Illinois...

[Faraday40]

I just got notification that our hatching eggs arrived in Chicago! They should arrive here tomorrow! I also picked up a few semi-local silkie eggs today. These eggs are DD's birthday gift. She was so devastated about the loss of her silkie, so we decided to allow her to hatch some more "useless chickens" this spring. This hatch will include seramas, OEG, silkies, and a few orps. (The laced orp eggs look large enough to set, so we'll see.)

Below is a pic of DD on her birthday. I gave her a chicken balloon and attached it to a pkg of choc malted eggs with a note. The note said "13 hatching" with a hole cut out to show the word "Eggs." Look at that happiness - even thought she was miserable with a fever.

Of course, she'll be getting more than 13 eggs. I may be close to reaching my incubator's capacity! (Shhhhh! Don't tell DH that part. I think I now know how @Junibutt felt last spring. LOL )

 

[cavemanrich]

If you get any extra serama hens hatched, put my name on one. Cant be a roo,,,,,,,,,

 

[Faraday40]

@cavemanrich
Ok. Done!

....but I still don't understand why you want your name on a hen.

 

[cavemanrich]

This way no one will attempt to steal her...........

 

[cavemanrich]

In my Avatar is a Serama. No longer.
The story is such. About 6 or 7 years ago, Not sure but estimate. There were some neighborhood children (about 6 or 7) in the yard playing with my chickens. For 4 of them it was first time. They were chasing my chickens to kingdom come. The chickens were obviously running like 7734. I chased the crowd out. Then I noticed that Gorbie was MIA. I searched and searched. No success. Last year I was doing some rearranging of some items,crates, etc. Found the remains of Gorbie. She was not eaten by a predator, but died as a result of getting lodged in a tight spot trying to escape. Could not back out.
I initially thought that she flew over the fence and had no way to return. Then obviously predators got to her.
I put an end to visits by unruly children. The other regulars were allowed and I discussed with them what happened. They were as sad as I missing one pet that they played with like their own.
My other Serama died when about 3 or 4 from a respiratory ailment along with 2 other chickens. It did not affect the rest of my flock.
When I researched the symptoms, I seen that there was nothing I could do at that point. I thought I was going to get totally wiped out.
It did not happen.

 

[Faraday40]

In my Avatar is a Serama. No longer.
The story is such. About 6 or 7 years ago, Not sure but estimate. There were some neighborhood children (about 6 or 7) in the yard playing with my chickens. For 4 of them it was first time. They were chasing my chickens to kingdom come. The chickens were obviously running like 7734. I chased the crowd out. Then I noticed that Gorbie was MIA. I searched and searched. No success. Last year I was doing some rearranging of some items,crates, etc. Found the remains of Gorbie. She was not eaten by a predator, but died as a result of getting lodged in a tight spot trying to escape. Could not back out.
I initially thought that she flew over the fence and had no way to return. Then obviously predators got to her.
I put an end to visits by unruly children. The other regulars were allowed and I discussed with them what happened. They were as sad as I missing one pet that they played with like their own.
My other Serama died when about 3 or 4 from a respiratory ailment along with 2 other chickens. It did not affect the rest of my flock.
When I researched the symptoms, I seen that there was nothing I could do at that point. I thought I was going to get totally wiped out.
It did not happen.

I'm so sorry you lost your little serama that way (and then found her years later.) We had an incident with a fox last summer & 2 orp pullets wedged themselves under the coop. It took a while, much maneuvering, and a lot of missing feathers to get them out. It then happened a 2nd time. Thankfully nothing broken and all the scratches healed up.

 

[chickendreams24]

Oh Caveman

I'm so sorry to hear that.

I too would love a little serama hen or two but I have to clear it with DH2B first.

Caveman since you've had seramas can you enlighten me please as to how much special care they need? Yours was in with your flock/with LF chickens?

What about winter I've heard they can't stay in an unheated coop then?

We have oegb, a sebright and silkies. But would I have to worry about them?

Regardless please share tons of pictures!!!

 

[Molpet]

In my Avatar is a Serama. No longer.
The story is such. About 6 or 7 years ago, Not sure but estimate. There were some neighborhood children (about 6 or 7) in the yard playing with my chickens. For 4 of them it was first time. They were chasing my chickens to kingdom come. The chickens were obviously running like 7734. I chased the crowd out. Then I noticed that Gorbie was MIA. I searched and searched. No success. Last year I was doing some rearranging of some items,crates, etc. Found the remains of Gorbie. She was not eaten by a predator, but died as a result of getting lodged in a tight spot trying to escape. Could not back out.
I initially thought that she flew over the fence and had no way to return. Then obviously predators got to her.
I put an end to visits by unruly children. The other regulars were allowed and I discussed with them what happened. They were as sad as I missing one pet that they played with like their own.
My other Serama died when about 3 or 4 from a respiratory ailment along with 2 other chickens. It did not affect the rest of my flock.
When I researched the symptoms, I seen that there was nothing I could do at that point. I thought I was going to get totally wiped out.
It did not happen.

 

[cavemanrich]

I shared the info on my housing before but here it is again.
After Thanksgiving and until Spring I house my chickens inside my loft inside garage. First, I only have a few as pets (currently 6). The second and probably very important reason for keeping them there is,,,,,, No need to let them out in the morning, as well as making sure we are home to lock them up at night. Gets dark early before we get home during winter.
In the garage they have sufficient room in my loft that I made for them and Pigeons. Now since I don't have pigeons currently, I opened up both sections for them to roam. There is light 12 hours on a timer so they don't go nutty. I also have my water containers kept warm. (electric)
During severe cold, I have a wood stove in garage that I can fire up to take out some of the chill. My cats also sleep in garage at night. All are feral rescue BTW, and fixed, even though none were really broken.
This year I did not need to use stove very much since it did not get very cold in my area. My goal is not to make it warm in garage, but rather to prevent extreme cold.
Seramas are not very cold hardy breed. Many peeps do keep them in their home. I have no desire to do such, but the Garage heated to minimal during extreme cold worked well. I am still trying to mastermind a heated roost for inside coop. It is during the night that the temps are cold and chickens could use some added warmth to get thru.
Seramas are feisty enough to be able to get along with LF chickens. They are not aggressive, but do not want to be at bottom of pecking order. What that translated to is,,,,, They can carry their own. My OEGH (2) are the same way.
So here are some solutions for cold weather housing. @Faraday40 , you can take them into garage along with your roosters, for the cold nights, (separate crate) . @chickendreams24 you say to DH2B,,,, "Honey, Suzie needs to be in crate in our hallway for this cold night" . I would avoid keeping in too warm of a spot to not offset chickens accustomed tolerance to cold. During the day seramas join flock on regular basis. There would probably not be that many very cold days where we live. Further north and away from the lake does get slightly chillier.

Gorbie ready for nighty nite

• cavemanrich
• Apr 6, 2014

This was Gorbie inside winter housing. The one that went MIA. Cant seem to locate pix of the other one at this time.
And this is my current flock

774

• cavemanrich
• Nov 25, 2017
• 4

My current flock 11/25/17

 

[Faraday40]

My Incubator's peeping!!!! They're actually due Mon-Tues.(Test orpington eggs from my own flock in my "back up" incubator. I didn't want to set up the big coolerbator, so I used the Hovabator from the 1990s which I found in my sisters attic. I added a computer fan.) The egg from my silver laced orp has pipped & peeped. It may or may not be silver laced depending on the daddy... I'll know soon!

Also I set up my "good" incubator (coolerbator) on Fri & set some eggs yesterday. I got some gold laced orps, silver laced orps, & misc. orps: chance of blue, black, lav, or mauve. Today I will add the bantam eggs: misc. silkies & showgirls, seramas, & OEG. I'm hoping adding the bantam eggs a day later will cause them to hatch at the same time.

DD's little silkie is full broody so the current hatching chicks will be going under her. I doubt we'll be keeping any from the test hatch. I'll likely get another broody hen in the next 3 weeks, so she'll be put to work. My guess (& hope) is that Oopsie will turn broody. Oopsie's increased production & is spending a little extra time inside the coop. I have a theory that the sound of peeping chicks causes the broodiness to spread. Of course tiny Trouble just started laying again and she's been acting strange too (trying to hide & lay eggs inside the garage). The garage is my overflow broody & chick area & I'm pretty sure my little Trouble remembers that.