Several questions, chicks should be hatching in a couple days

[dreamwallaby]

So my serama chicks should be hatching in just a couple days, fingers crossed. I have 7 in an incubator and 2 serama hens sitting on 13 eggs(of which only a couple seem fertile) I plan to place the incubator chicks under the seramas when they hatch and they are due to hatch the same days as the ones under the hens so it should work out well.

Questions :
1. How long before the chicks can navigate a ramp? I've never had chicks this young so I have no idea how coordinated they are. They will have food and water in the coop but if the venture out of the coop the could potentially roll down the ramp or be unable to walk back up? There are 3 hens in the coop so the one not sitting on the eggs still comes in and out regularly and they may follow her.

2. Do they need vaccines or medicated starter if they are going to be outside right away on the ground, in the dirt etc...


any other advice is welcome as this is my first go
Thanks so much

 

[nchls school]

So my serama chicks should be hatching in just a couple days, fingers crossed. I have 7 in an incubator and 2 serama hens sitting on 13 eggs(of which only a couple seem fertile) I plan to place the incubator chicks under the seramas when they hatch and they are due to hatch the same days as the ones under the hens so it should work out well.

Questions :
1. How long before the chicks can navigate a ramp? I've never had chicks this young so I have no idea how coordinated they are. They will have food and water in the coop but if the venture out of the coop the could potentially roll down the ramp or be unable to walk back up? There are 3 hens in the coop so the one not sitting on the eggs still comes in and out regularly and they may follow her.

2. Do they need vaccines or medicated starter if they are going to be outside right away on the ground, in the dirt etc...


any other advice is welcome as this is my first go 
Thanks so much

Serama chicks are very small. I would not trust them to be able to navigate a ramp for a couple of weeks. I'd put up a barrier in front of the coop door high enough to keep the chicks inside, but low enough to allow other birds to enter and leave. As a new serama owner I am paranoid about chicks and ramps; if not for a second silkie hen willing to brood the chicks, I would have lost many to a "LOW" ramp. I suggest you play it safe.

I am unsure of medicated feed, but I did not use it because of the chicks being so small; every chick lived.

Good luck.

 

[Emma Miriam]

I agree about the ramp.

I brooded indoors and went with medicated feed just to be safe, but I've since learned that as long as you don't let tons of droppings accumulate, you really don't need medicated feed. Another consideration is that you don't want your broody hens and her flockmate eating medicated feed, as they don't need the amprolium. So I would just buy an 18% chick starter/grower, and have that out for all your birds. Make sure to put out a separate dish of oyster shell or crushed-up eggshells so that your layers can make up for the lack of calcium in the chick starter. The chicks won't eat that, as they don't need the extra calcium. Chickens are smart like that!

Also, since Seramas are tiny, I would put marbles in any waterers you have in the coop for the first few weeks. If you don't, they could drown in the deep dishes.

When the chicks in the incubator hatch, let them dry off for a few hours, then put them under the broodies. Watch very closely and make sure the broodies don't reject them. Also make sure the broodies don't fight with one another and that your non-broody hen doesn't threaten the chicks. Some people recommend putting broodies and their chicks in separate areas from the rest of the flock, but with such a small flock as yours they'll probably be fine all together. The broodies may even "share" the chicks and help each other raise them! Just keep an eye out.

Hope that helps!