What to do with single serama?

[chuckachucka]

I have an eighteen week old serama pullet who was the only one to hatch from a batch of ebay eggs. She was hatched and raised by a broody hen outside in a sectioned off part of the run. However when the hen stopped mothering her at around 8 weeks, she sort of latched onto me instead.

To be honest I think I underestimated just how small seramas would be and I hadn't planned on having just one. My plan was to keep the serama chicks in the separate coop and section of run until they were fully grown and then introduce them to the rest of the flock. I have a bantam silkie, two Pekin bantams, a bantam polish and a barbu d'anver. I also have a big, mean asil but she has her own coop and run.

Because there was only one serama I couldn't leave her outside in her own mini coop within the run and she definitely wasn't big enough to live with the bantams. So I got her a cage and she has been living indoors ever since.

My issue is now what to do with her. She's incredibly friendly and follows me around and I am home a lot so she doesn't get lonely. When I do go out I put her entire cage out into the run with the other chickens so she can see them but is safe. But I'm wondering if this is best for her in the long run. Would it be better if I tried to move her out with the other chickens full time now that she is almost full grown? She gets on well with my cockerel but the other girls chase her. She's really good at flying out of their way though and there is plenty of space in the run.

Alternatively, I could try to find another serama and get a bigger indoor cage for both of them. Or I could just keep her indoors indefinitely. Is it ok for her to live predominantly with me and only have minimum contact with other chickens? I'm thinking about when she starts laying and if she will naturally want to be with her own kind.

Any thoughts would be welcome.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I have an eighteen week old serama pullet who was the only one to hatch from a batch of ebay eggs. She was hatched and raised by a broody hen outside in a sectioned off part of the run. However when the hen stopped mothering her at around 8 weeks, she sort of latched onto me instead.

To be honest I think I underestimated just how small seramas would be and I hadn't planned on having just one. My plan was to keep the serama chicks in the separate coop and section of run until they were fully grown and then introduce them to the rest of the flock. I have a bantam silkie, two Pekin bantams, a bantam polish and a barbu d'anver. I also have a big, mean asil but she has her own coop and run.

Because there was only one serama I couldn't leave her outside in her own mini coop within the run and she definitely wasn't big enough to live with the bantams. So I got her a cage and she has been living indoors ever since.

My issue is now what to do with her. She's incredibly friendly and follows me around and I am home a lot so she doesn't get lonely. When I do go out I put her entire cage out into the run with the other chickens so she can see them but is safe. But I'm wondering if this is best for her in the long run. Would it be better if I tried to move her out with the other chickens full time now that she is almost full grown? She gets on well with my cockerel but the other girls chase her. She's really good at flying out of their way though and there is plenty of space in the run.

Alternatively, I could try to find another serama and get a bigger indoor cage for both of them. Or I could just keep her indoors indefinitely. Is it ok for her to live predominantly with me and only have minimum contact with other chickens? I'm thinking about when she starts laying and if she will naturally want to be with her own kind.

Any thoughts would be welcome.

I would wait until next year and hopefully she will go broody so she can hatch herself some companionship. Than she can transition out to her own coop with her kids.

 

[KentuckyRooster]

Best to keep her inside at least for now. They're so small that bigger chickens can be dangerous, and get a friend for her later on. You might be able to find another tiny breed friend more easily where you live, too- Japanese or sebright are close in size as well and would be options, and mille fleur.

 

[chuckachucka]

I would wait until next year and hopefully she will go broody so she can hatch herself some companionship. Than she can transition out to her own coop with her kids.

I like this idea...more seramas! Although it's strange to imagine my tiny girl being broody.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Try getting her a sebright or serama friend.

 

[theoldchick]

I nominate her as the cutest House Chicken ever! Keep her in the house until you get her a few flockmates or keep her as house chicken.

 

[chuckachucka]

I'm thinking more seramas is the way forward...isn't more chickens always the solution? I will have to wait until spring though.

 

[chuckachucka]

I nominate her as the cutest House Chicken ever! Keep her in the house until you get her a few flockmates or keep her as house chicken.

If you thinks she's cute now, you should have seen her when she was a baby. The most adorable chick I've ever had! This is Custard at two weeks old:

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Cuteness overload!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I like this idea...more seramas! Although it's strange to imagine my tiny girl being broody.

She's adorable. Should be interesting to see how she does. I'm sure being broody is in her future, I can envision her walking around with a bunch of tiny kids.