Serama chicks dying

[trkcChick]

I hatched out 4 Seramas about 3 weeks ago. The first one died within the first week. Today another one died today. They both seemed fine and then we found them dead. They are in with a few other chicks. What could be the problem?

 

[farmin'chick]

If they are significantly smaller than the chicks they're in with, they may be burrowing to the bottom of the pile and getting smothered.

 

[LeghornLisa]

I don't know, but I am very sorry..

 

[FancyFeet]

I too had a problem with some of my serama chicks dying. I have discovered that they often need nutrients that they aren't getting from the chick starter. I scramble an egg every morning and put it in with their feed. I haven't lost any chicks since I started this.

 

[zukario]

Good tip fancyfeet i would try out this method in the future if i had serama chicks

chicken coop

 

[Southernbelle]

Any sign of cocci? That will drop chicks fast and sudden.

 

[trkcChick]

I don't see any signs of cocci. The one that just died seemed fine yesterday morning and there isn't any bloody poop. I didn't know if Seramas were like Sebrights. We had a hard time keeping any Sebright chicks alive.

Will giving them a scrambled egg give them all of the other nutrients that they need?

 

[Akane]

I didn't find sebrights any harder to raise than any other bantam. Seramas can be though. Due to their small size they should not be kept with other chicks including bantams. They will get crushed, shoved away from the food and water, or shoved under the light. I had one die from getting stuck under the heat lamp and unable to get past the other chicks. I had another almost die because whenever it went to get a drink there were too many other chicks shoving around the waterer. The only other chicks I've had them do ok with are japanese bantams which hatch about the same size as the larger serama chicks. Even my bantam EE are too big to put seramas with. Also they often can't eat all the chick starter. They will pick up the tiniest crumbs which may not contain everything that's in the chick starter. For the really small seramas I wet the food with water and dip their beaks in it daily until I see them eating dry feed easily. Some grind up the starter. I also use all gamebird feed for my bantams instead of chick starter. It's higher protein and they grow and feather faster.

 

[FancyFeet]

Quote:
The egg won't give them everything that they need ~ it just gives them some extra protein. I include it with the chick starter that I grind up into smaller bits.

 

[Cherokeerainbow]

Just found this thread....
You have to know Serema's have that gene that will kill them right before they hatch... forgot the name? Check out Jerry's site (Jerrys seremas) He's the one who brought them to the USA