Serama Hatch-A-Long!!

[RockyRose]

@darkbluespace - the pair I am getting were being offered for sale on one of the Serama FB sites, a woman named Stephanie who had to sell her birds due to a financial crisis. The cockerel has won best of breed and they are both around 2 years old. To be honest I am not sure of the location they are shipping from and the seller and I agreed that we need to be sure the weather is warm enough for them to be shipped. I don't think she has anymore to sell at this point. SInce you are in Alabama you may be able to find some adults...Jerry is in Louisiana and has sold many birds since importing birds almost 15 years ago. The Serama Club of North America (SCNA) does auctions to benefit shows so that's a source for adult birds that would be relatively close to you. ("Local" is all relative...I have driven 2 hours one way for chicks in the past!) Prices can skyrocket on those auctions though (and you have to be on FB and a member of the SCNA to bid, only $20 a year). I don't get anything for promoting SCNA, by the way, it's just one source I know of - there is a breeder link on the SCNA website..worth a look.

@Skink I also welcome you to the egg-dropper club, just did that last week with some silkie eggs I received - dropped at least 6. Yep, I made an inhuman sound as well. It must have been a very bad week for USPS, my sizzle eggs arrived late this week - the box had a huge hole in it (like a forklift went into it). When I opened the box I thought it was a total loss, but only one had actually broken. I have no idea if the rest of those eggs will be viable....if one got broken they were all likely shaken badly. These were the 1st eggs I ever got that were not placed into egg cartons inside the box, just individually wrapped with bubble wrap then placed in a bubble bag with plastic air pockets for cushions. I was very surprised since this person is fairly well respected for her frizzles ... I would have thought she would package those eggs better! I let her know what happened but haven't heard a word back.

I think I am giving up on shipped eggs....will know for sure after 7 day candling and checking hatch rate. It's disappointing to pay good money for hatching eggs of any kind only to have them ruined by shipping. I do have a seller lined up for some buff silkies (rare color for my area) who I may meet at a poultry show south of Atlanta to pick up her eggs (about 3 hrs away). My bator is FULL so have to wait to set more eggs anyway...although enough will have hatched I will have room after the poultry show for another dozen.

I'm only on my 2nd incubation and doing a staggered hatch! Got my 2nd bator for a hatcher. Going to be very busy soon with staggered hatching, I hope!

Glad I am not the only one that checks inside cracked, broken or damaged eggs...the 2 Serama eggs that had detached air cells did not appear fertilized either when I opened them. Makes me wonder about the others....although the seller insists good fertility and has eggs developing in her 'bator now.

Will catch y'all up at next candling. No more shipments here, just "baking" and waiting to candle!

 

[PolePole]

UPDATE ON MY 4 LITTLE WEE ONES: As of tomorrow, my seramas will be 3 weeks old !!! Yeah !!! At what age does everyone think it would be okay for me to take them outside in a bird cage and let them soak up some of this nice springtime sun we're having here. Of course I'd be out there with them the entire time and wouldn't let them out of their cage. I just thought that some fresh air and sunshine might brighten their day and give them some naturally occurring vitamins. Any thoughts? Thanks. -kim- Here's some recent photos of my four babies. Notice the feather caps on both shoulders of the more golden of the yellow chicks...they stand straight up and I think they make him look like he's wearing that getup Tina Turner wore in that movie with Mel Gibson...Mad Max of Thunderdome...lol !!! I HERE'S JASPER AND PIPER. PIPER WAS THE LAST TO HATCH AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN MORE ON THE SMALLER END OF THE SPECTRUM, PERHAPS A 'CLASS A' EVEN. YOU CAN JUST SEE HER HEAD PEEKING OUT FROM UNDER JASPER'S WING. THAT HOW SHE SLEEPS ALL THE TIME. ANYONE WITH A SLIGHTLY UPTURNED WING AND SHE JUST HEAD BUTTS HERSELF THE REST OF THE WAY IN UNTIL SHE'S COMPLETELY COVERED BY THEM AND ALMOST INVISIBLE.

Your chicks are adorable!!!!!

 

[mightymax]

Hey everyone...
...is this normal ???

I just came from the 'nursery', where I had gone after hearing a very loud commotion. When I got there I was mortified by what I saw. Two of my precious babies appeared to
be fighting with each other. The biggest, oldest one and the youngest, smallest one were grabbing each other behind the head with their beaks and trashing around. When one
would get away, the other one would follow it, pecking at it and grabbing it by any feather it could grab. They did this for quite some time. Just those two, that I'm aware of. Back and forth they'd go...pecking, running and screaming loudly the whole entire time. At one point, it actually appeared as though they were trying to mount each other like in mating...
What's up ??? Should I be worried or is this just some sort of pecking order squabble? I've seen this behavior before with my silkie chicks, but these guys are just sooo little and LOUD that I just want to make sure I don't UNDER-react and one of them winds up wounded...or worse !!!

Thanks in advance for you help and opinions!

-kim-

 

[darkbluespace]

Hey everyone...
...is this normal ???

I just came from the 'nursery', where I had gone after hearing a very loud commotion. When I got there I was mortified by what I saw. Two of my precious babies appeared to
be fighting with each other. The biggest, oldest one and the youngest, smallest one were grabbing each other behind the head with their beaks and trashing around. When one
would get away, the other one would follow it, pecking at it and grabbing it by any feather it could grab. They did this for quite some time. Just those two, that I'm aware of. Back and forth they'd go...pecking, running and screaming loudly the whole entire time. At one point, it actually appeared as though they were trying to mount each other like in mating...
What's up ??? Should I be worried or is this just some sort of pecking order squabble? I've seen this behavior before with my silkie chicks, but these guys are just sooo little and LOUD that I just want to make sure I don't UNDER-react and one of them winds up wounded...or worse !!!

Thanks in advance for you help and opinions!

-kim-

I haven't had chicks that little fighting. I hope they are getting along better! My first group of Seramas had 3 roos and I had to eventually take the biggest one out because he was chasing the other two relentlessly, but they were several months old by then. I have heard of chicks squabbling before and it was suggested that the chicks might need more room or roosts, stuff to keep them from getting bored and taking it out on each other.

 

[Skink]

I've got a batch of 4 roos right now and golly, do they ever fight, but for the most part it is harmless sparring. Putting up their hackles, circling, a couple of kicks and dodges. Sometimes one of them gets too rough with the only hen and grabs her by the nape to try and drag her away from the other roosters (they were very good friends from day 1, but now he's too overprotective and right on to jealousy.) Still, even then, it has been a squawk here and there every few days. These same chickens that fight each other for giggles can also share food, dust bathe, and nap together happily. They aren't irritated by the others existing in the same space. If they are fighting that hard, I'd consider separating them.. that seems above and beyond pecking order squabbles. Whichever seems to be the big instigator, I would consider not breeding that individual. Heightened aggression is super against the Serama character.

Sadly I think my younger batch of 3 babies might be 2 roos and 1 pullet. 6 roosters out of 8 eggs?! What do I have to do to break this curse YIKES!!!

7 out of 11 of my Jerry eggs are developing! 1 "clear" looks like it might be a late starter. My Cochin has also gone broody, I'm considering getting some eggs to slip under her to sell the babies, or maybe some showgirl eggs... sell anything without a naked neck and raise the rest until I can pick a pullet for myself to keep. But Silkies take so long to sex! I wouldn't mind doing the same for some modern game eggs, maybe, but you can't find good ones of those for nothin'. Decisions decisions

 

[RockyRose]

@Skink - I am still learning about Seramas, but I am guessing that anytime 4 roos and 1 hen are together there will likely be problems. I have silkies (and frizzles from silkie x frizzle) as well and I know your frustration about waiting for maturity! My very 1st ones were chicks almost a year ago and are really just coming into their maturity, although they've been laying and active. Their feathering is still highly changeable! I have to get a grow out pen built as I have about 40 eggs in the bator with staggered hatching, silkies, frizzle pen eggs, and some of my own silkie/sizzle crosses. Going to be hard to pick and choose which chicks to sell..there is no way I can keep them all!

Everyone I know seems to have too many roos...including me (though not Serama yet).

All of my replacement Serama eggs from KY failed to develop. I don't think it's the shipper's fault, but the fragile nature of Serama eggs. Giving up on shipped Serama eggs,though you did get me thinking about Jerry's eggs...7 out of 11 is much better than 0 of 8. Were they shipped to you? Just curious, waiting on warmer weather for a breeding pair to ship to me...but still thinking about getting eggs sometime in the future since I don't know if the breeding pair will actually give me babies! I keep telling myself to be patient...wait and see...it's hard.

Update for those that have been following my hatching on this thread...although the Serama eggs were duds, I have 16 of my own flock's egg in lockdown due to hatch late Sunday! Silkies and F1 sizzles (hoping for a good mix of frizzled & smooth). Other eggs in my staggered hatching (all shipped silkie or frizzle pen eggs) have candled good except 2 were non-fertile. March 1st and 6th are the other 2 staggered hatch dates. One egg is from a NN pen so hoping for a showgirl, it would be my 1st!

 

[darkbluespace]

@Skink - I am still learning about Seramas, but I am guessing that anytime 4 roos and 1 hen are together there will likely be problems. I have silkies (and frizzles from silkie x frizzle) as well and I know your frustration about waiting for maturity! My very 1st ones were chicks almost a year ago and are really just coming into their maturity, although they've been laying and active. Their feathering is still highly changeable! I have to get a grow out pen built as I have about 40 eggs in the bator with staggered hatching, silkies, frizzle pen eggs, and some of my own silkie/sizzle crosses. Going to be hard to pick and choose which chicks to sell..there is no way I can keep them all!

Everyone I know seems to have too many roos...including me (though not Serama yet).

All of my replacement Serama eggs from KY failed to develop. I don't think it's the shipper's fault, but the fragile nature of Serama eggs. Giving up on shipped Serama eggs,though you did get me thinking about Jerry's eggs...7 out of 11 is much better than 0 of 8. Were they shipped to you? Just curious, waiting on warmer weather for a breeding pair to ship to me...but still thinking about getting eggs sometime in the future since I don't know if the breeding pair will actually give me babies! I keep telling myself to be patient...wait and see...it's hard.

Update for those that have been following my hatching on this thread...although the Serama eggs were duds, I have 16 of my own flock's egg in lockdown due to hatch late Sunday! Silkies and F1 sizzles (hoping for a good mix of frizzled & smooth). Other eggs in my staggered hatching (all shipped silkie or frizzle pen eggs) have candled good except 2 were non-fertile. March 1st and 6th are the other 2 staggered hatch dates. One egg is from a NN pen so hoping for a showgirl, it would be my 1st!

Good luck with all those eggs! I only have two silkies and maybe I was lucky, but the roo crowed when it was 4 days old so I just prayed the other was a hen.

It is generous of you not to blame the shipper for all those eggs not developing, but I have to tell you that is not normal and I really don't think it can be explained by the delicate nature of Serama eggs. I can only imagine it is seriously low fertility or packing in a way that is extra jarring to eggs. ALL the shipped eggs I have gotten... at least half or more, often more, did develop. Just my 2 cents. I can't blame anyone but myself for not hatching them.

I saw someone on the Facebook Serama page breeding for NN Seramas and they were THE crazy cutest chicks ever... so funny!

 

[darkbluespace]

I've got a batch of 4 roos right now and golly, do they ever fight, but for the most part it is harmless sparring. Putting up their hackles, circling, a couple of kicks and dodges. Sometimes one of them gets too rough with the only hen and grabs her by the nape to try and drag her away from the other roosters (they were very good friends from day 1, but now he's too overprotective and right on to jealousy.) Still, even then, it has been a squawk here and there every few days. These same chickens that fight each other for giggles can also share food, dust bathe, and nap together happily. They aren't irritated by the others existing in the same space. If they are fighting that hard, I'd consider separating them.. that seems above and beyond pecking order squabbles. Whichever seems to be the big instigator, I would consider not breeding that individual. Heightened aggression is super against the Serama character.

Sadly I think my younger batch of 3 babies might be 2 roos and 1 pullet. 6 roosters out of 8 eggs?! What do I have to do to break this curse YIKES!!!

7 out of 11 of my Jerry eggs are developing! 1 "clear" looks like it might be a late starter. My Cochin has also gone broody, I'm considering getting some eggs to slip under her to sell the babies, or maybe some showgirl eggs... sell anything without a naked neck and raise the rest until I can pick a pullet for myself to keep. But Silkies take so long to sex! I wouldn't mind doing the same for some modern game eggs, maybe, but you can't find good ones of those for nothin'. Decisions decisions

I am glad to hear the Jerry eggs are doing well! I will visualize some hens for you, because that just doesn't seem fair!! I have a lot of roosters too, but I have been blessed with many hens. The last batch last fall turned out to be 4 roos out of 5. They are free range right now with their daddy and 3 hens because I didn't get around to building them a bigger pen but now I am getting attached to them, they are all so funny and cute, running around all over the place.

 

[darkbluespace]

PS I have my very first duck egg pip from my first batch of my own duck eggs from birds I hatched... so excited!

 

[Skink]

Awesome news on the duck egg front! Excited for you to have some lil ducklings! They're super cute, I can't have ducks 'til we move again in who knows how many years. Maybe if the neighbors end up loving the chickens I can convince my fiance to let us get some. He likes ducks, he just hates everything that comes out of birds that isn't an egg.

Naked Neck Serama?! I was hoping to start that project when I had land!! Someone else is doing it?? I gotta get some eggs from them, even if they're still a project. I LOVE naked neck stuff!! Fingers crossed I get a rain of pullets soon, so I can maybe at least rehome these extra cockerels as half of a pair. Especially since any roosters from the jerry eggs would be directly competing with the ones I'm raising now. But 50/50 odds on sex doesn't seem to be something my hatches are down with!

RockyRose, yeah! They are too young to be a super big problem right now. They're about a month and a half old, so right now everyone gets along as well as they can. I think I know which male I'm going to keep, but I'm wanting to hold on to them as long as possible.. if having Ping (the pullet) in there becomes a problem, I'll separate her, but I'm hoping another pullet turns up and catches up to he size with a good temperament before then. Still possibly 2 pullets in my younger batch. Looking at them in the daylight, I only see red on Amethyst's comb. I didn't mention them to complain of trouble really, it was more they are troublemakers yet not nearly as violent as what was described, so perhaps a comparison to warrant worry for the meaner chicks' behavior.

Looking for some eggs for my LF cochin to hatch after all... either showgirl or bantam cochin. Can't seem to find any showgirl listings that are in my price range and not fishy as hell, so probably will be bantam cochins.