just let her do her thing. I know it can be tough.
I found 2 had hatched yesterday, and another 2 this morning. You should see chicks soon!!
View attachment 1525375 View attachment 1525376 View attachment 1525379

OMG!!! They are such little miracles!!! You are sooo lucky. I am a nervous wreck over here... I know I just need to wait and see...

 

[WVduckchick]

OMG!!! They are such little miracles!!! You are sooo lucky. I am a nervous wreck over here... I know I just need to wait and see...

Trust me, it gets easier!
When those girls started sitting, I marked and stuffed 6 eggs under them. I don't always block off my broodies, but another hen was raising little ones and had been sleeping in that same box. So she kept coming back with her little ones every night and crowding in. Then I found a broken egg, so I finally blocked off the broody pair. I hadn't even candled the eggs until yesterday! 2 were clear, and another egg had been added at some point. It looks like it has a few days to go, but the rest have hatched, so I will see if one of the hens stays with the later egg, or if they both leave it to tend to the chicks. Then I'm hopefully done for the season!! Yeah!

 

[Lidiapac730]

Trust me, it gets easier!
When those girls started sitting, I marked and stuffed 6 eggs under them. I don't always block off my broodies, but another hen was raising little ones and had been sleeping in that same box. So she kept coming back with her little ones every night and crowding in. Then I found a broken egg, so I finally blocked off the broody pair. I hadn't even candled the eggs until yesterday! 2 were clear, and another egg had been added at some point. It looks like it has a few days to go, but the rest have hatched, so I will see if one of the hens stays with the later egg, or if they both leave it to tend to the chicks. Then I'm hopefully done for the season!! Yeah!

How long is this going to take?
Also, how are your seramas are doing in winter?

 

[WVduckchick]

How long is this going to take?
Also, how are your seramas are doing in winter?

If it was pipped this morning, normally they hatch within 18-24 hours.

My seramas are very hardy thru winter! They even sleep outside in the run, up on a high perch! I have a metal covered, open-air run, with one side against my shop building, and I add a few tarps for wind block. The males have had a bit of frostbite, but otherwise, I’ve never lost one to cold weather. (Maybe very young chicks, of course) and we get sub-freezing temps for several months.

 

[Lidiapac730]

If it was pipped this morning, normally they hatch within 18-24 hours.

My seramas are very hardy thru winter! They even sleep outside in the run, up on a high perch! I have a metal covered, open-air run, with one side against my shop building, and I add a few tarps for wind block. The males have had a bit of frostbite, but otherwise, I’ve never lost one to cold weather. (Maybe very young chicks, of course) and we get sub-freezing temps for several months.

sorry to keep asking questions, but I am just curious about seramas, what is the hatchability rate? also how many chick grow to adulthood? ow many do you loose?

 

[Lidiapac730]

If it was pipped this morning, normally they hatch within 18-24 hours.

My seramas are very hardy thru winter! They even sleep outside in the run, up on a high perch! I have a metal covered, open-air run, with one side against my shop building, and I add a few tarps for wind block. The males have had a bit of frostbite, but otherwise, I’ve never lost one to cold weather. (Maybe very young chicks, of course) and we get sub-freezing temps for several months.

there is 4 eggs under her, I just hope that she will hatch at least one, all of her devotion for nothing? it would break my heart...

 

[WVduckchick]

sorry to keep asking questions, but I am just curious about seramas, what is the hatchability rate? also how many chick grow to adulthood? ow many do you loose?

Well, I honestly do have my share of losses. Some seramas still carry the lethal short-legged gene that kills some of the offspring, just before hatch. I happen to have a few short-legged girls, but I think much of it has been bred out, so its not as prominent as it was. Proper pairing can eliminate most of the problems. But I still get a few random losses at lockdown, and I still get some that fail to thrive and just die.

there is 4 eggs under her, I just hope that she will hatch at least one, all of her devotion for nothing? it would break my heart...

I would say she has a good shot of hatching at least 3, so we'll keep our fingers crossed! Have you checked them this morning?

 

[Lidiapac730]

Well, I honestly do have my share of losses. Some seramas still carry the lethal short-legged gene that kills some of the offspring, just before hatch. I happen to have a few short-legged girls, but I think much of it has been bred out, so its not as prominent as it was. Proper pairing can eliminate most of the problems. But I still get a few random losses at lockdown, and I still get some that fail to thrive and just die.



I would say she has a good shot of hatching at least 3, so we'll keep our fingers crossed! Have you checked them this morning?

I just saw one peeking out from under her wing!!!!!! I am so excited, I hope it will survive. And the chick looks white!!! That's cool, because both my seramas are black!!! It was the cutest thing I have ever seen. Momma and her baby. I have hatched eggs in incubator before, but this is so much better!!! I didn't check if there is more, because to be honest with you... and don't laugh at me... I am terrified of her! She is a little screaming monster. I adopted the couple and they are not social nor friendly. But it doesn't matter, they have a home now and they can do whatever they wish.

 

[WVduckchick]

I just saw one peeking out from under her wing!!!!!! I am so excited, I hope it will survive. And the chick looks white!!! That's cool, because both my seramas are black!!! It was the cutest thing I have ever seen. Momma and her baby. I have hatched eggs in incubator before, but this is so much better!!! I didn't check if there is more, because to be honest with you... and don't laugh at me... I am terrified of her! She is a little screaming monster. I adopted the couple and they are not social nor friendly. But it doesn't matter, they have a home now and they can do whatever they wish.

Oh honey, I know all about those vicious little terror broodies!

I can tell you this though. My meanest one, Prissy, (the white one in the pics I posted yesterday)…. She sat for the first time last year, I think. My other hens didn't like being messed with, but didn't really protest too much, so I was able to check their eggs a few times along the way. But I knew Prissy had too many eggs accumulated for them to develop properly. I tried to check them, and I thought she was going to bite my head off! But I finally decided she couldn't really hurt me too badly. So first I draped a rag over her head to hold her still, and pulled eggs from under her, one at a time, to candle and remove some. Then each day, I would just try to pet her. Not mess with the eggs, but touch her gently, with no fear. She finally learned to trust me after that. To this day, she won't let me touch her while she is out and about, but I know she understands that I'm there to help and not hurt. She will finally eat scratch treats from my hand now. And she even lets me help teach her babies to get up the ladder the first few nights she takes them out. Some learn quickly, some seem to take forever! lol

I'm just saying now may be a good time to try to bond with her, so she learns that you aren't out to kill her babies.