Loads of questions about Serama Bantams from someone new to chickens!

[abraga]

There are a lot of really nice chicken coops with small runs attached on ebay, amazon, overstock and wayfair that are great for a couple of seramas.they are small...cute and manageable, easy to clean and would protect them from cats. Get at least two hens..chickens need other chickens to be happy. Check out the coops on line...tons of cute options..range of prices.

 

[MagpieDucks]

@prizepete

 

[prizepete]

I would go check in at the serama thread, there are a ton of helpful people there!

 

[MagpieDucks]

Also, have you checked out d'Uccles?

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Not sure why Serma keeps popping up. I didn't read of you wanting them in original post.

If you're inclined to go the route of prefab small coop with small pen attached then any bantam sized bird would do well in that confined space. Well not any bantam size as some prefer a lot of space but anything like the bantam sized dual purpose breeds like Plymouth Rock, Wyandotte, Cochin, ya know, a small version of typical breeds. Three to four birds is a good size small flock.

 

[happybooker1]

In its home country of Malaysia, Seramas outnumber dogs and cats as most kept animals for pets.

Just google "seramas as pets" and begin reading!!

 

[EthanB423]

Hey, I recently purchased my first pair of Seramas and am now incubating some eggs hoping to get babies. I was wondering what a reasonable price to sell them would be? Would it be more profitable to sell them as older birds or sell them as chicks? Thanks!

 

[abraga]

Hey, I recently purchased my first pair of Seramas and am now incubating some eggs hoping to get babies. I was wondering what a reasonable price to sell them would be? Would it be more profitable to sell them as older birds or sell them as chicks? Thanks!

I've seen prices from about 15$ up into the 100s . Depends a lot on the size/quality of the birds i think.

 

[EthanB423]

Also, have you checked out d'Uccles?

I've seen prices from about 15$ up into the 100s . Depends a lot on the size/quality of the birds i think.

ok, thank you! I have also seen prices along those lines from different breeders.

 

[formerchickenlass]

I have no experience hatching eggs myself so I'll likely be buying a day old chick. But after that, I'm not sure where to start! I know it is best to keep birds in pairs, but I don't want to end up with breeding (or two males if I got two) and I'll be a companion for the bird, so hopefully company won't be a problem. Is that wise of me to do or do they need another chicken? It'll be with my indoor birds (separated, not in the same cage) so in the very least it won't be feather-friend deprived.

Can be hard to find day old serama chicks. Most serama breeders don't even sell chicks. The other caged birds won't be any kind of companion to your serama. I'd encourage you to get a male/female pair, that way you don't end up with two males and they can keep each other company when you're not around.

You can keep them indoors in a cage. A rabbit cage or larger dog crate will do fine. It'd be ideal if you can have them out in the house at least, if not in the yard. You can put chicken diapers on them so they can roam the house freely with no concerns of droppings on your floors/belongings. If you did keep a single serama, you'd absolutely want to put a diaper on it and have it out in the house with the humans (you'd become its flock essentially). Look up Chickens by Victoria on Facebook. I got serama diapers from her.

For outdoors time, just throw together a wood frame (square or triangle) and cover with hardware cloth. You can add a little door or just lift it up to put birds in with their food & water. It's good for them to get some ground time when it's warm. When it's cold you'll keep them inside (all winter probably).

Seramas are easy to tame down at any age. They're the friendliest chickens IMO. There's a reason they're the #1 pet in Malaysia. Just pick them up daily and hold in your lap. At first you'll just hold them still. Eventually you'll pet their chest, then take your finger and rub the back of their neck, and then pet their head and back. They'll fall asleep in your lap and it's super sweet. If you get two birds, do this individually and out of sight/earshot of the other bird. That way they focus on you and not on the mate who's chirping away for them.

You can also win them over with treats. Mealworms. I wouldn't worry about giving them anything other than their feed (crumble feed) and some mealworms occasionally as a treat. You can easily overdo it with treats and get their diet out of balance. Actually, most chickens LOVE to just have their feed with some water added. They go nuts for it. So that's a good treat. That's the main treat I provide for my seramas. Just remember to also give grit if you give them mealworms or any vegetable material. Chick grit is fine for seramas of all ages. I just sprinkle some on their feed the same day I give treats.

If you do get a chick, just grind the crumbles down for the first month. I do mine in a blender. Chick crumbles as they arrive in the bag are too large for baby seramas most of the time.

What kind of bedding do chicks need? I can't use pine as my mother is allergic, and there's nowhere I can get safe sand. I assume regular hamster sawdust shouldn't be used. Would puppy pee pads be alright, or would that be too messy? What about when it begins to grow up, what should I use for an adult serama? Do they need anything like hay/straw to keep them warm? A nest?

I use pee pads for my young birds and have also used for one disabled rooster. I can tell you that your adult birds will get messy with that pet pad. Poop on their feet and feathers. If you use it, be prepared to change it daily if not more frequently.

Honestly, you can just keep them in a rabbit cage on wire, especially if they get to go outdoors and diapered and get to roam the house most of the day. Give them something solid to perch on inside the cage. Then you just put paper on the pan below the wire and collect the paper with droppings each day. I'm sure someone will have an opinion about that, but frankly, many serama breeders keep their birds on wire, including the man who originally imported them to America.

How long do the chicks need heat lamps? I plan on investing in one of the red bulb ones for warmth but I don't know at what age it should be removed, if at all. Would a heating pad be better? Should they be kept on all day or only at night-time?

How long depends on indoor temperatures. I usually keep some form of heat available until birds are fully feathered out.

No heating pad. When you get your bulb (you can also use a ceramic reptile bulb), also get a thermometer to monitor the temp. You want to start around 100F for day old chicks. Set up the bulb so that it's pointing directly on one area of the brooder and not directly on another area, so there's a temperature gradient.

Then just observe. If they're too hot, you'll see them move away from the light, pant and spread their wings. If they're too cold, they'll huddle together right under it. When it's just right, you should see them sleeping in different spots in the brooder over time, and not necessarily right on top of each other.

Light on the whole time you're brooding, not just at night. Light on until they're fully feathered or otherwise telling you they don't need it any longer.

For food, do they need fresh fruit and vegetables in their diet? Do they need a variety of pellets or are chick crumbs alone okay? What age should they be taken off chick crumbs? Once they reach that age do they eat regular sized chicken pellets or do they need something smaller, since they're small birds, or perhaps a special diet?

Unmedicated chick starter for first 4 months, then switch to layer crumbles (unless you just have a male, then put him on flock raiser). No pellet feeds. Most pellets are too large for seramas. They can choke, or just starve because they can't swallow them.

Are they super messy in terms of droppings? I doubt it'd be worse than what my three budgies manage but I'd like to know what to expect. How do you keep their lives interesting? Sorry for SO many questions but I want to get everything right, I don't want to be irresponsible. Thank you so much to anyone who takes the time to read or answer, I really appreciate it. I did google all of this stuff but I couldn't find much in way of care of a pet chicken.. Thank you so much again!!

I don't know what your idea of super messy is. I can tell you the droppings are super stinky when they make cecal poops.

I work exclusively with seramas. I remember what it was like when I was first finding out about this breed. The information is scant until you locate & open the right doors. I want you to feel free to PM me with any future questions if you decide to move forward with getting a serama or two.