Raising Seramas

[mylilchix]

I'd like to add some seramas to the family, and would love some adivce about them. Can the live ok in house? What size housing do they need? Can they be fed like regular chickens?

Thanks for the help!
Sonja

 

[tiki244]

A pair can live in a three ft by four ft wire cage in the house. They are noisy though. They can be fed regular chicken feed, but the babies need their crumbles ground up in the blender to fit in their mouths. They are good birds if you spend time with them and train them to do tricks and be calm. Some are a little hyper till they get older.

 

[mylilchix]

Thank you very much Kris for the help!! We meet some this weekend, and now I'd love to get some. We live in CO, so I can't leave them out during the winter. I may try to summer them with our other bantams. Hopefully, we can get a pair soon!!

Sonja

 

[MoodyChicken]

They live best in the house! They're a very fragile breed that needs to be caged and kept warm. They can cared for like any other chicken, but think on a smaller scale (you wouldn't a chihuahua the large kibbles that a great Dane would eat).

 

[mylilchix]

Courtney, what type of housin do you recommend in the house for them?
Thanks,
Sonja

 

[MoodyChicken]

If you're keeping them in the house, a large guinea pig cage or rabbit hutch will work just fine. If it has a solid bottom, glue sand paper to the bottom so they don't slip. Put a single hole nesting box in the cage so the hens will have some privacy, and if possible, put a perch in there too. Chickens can get smelly in a closed room, you may be better off keeping them in your garage with a heat lamp.

 

[SeramaLife]

I keep 7 adult seramas in the house in the winter. If you want to keep them in any sort of wire cage you must have duck tape over the front of the wire so they do not scratch bedding/poop out. The duck tape catches everything. The cage also has to be cleaned quite often, at least once a week.

 

[BoiseBubba]

My suggestion..... Well mine live in a barn with a space heater so they have plenty of room, and they have unlimited feed and water,plus I give them Electrolites for energy and it also keeps them healthy......Their barn or if they live in the house needs to be no lower than 40degrees so they don't get cold....on warmer days (40 degrees and up ) I let them free range so they get all the vitamins they need to be healthy,also they are EXTREMELY DELICATE!!! So they must have whatever they want whenever they want, I would put them in a 4 LNGTH x4 WDTH x 6 HT barn so they don't stink up your house.

 

[tiki244]

Hi Sonya,

Yeh I forgot to mention that I have bottoms on the cages and up about 6 inches on the sides. And a roost at the top of the cage because they love to roost. I clean their pens once a day and also have cardboard lining the floor and walls in the room. And I have an electric air cleaner running in that room.

When its warmer they can go outside, but I dont let them out to free range, I have them in an aviary. I am sure the can free range just fine, but I tried it before and mine were flying all over the place making all sorts of noise, and roosting in 100 ft pine trees. It wasnt easy to catch them. lol so I decided not to do that.

 

[pbjmaker]

Quote:
I have heard this over and over but I have two seramas that live outside in the coop with my "big" chickens and the oldest one has survived through some very harsh temps this winter with no heat in the coop. I just put the younger one out there with some silkies (about a month ago) and they have a heat lamp but it still dips below freezing in the coop. All my birds have the option of free ranging during the day.