Hatching serama eggs under broody (standard size) hen ok? Better?

[Bocktobery 10]

Does anyone know?

I have read about hatching serama eggs is difficult with low hatch rate. Does anyone know if there are better results with a broody instead of using an incubator? Also, if you use a standard size hen for hatching serama eggs is this not a good idea? Will the larger hen end up hurting them once they are hatched? Should you take away any hatched seramas from the standard size broody as soon as they hatch?

One other question, if you have detached air cells in shipped hatching eggs, is it probable that they will die before hatched, and if so, why? I tried to find information on this, but didn't find answers. What if those detached air cell eggs are under a broody- worse outcome? Same? Better?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

 

[sourland]

Some full sized hens are very gentle with chicks and eggs - others are extremely clumsy. I would be concerned that a very large hen would inadvertently crush serama eggs or chicks.

 

[the poppster]

I used a little Silkie cross hen for the first set, she hatched out three...and I have a little EE hen for the second clutch. I didn't want the tiny chicks to get waffle stomped by one of my big girls...so I kept the eggs in the incubator till my glorious Moma hen got into full broody gear....then gave her the eggs.

 

[Bocktobery 10]

Thanks Popster and Sourland,


That's what I'm concerned about too... I've never hatched Serama chicks before, and in pictures they look very tiny, although in some other pictures, they don't look like there is too much difference between them and a bantam sized chick. I mean, in one photo on the internet claiming to be a serama chick, its next to a large peach- and it looks super tiny. Either that, or the peach is very large. In another photo the serama chick looks to be an inch tall... So I don't really know exactly what to expect when it comes to their size. I would imagine though a standard size hen could easily smash a chick (or an egg). I guess it does depend on the hen. I just wanted to know if anyone had done that before and was successful.

Is it cruel to remove newly hatched chicks from a hen?

Oh, and with further searching, I found the answers about the detached air cells... so never mind about that.

 

[the poppster]

The chicks I have were super tiny...about an inch to inch and a half tall....even with the bantam sized hen, I was a bit concerned so I didn't fuss with her at all...other than retrieving the shells if I didn't have to disturb her to much....they were crawling around in her feathers like kids in a jungle gym...it also seemed like she was crouching on the nest to avoid crushing them. Once I moved the new family to the broody tractor all went smoothly. The only thing I have to be careful with is to keep my border collie away from the tractor....this little hen gets wound up and has tried on a chick in her determination to protect them. Anyway they are tiny....when I held one on my hand the first time, it seemed like you could have pursed your lips and blew the little fluff ball off your fingers....and it might float like a dandelion head...of course it wouldn't....they are so darn cute!

 

[Bocktobery 10]

The chicks I have were super tiny...about an inch to inch and a half tall....even with the bantam sized hen, I was a bit concerned so I didn't fuss with her at all...other than retrieving the shells if I didn't have to disturb her to much....they were crawling around in her feathers like kids in a jungle gym...it also seemed like she was crouching on the nest to avoid crushing them. Once I moved the new family to the broody tractor all went smoothly. The only thing I have to be careful with is to keep my border collie away from the tractor....this little hen gets wound up and has tried on a chick in her determination to protect them. Anyway they are tiny....when I held one on my hand the first time, it seemed like you could have pursed your lips and blew the little fluff ball off your fingers....and it might float like a dandelion head...of course it wouldn't....they are so darn cute!

lol.... So cute!

Well, mine hatched a few weeks ago. The momma is doing well with them. I'm not sure if they are as small as they are supposed to be. The breeder I bought the eggs from says they are class A and B, so I suppose that is supposed to be tiny to mid sized seramas. When hatched they were about an inch and a half but they grew quickly!

I still have my Speckled Sussex hen with them. She is very protective... much more protective with them than with her brood last year! Maybe she realizes they are extra small! She's always been very loving hen towards me, but she attacked me and a guest when we entered the room I have them in. The Serama babies take turns riding on her back like a horse... so darling!

Here are a few pics...



They are in a big blue tub here because I had to move them inside for a while due to the extreme heat that day.

 

[chykenlover]

I have a quick question for you guys:
I have 3 eggs and 2 hens sharing the hatching responsibility. All three eggs were from a friends fertile stash of eggs. Should I get rid of one hen and let one do the job??? They are broody silkies and the fertile eggs are going to be a surprise. This was an experiment ...today is 21 days and one egg is cracked and chirping the other 2 nothing happening yet. Will both hens get along once the eggs hatch..

 

[Babbling brook]

I had 2p silkie moms hatching and raising raising a single chick. It worked great. But the 2 silkies are best friends.