Serama Hatch-A-Long!!

[darkbluespace]

That is hilarious! I need to make a tiny witch hat for mine! Have you seen the pic of the EE with the garden gnome costume?! Ha!

I have not seen that! Funny stuff! After I made Buddy's mask, I realized that he has eyes on the sides of his head so I could only get one eye showing through! You would think I would have noticed that before : )

 

[Naliez]

Well, now I'm getting all kinds of ideas! Since our singleton (Zippy) has demanded to be held so much, he is very used to being handled and pretty much stays where you put him (as long as he can still see you). He's so easy-going and unlike his brooder-raised friends, doesn't mind new places or situations one bit. We're having a lot of fun with him and working on an indoor coop for him. Because of his size and him having no concept of potential danger, we think it's best to keep him as a house-chicken unless we are outside with him.

 

[Skink]

Well, now I'm getting all kinds of ideas! Since our singleton (Zippy) has demanded to be held so much, he is very used to being handled and pretty much stays where you put him (as long as he can still see you). He's so easy-going and unlike his brooder-raised friends, doesn't mind new places or situations one bit. We're having a lot of fun with him and working on an indoor coop for him. Because of his size and him having no concept of potential danger, we think it's best to keep him as a house-chicken unless we are outside with him.

Just remember that if he's the only one, he needs to be with you several hours a day, preferably with someone all the time! Except for night time, of course. You're his entire flock so he relies on you for all his social time and stimulation. If you have kids around, that should work out ok.

If you want diapers, I've tried the diapers from mypetchicken.com and country closet, both had the same issue of slippage, uncomfortable fit (the bird takes a long time to adjust to wearing to it) and being escapable despite being very different designs. I have not tried diapers from any etsy users or pampered poultry. I have been happiest with the wrap around hen holster from crazy k farms as a diaper. The "small/medium" size will fit a 16.5 oz serama roo (the size of our house boy) easily, but if he turns out to be A class it would probably be too big just because of pocket size.



This is our silkie Velma in her wrap around diaper. If your boy ends up silkied, I've found the velcro doesn't cause trouble with their unique feathers. She seems a bit small even for a silkie, to try and give you an idea of size here she is with Chip (in a diaper we're phasing out use of) and my 4.7 lb cochin hen (also small for her breed, hatchery stock.)

 

[Naliez]

So my last batch is hatching! I have 3 out, one zipping and the last 3 are rocking. This batch was from a local breeder because I had such poor luck with shipped eggs, BUT... They are all looking the same, (my singleton is pure white) with eyeliner and the chipmunk-type color. I had been kind of bugging the breeder for a while, (they told me to ask for updates on their eggs, so I did!) and finally, they just said to come on by, they didn't have a full dozen but I could take what they had and I got charged a lot less than the site quoted. Plus they told me to take a handful of EE eggs that may or may not be fertile. (They were clear) But anyway, I think they were just trying to get me to stop texting them. Lol Looking at these hatched little guys, I'm wondering now if I got a completely different breed. Maybe OEGB or something? They don't look at all like my Singleton Serama, who has short legs, bugged out eyes and more upright than regular chicks. What do you guys think? I saw a guy who ordered AC's on e-bay and ended up having a terrible Black skinned, naked necked Vulture type thing hatch! Lol

 

[darkbluespace]

So my last batch is hatching! I have 3 out, one zipping and the last 3 are rocking. This batch was from a local breeder because I had such poor luck with shipped eggs, BUT... They are all looking the same, (my singleton is pure white) with eyeliner and the chipmunk-type color. I had been kind of bugging the breeder for a while, (they told me to ask for updates on their eggs, so I did!) and finally, they just said to come on by, they didn't have a full dozen but I could take what they had and I got charged a lot less than the site quoted. Plus they told me to take a handful of EE eggs that may or may not be fertile. (They were clear) But anyway, I think they were just trying to get me to stop texting them. Lol Looking at these hatched little guys, I'm wondering now if I got a completely different breed. Maybe OEGB or something? They don't look at all like my Singleton Serama, who has short legs, bugged out eyes and more upright than regular chicks. What do you guys think? I saw a guy who ordered AC's on e-bay and ended up having a terrible Black skinned, naked necked Vulture type thing hatch! Lol

Congrats on the chicks! I don't see anything that would make me think they are not Seramas. Of course, they are barely out of the egg and certainly not upright yet! Seramas come in all different colors so they can look very different at hatch. I guess you didn't see their birds when you got the eggs? I wouldn't worry, they look fine to me : )

I know it does happen that people sell eggs of one bird as another breed, mostly through the mail I imagine or sometimes the birds are not as pure bred as lead to believe. I hope that doesn't happen too often or purposely.

 

[Naliez]

Congrats on the chicks!   I don't see anything that would make me think they are not Seramas.  Of course, they are barely out of the egg and certainly not upright yet!  Seramas come in all different colors so they can look very different at hatch.  I guess you didn't see their birds when you got the eggs?   I wouldn't worry, they look fine to me : ) 

I know it does happen that people sell eggs of one bird as another breed, mostly through the mail I imagine or sometimes the birds are not as pure bred as lead to believe.  I hope that doesn't happen too often or purposely.

Their legs are so LONG compared to my singleton Serama, which is all I really have to compare to, and they all came out looking the same.

 

[Skink]

If his legs are dramatically shorter, it is likely he's expressing the short leg gene. Seramas with the short leg gene do exist, they have stubby legs like the Japanese Bantam. You tend to see short leg serama more in the UK, but they are in american flocks too. Not something you really want to breed from, in my opinion, since a bird with short legs can't fit the serama type (can't hold wings vertically) as well as the gene causing late term embryo death when homozygous (double copy of the gene from short leg x short leg breeding.) That only really matters for breeding, though!

 

[Naliez]

If his legs are dramatically shorter, it is likely he's expressing the short leg gene. Seramas with the short leg gene do exist, they have stubby legs like the Japanese Bantam. You tend to see short leg serama more in the UK, but they are in american flocks too. Not something you really want to breed from, in my opinion, since a bird with short legs can't fit the serama type (can't hold wings vertically) as well as the gene causing late term embryo death when homozygous (double copy of the gene from short leg x short leg breeding.) That only really matters for breeding, though!

That's some really great info and seems to fit in with my situation. I'll post a couple side by sides for comparison. I put my singleton in with my Silkies, who are only 3 days ahead in age and they have amazed me with how sweet they are. Singleton just wants to snuggle and they are very snuggable. But, they are starting to outgrow him a little too much for my comfort, so I put him in with the new guys. He seems content; dust bathing, pecking, doing chicken things. Singleton is a funny little guy. He is completely unfazed by anything.

 

[Naliez]

Okay. Here's my white singleton and two of the six from the last hatch, who all look exactly the same.

 

[Skink]

So cute! I'm glad you got more babies! Great luck on getting a white one from your first hatch, I've not gotten a solid white serama yet.

My next hatch is going to be something super special, a new project, not Seramas though sadly. But I should be hatching more Serama soon-ish.. just been waiting for my boys to grow up. I've got 2 very promising looking cockerels and a gorgeous frizzle boy I know I'll be breeding. It sucks! My gorgeous hen keeps giving me lots of eggs, my fridge is full of them, and not a one could hatch!

I have a broody I might get eggs for if I can isolate her, though. Addictions always find a way