Serama chicks temp question

[HenPotts]

Hi all,
I have a broody serama hen sitting on 6 eggs. They are looking good, I candled them this evening and they look to be getting close. I am in Ontario, its starting to get chilly at night. Do I need to remove the chicks and brood them myself or will mama serama be able to provide enough heat? Broody coop is not heated. This is my first time standing by and hatching chicks under a hen
Thanks in advance

 

[GracePoultry]

Normally the hen does a pretty good job at keeping chicks warm but moving the chicks inside on there own or in a shed or garage with mama hen won't hurt they'd probably appreciate the extra warmth so they can spend more time out from under mom but I wouldn't worry too much about it.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi all,
I have a broody serama hen sitting on 6 eggs. They are looking good, I candled them this evening and they look to be getting close. I am in Ontario, its starting to get chilly at night. Do I need to remove the chicks and brood them myself or will mama serama be able to provide enough heat? Broody coop is not heated. This is my first time standing by and hatching chicks under a hen
Thanks in advance

Welcome To BYC

Let's get some input from those that keep Seramas. I think @WoDia and @fluffycrow keep them.

How cold? Ontario sounds cold to me!
I would put Mama and babies in a protected area, being so tiny, Mama may even struggle staying warm. I would not separate babies from Mama unless there's a real issue like she rejects or hurts them. Provide a space large enough where she can raise her babies.

Do you have a Serama coop that is more protected/heated?

 

[WoDia]

Hi all,
I have a broody serama hen sitting on 6 eggs. They are looking good, I candled them this evening and they look to be getting close. I am in Ontario, its starting to get chilly at night. Do I need to remove the chicks and brood them myself or will mama serama be able to provide enough heat? Broody coop is not heated. This is my first time standing by and hatching chicks under a hen
Thanks in advance

Ontario gets even colder than where I live in Ohio. Seramas really do struggle in the cold— especially when it gets down into the 40s. Shivering and inactivity will be the first signs. I’ll make some suggestions for you, using my own experience.

Mama and babies do need to be kept warm. That’s so important, especially for the chicks. They are even more at risk than their mama. Also consider that mama is not in optimal health, being a broody. I suggest keeping them somewhere inside, where you can closely monitor them and provide a warmer, draft-free environment for her to raise her chicks. Seramas, being so incredibly tiny, just don’t have the body mass to keep warm like larger breeds.

If you can’t provide a source of warmth for them in their coop, bring them inside— even a cellar or garage would be helpful. In the event that would happen with mine, I’m prepared to bring them inside to a pen in my cellar rather than risk losing one.

I understand, very well, the struggles these tiny birds face in cold weather. I wish your new teeny family well. And, please keep us updated.

 

[HenPotts]

Thank you everyone. I'm getting a brooder box ready in our heated garage to move them in when the time comes. We are in for unseasonably warm beautiful weather this week, so hopefully that will make her more comfortable until she hatches them out. Thanks again for the advice!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you everyone. I'm getting a brooder box ready in our heated garage to move them in when the time comes. We are in for unseasonably warm beautiful weather this week, so hopefully that will make her more comfortable until she hatches them out. Thanks again for the advice!

Hope all goes well!

When the babies hatch, we want photos!!

 

[HenPotts]

Update ******

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Update ******

Oh my!

Such a sweetie pie! Only one so far?
Mama says, you can look but don't touch

 

[WoDia]

@HenPotts How are teeny mom and chicks doing?

 

[HenPotts]

@HenPotts How are teeny mom and chicks doing?

They're doing super