Serama hatching eggs in incubator next week.

[mommaduck2014]

I will be putting some Serama hatching eggs in my incubator on Monday or Tuesday of next week. Is there anything different or special I need to do for them than I would not do for regular chicken and or bantam eggs? Also I know they are tricky to raise does anyone have any advice??

 

[darkbluespace]

We have a Serama hatch-a-long thread that you are welcome to join in the Hatch a Long section. There are a few of us incubating right now. Once they are in the brooder I give them vitamins in their water and acidophilus on their food and that helps keep pasty butt at bay. Are they shipped or local eggs?

 

[mommaduck2014]

They will be shipped eggs.

 

[darkbluespace]

Are you going to incubate them in a carton?

 

[mommaduck2014]

I was wondering if that was the best way to incubate them. What about turning them, air circulation, lockdown, and how long does it take them to hatch?

 

[driftingchick10]

Research as much as possible before incubating. I am in the process of research myself before I incubate next week so I will share my findings thus far. Seramas are incredibly hard to hatch, even more so with shipped eggs. Humidity seems to be the key factor in a successful hatch. It takes 21 days (+ or - a day or two for early hatchers or late bloomers) for chicks (of any breed) to hatch. That's 21 days from incubation, not from when they were laid. Turn your incubator on a day or two before incubating so you can adjust the temp which should be 99.5-100.5. Humidity should be 45-50% until day 18 then increased to 65% for the final 3 days (or until they have all hatched). An auto egg turner is a really great thing. Keeps you from having to do it 3 times a day. I've also read that Forced Air circulation is preferable to still air because heat is regulated more evenly with moving air. In a still air, the temp may be slightly different at the lower portion of the egg than at the top. Read this from the Serama Council of America.

http://www.scnaonline.org/images/_BrochuresAndForms/incubation_hatching_brochure.pdf

 

[darkbluespace]

I was wondering if that was the best way to incubate them. What about turning them, air circulation, lockdown, and how long does it take them to hatch?

Definitely keep shipped eggs upright in a carton and then start tilting after several days. It is actually more important that they have a chance to develop than that they are turned... so if one is barely starting to develop on day 4, I leave it for 3 to 5 more days without tilting. If my temp is at 100 to 100.5 average, they will hatch on day 19... or hopefully pip at least. I have hatched a lot of Seramas but I have not figured out the magic formula for humidity, except for putting them under a broody hen and I have noticed they seem to hatch well in Brinsea incubators, but I don't have one of those yet. Humidity depends a lot on the size of the eggs and the shell, how dense or how porous, so I am trying to adjust humidity by the batch. I have tiny Seramas that just started laying and their shells are super thick. I usually aim for 35% but I incubated a couple at around 35% humidity and it wasn't low enough, so my current batch is around 25%, but that would be a bit low for some eggs. Around 40 to 45 seems to work for many people... but I think everyone I know in the Pacific NW has to dry incubate them. Not trying to overload with info, I just think watching your air cell development is the best clue to the humidity your particular eggs need in your climate and conditions. I usually lock down on day 17.