What do you do for Sermas in winter??

[SportTees]

Do you have to do anything special for Sermas in the winter? I have one that refuses to sleep in the pen with the others at night. The past two mornings it has been out by its self. It comes right to me but it is so cold. The only thing I can think of is to put it in a pen by its self at night with a nesting area to sleep. Would it need anything else if I tried this?

 

[Akane]

Down south probably nothing except make sure they have shelter and aren't sitting out in a cold windy rain. Seramas should be fine down to at least 20F. I'm hoping some of the people up north here are correct and they do ok closer to 0F. We are already down to 50s during the day and probably 40s at night this week.

I'd be more concerned about why it isn't joining the others. Chickens hate to be alone. If it's not sleeping with the others something is wrong or possibly wrong with it. Most likely it's either sick or being bullied but there could be some other reason it isn't making it in with the others at night. Penning a chicken up alone may lead to a very depressed chicken and can even result in death on rare occasions from the chicken not eating or drinking without company. They really are social animals. If nothing physically can be found wrong with it and whatever is causing it to stay away from the others can't be solved I'd find another chicken it's likely to get along with (probably another that's really low in the pecking order) and pen them up together for awhile. Even if you eventually put them back with the others they should still hang out together. It might help the other one join the flock but if not and it's still necessary they could both be put in another pen at night. Then noone would be alone.

 

[elmo]

I've read different things about Seramas...cold hardy down to 50 degrees, cold hardy down to 40 degrees. Who knows for sure?

Seramas vary so much in size; I'm sure the bigger ones can manage colder temps better, while the smallest ones would fare worse.

I have Serama hybrids (one crossed with a D'Uccle, the others crossed with OE Game bantams). My biggest bird is around 650 grams, while the smallest one is only 350 grams. I'm building them a winter coop right next to our house and plan to put in a heat panel for supplemental heat. It was either that, or plan on bringing them indoors on our coldest nights. I live in North Texas, and it can occasionally get down to freezing here in the winter.

 

[SportTees]

Quote:
This particular bird never has liked other chickens. It was hatched and kept in my house in a bird cage its first couple months. It loves people and dogs. I couldn't get it to go in with the others so I got 1 bird and kept the 2 together for most of summer to try and get her use to birds. Then I put them in with the others a couple of weeks ago and now she won't even go near the bird I kept her with. I guess I just have a loner bird?

I had a cochin that acted like this earlier in the summer but after a couple weeks of having one bird with it. It did fine going in with the rest.

I'm really worried about her getting to cold by herself

 

[Akane]

Part of the temp problem is getting through paranoia. Look at how many people in warmer climates put out heat lamps for their standard, hardy chickens when it just gets below 40 or 30F. Someone may say their chickens need warmth at x temperature but do they really know what a cold chicken looks like or are they guessing? I did a lot of talking to people who raise seramas farther north. All sizes according to them handle 20s F if they are adjusted to it and are in a solid structure that blocks wind and drafts. A few said they'd be fine to 0F and a few argued that. I can keep my enclosed porch 20F. I can't keep a coop that. I'll be happy with 0 to 10F in my new bantam coop. It just takes too much to get any higher when you are starting with -20 or colder outside the structure.

Can you build a seperate pen for that chicken and another she does get along with. It sounds like there is someone in there she doesn't get along with at all and even with a buddy won't go near the group. I think she'd be much happier away from the group all the time but with a friend or 2 and then you wouldn't have to worry.