The tiny serama; a Hatching adventure

[WoDia]

Hopefully you can figure something out for the egg carton! If not, I'm sure they'll do fine without it as well.

Deep breaths You've got this!


And no worries about the double post! I had one save in another thread that I had already posted and I nearly did the same thing. Glitches!




Interesting to see the differences specific to Seramas from someone who actually raises them! I've never had the breed, just read about them, so I can only advise on incubation in general, of course.

I also had to comment because I clicked your link and was surprised to see the name of the person I got my very first group of silkied Cochins from on that page!

Wow! I can imagine your surprise! I really like the suggestions you’ve given about incubation. Any incubation tips are valuable to ALL of us, and appreciated. My Serama journey has been a wonderful one, and I can only give insight based on my very own experience. I know others incubate Seramas different than I do. I think that Fluffy is going to have an amazing hatch with our support!

 

[Sally PB]

And since I know nothing about incubating and hatching (having never done it), I will send lots of positive waves!

 

[fluffycrow]

Check out this website for the SCNA:
https://scnaonline.org/incubation-advice-from-our-breeders/

(I referred to this site when I first began my Serama journey and found it very helpful with easing my concerns)

I can ONLY give you ideas from the way I do things, Fluffy.

If 1 of my Serama girls is broody (I usually have 3-4 go broody around the same time, like right now), I let them incubate. But when I use the incubator, I lay the eggs on their sides with the small end slightly pointing down. I simulate what’s most natural to a hen doing it. I only hatch small clutches at any given time though (up to 6). I don’t candle very much at all (at 7 days, at 14 days, then once right before lockdown). I do also hand turn them. Your setup is going to be different, so I’m not sure any of my methods will apply. Concerning your question #2 above: when they go into lockdown, lay them on their sides. One more thing… be prepared to assist a hatchling, if you possibly get one that cannot hatch on its own. Seramas can be difficult to hatch. I have some that I did have to assist (and I do not take this lightly at all), or I would have lost them. The only way I knew that they were in trouble was that they were trying to hatch early. When the peeping became weaker, I made the choice to assist rather than let them pass. I’m so happy I helped them out, because they’re all doing wonderful… and my tiny Clovie is currently a mama herself to 1 chick. My early girl weighs 7.9 ounces. In my experience though, most of my Seramas hatch around days 20-21.

Wow, thanks for that wealth of info, as well as that link, WoDia! There are quite a few differences in the ways you and the other serama peeps seem to go about hatching serama eggs. As you already know, the Tsouloufates have priority over any broody, simply because they free range, and after seeing what a difference it makes in a bird's maturity and physical health, I really need birds like that in my free range flock. My incubator has automatic egg turners (I also bought quail egg turners for the serama, knowing their eggs would be super small), but I can test one of the (still) infertile serama eggs to see how vertical I can get them to be. Another thing I read, it says that it might be better to not turn the eggs for the first 10 days? It says that this mostly applies to shipped eggs, but they also mention that it might be beneficial for all eggs. One more question, because I might've missed it, what's the ideal humidity range? I know I might have to assist an egg, I hope it doesn't happen, but if it does, I'm glad to have yall giving such helpful advice. I've already read a fair bit on assist hatching for this reason. Does the small number of eggs per hatch make it easier to control humidity and temperature?

 

[fluffycrow]

Its easier for a bantam broody to keep 4-5 eggs warm than 6-7 or more.

Maybe that's why WoDia does small hatches? It's more natural for a bantam to have a clutch of six rather than say a clutch of 24

 

[fluffycrow]

Im not much afraid for explosions but I am curious

As for explosions, I don't have any experience. But I've thrown out many stink bombs

 

[fluffycrow]

Store eggs pointy side down. When in lockdown, the turner is taken out so they should be on their side at the bottom of the incubator. I doubt candling them every day is going to mess with the hatch rate－a broody hen gets off her eggs and has to go eat, drink, poop, and whatever else she does. During that time, the eggs are left without heat.

I'm not really worried about the eggs not receiving constant heat, as much as I am concerned that the bright light shunned right into the embryo causing damage. Broodies select quite dim lighted spaces to brood, so I don't know how resistant the embryo is to bright light

 

[fluffycrow]

Hopefully you can figure something out for the egg carton! If not, I'm sure they'll do fine without it as well.

Deep breaths You've got this!


And no worries about the double post! I had one save in another thread that I had already posted and I nearly did the same thing. Glitches!




Interesting to see the differences specific to Seramas from someone who actually raises them! I've never had the breed, just read about them, so I can only advise on incubation in general, of course.

I also had to comment because I clicked your link and was surprised to see the name of the person I got my very first group of silkied Cochins from on that page!

Thank you pipd. I just reaaaally don't want this to go wrong. But this probably holds true for every person hatching, so I'll stop whinging

it truly is interesting to see how different breed care is! How cool to see the person you got your first silkied cochins from raising serama as well! Is it a sign? I this so

 

[Debbie292d]

Pointy side up is even better according to the chicken crack where this comes from:
Post in thread 'Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.'
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...rescued-chickens-thread.1502267/post-27551638

That makes no sense as they are scrambled and you want the air cell to go back where it's supposed to. Maybe there's some science to pointy side up I'm not aware of though.

 

[fluffycrow]

Wow! I can imagine your surprise! I really like the suggestions you’ve given about incubation. Any incubation tips are valuable to ALL of us, and appreciated. My Serama journey has been a wonderful one, and I can only give insight based on my very own experience. I know others incubate Seramas different than I do. I think that Fluffy is going to have an amazing hatch with our support!

Yes! Thank you all SOOO much for sharing your way of doing things, and suggestions of what I should do, you don't know how much it helps! It truly makes me so much more confident about hatching! THANK YOU

 

[fluffycrow]

And since I know nothing about incubating and hatching (having never done it), I will send lots of positive waves!

Thank you so much Sally! Hopefully this thread will be just as educational for you as it is for me, and helps you if you ever decide to hatch your own peeps, or let a broody do so