Serama eggs, Disadvantage?

[brandibaby23]

I have read on a few posts people saying they were told hatching them is hard? Is this true and why, do they need different temp and humidity or somthing, or are their shells different, because I have 14 in my incubator now and my last bacth was a total failure but this time I have 12 out of 14 growing. Now I am worried lol

 

[Sumatra503]

It is mainly because they are so much smaller eggs than other bantam eggs. The birds are also smaller and can have fertility problems.

If 14 are growing you should be fine. Your last batch may have just been a bad one.

 

[Baralak]

well.. Seramas are just different, to say the least. Their eggs are a lot smaller, less volume, and not as tall as standard, or bantam eggs. Seramas also are short legged so they have a hard time moving around inside of the egg. Some will internal pip, but never make it to the external pip.

Incubation is also a little different. From my experiences, lf you have a forced air type bator, 99.5 is where your temp needs to be through out. Since they have a lot less volume than others, they can be effected by thermal inversions easier. Also if you have had serama chicks before, you have seen how tiny they are. The shells on a serama egg can be just as thick as a standard, so some seramas have a harder time pipping and zipping.

Also on serama eggs they tend to, but not always, develop a little faster than any other chicken egg. You will need to lockdown on day 17 instead of 18.

There are a host of reasons seramas are harder to hatch, mostly due to size.

Here is my little bitty Tinkerbell fresh out of the egg. She's 15 weeks old now.

 

[brandibaby23]

OMG!!!! She IS tiny!! This will be my first serama hatch and I have not had any before. I have an LG still air bator, the temp has been pretty constant between 101 and 102 humidity about 40% but I don't mess much with that until lockdown, then it should be 60-65%. right! They are due the 21st I can't wait.

 

[ZooMummzy]

Difficult but not impossible. Last January I hatched 3 out of 4 eggs. Right now I'm having a string of bad luck right now with them but it's winter and I am learning to use my LG's (though I just bought a Brinsea 20 Advantage). Out of 60+ eggs, I only have 1 chick and 12 eggs left that might hatch this weekend. Pretty discouraging but I'm not giving up. I have more on the way

This is my lone chick Zephyr from my hatch right before New Year's

Taken today...

 

[BlacksheepCardigans]

I would love to know if anyone has cracked the problem, pun intended. My last batch of eggs was 8 BLRW and 10 Serama eggs, incubated in the same Brinsea. All eggs were local pickup, not shipped, from the same breeder (so they were eating the same food, etc.) I lost 5 Seramas at the first candle, was down to two by lockdown, and only one hatched -- and I had to help him (the only one I've ever had to help in the Brinseas; I normally have super fast/clean hatches). I got 8/8 from the BLRW. Temp was consistent and humidity was 37/65.

Some people seem to have consistently good (or at least "good for serama") hatches on them, while the rest of us struggle - does anyone who gets the results have insight as to what the rest of us could change to get the percent up? Has anyone ever asked Jerry S. if he's got a special protocol?

 

[brandibaby23]

OMG!!! the last picture in your hand is too adorable!!!!

Gosh I hope mine hatch, I will candle again on the 10th hope they are all still alive. Mine are a mix of serama/ silkie, polish all kinds of who knows whats, but the eggs are all very small I assume all the parents had to be small birds.

 

[Baralak]

Another problem with seramas that I didn't mention, is their size.. a class c serama has a hard time mounting an "A" an "A" rooster has a hard time mounting a "C"... I have 4 seramas currently my rooster is a "C" and he trys to mount the "A" but he just is to big.. now funny saying big being that he is no bigger than a poot. His name is Truffles, and my 2 little girls are Tinkerbelle and Happy Feet. I have a "C" pullet named Lil' coco.. Each of them has the light brown gene. This picture makes them looks kinda dark.

 

[juliette2009]

Quote:
I can't speak for anyone else, but I have always had good hatch rates with my seramas. These are with my own eggs, not shipped, and I've heard that shipping can most decidedly affect your hatch. I've always used a Genesis 1588 and hand-turned...check here for more information...http://www.pixiechickens.com/category/hatchingincubating/ (Start at the bottom and work up).

They may be harder to hatch than other larger breeds, but don't give up...it's worth it! Seramas are excellent brooders, so maybe you should consider buying a pair and letting the hen "do her thing"!

Juliette

 

[BHep]

Strangely.........I have hatched out 5 batches of my Seramas. All were good hatches except this last one. I started with 15 eggs and locked down with 4. All hatched and are doing great, 2 are super tiny yet. The batch right before this one 9 out of 13 hatched. My cat knocked my incubator off the counter and they were all destoyed.

I am wondering if the colder weather is effecting the fertililty. I am done for now with them. I have 15 babies in the house. The hatch of 9, produced 6, maybe 7 rooster.

Good luck with your hatch.