Sounds like fun. I'll have to check it out...
Thanks for the thought!
Eggs due to hatch in incu...Electricity went out!
Well...Im back with some more sad news. Sweet Tater , Chickopeas daughter , has been sitting on at least 11 eggs, all Serama. The first hatched yesterday and was chirping up a storm when I got home, I decided to let it be and not disturb them. This morning it was dead. Chick #2 came today , but it died within an hour.
Now I know my birds are all pretty small, Chikopea being the smallest at 12 oz., her "Tater" rings in at 12 and 1/2 oz. the largest hen is just under 14 oz. The roos are all between 14 and 15 oz. So Im gonna say that the problem is definitely the "lethal gene". Both babies that died were white , as 3 of the possible Mama's are,the pops are multiclored, ( humor me here) so Im gonna assume that the babies were white like Mama and were probably roos . So Im not going to be sad about them dying.
So now we wait for the other 8or9 to get here ..............I will not get my hopes up to high.
But this will kill my urge to try and raise anymore Seramas. I just do not have any luck with them.
Now "Lacey" my BLR Wyandotte, is still setting. She hasnt moved at all for 2 days so Im thinking there should be some results soon on her crazy assortment of mixed up babies. The only pure bloods will be Wyandottes, the rest ....welll lets just say,,,I have Wyandotte,Silkie, and Serama roos and a Guinea. The Hens shared her nest ,so I have no idea what we'll get, exceopt for the "Easter Bunny" delivery of 3 guinea eggs!
Eufaula, have you checked for mites/lice recently? I know it's a long shot... a broody will attract them out of thin air it seems.. the babiez get infested really fast and it weakens them...
Other than that, I know a small bird is hard to get good babiez.. I have the same problem. Few eggs develop, and fewer hatch... I'm not leaving them to brood anymore, cause they need an expert mom.. or a bator.. which I'm totally against, but the tiny ones need more than a casual brooder like my Seramas.
See... Heres "Summer" Welsummer, laying her egg right on top of Lacey!
Yep, I had that problem when Chicopea was setting but I got a really good lice and mite powder and treated her and the broody Box. Then disinfected the box and dusted it before putting "Tater's" little box in it. ...so no buggies!
...and of course lets not forget , "Chirpeak" my Guinea mommy! Hiding in the Briarpatch! She has around 14 eggs under her! I dont think All will hatch but we will see!
Well, if you are sure Taters doesn't have mites.. I don't think there is much you can do.. The chicks don't need water or food for 24 hours, and if they fail before then, you can't really do anything about it. :(
Sugar water would perk them up temporarily, but it's mostly only used to give em some energy to get them to eat..
I'd have boiled egg yolk, electrolyte water paste ready for them if it were me.
Maybe someone else might have a suggestion.
I have been getting ready for them, boiled eggs and sugar water on my list, but they never even get dry before they die. They fought so hard getting out of the shells, that I just knew they were going to be strong babies. they never even get a chance to walk before dying .
Then it's out of your hands I think.. :( Unless you bring them in and force feed, but I don't think that's going to make a difference, they are not starving.. or dying from lack of nutrition.. :( So sad.. :(
I don't know what I'm talking about , but when they have piped good , would it hurt to help them out of the shell a bit or is that a no , no ?
Digger I have helped them outof the shell before and had good and bad results. Each time is different. This time the chicks came out on their own but just didnt live any longer than a couple of hours. So nutrition or dehydration is out, it has to be the lethal gene that some Seramas are born with.
Poor Chickopeas babies had to contend with cold weather and storms that disturbed Mom. Her first batch were put under her straight from the incu when the Electricity went out, they didnt have a chance.
Eufaula, do they get to free range daily?
ZZ.....You know you may have hit the nail on the head! My Serama Flock ,Except for Chicopea, were in breeding pens for the winter. they didnt get to free range and have not had access to fresh greens or bugs! I only fed them layer and boiled eggs . I have been talking to some one about caged birds and they said I ought to give them Alfalfa pellets that have been soaked in water along with the layer and add the boiled eggs to it.
May be this is the problem I really havent a clue!
Would free range adult make stronger babies in the egg ? Again , I know nothing of the subject , but , like a kid , don't know if I don't ask .
Digger that is a ligitimate question, as all are. I worried that maybe the eggs wouldnt be fertile, but that was not a problem it seems. I just dont know why these little guys have been so weak.
I just can't get it through my thick head why they would live long enough to get out of the shell , then die so soon . THAT doesn't make sense to me .
Maybe someone from chicken research at Ga . Ag . knows . You know me , Lynn , I can't stand to have something die on me . Like you , so soft hearted .
Lynn , I was just looking at something . The chicks that hatch and die , are they from the same hen ? Is it just the Seramas ?
These were Seramas , digger. The eggs were from 6 different moms and two pops. Tater is just the only broody at this time.
I am convinced not free ranging has something to do with it! I have no proof other than shipped Serama eggs... I was never able to hatch more than one or two until I got some free ranged eggs! Then I got great results.. the best ever.
My seramas haven't been out much either.. and I'm having the same hatching results you are.. :(
So yeah, it's not like it's a "stronger egg" but the lil things are so delicate as it is, I would bet big money on it though..
I have to stress that I have no scientific proof.. nothing to go by other than my experience. If you read about hatching, you will see that feeding is a huge factor in breeding/hatching... Although you may be feeding them the best feed money can buy.. it's not what they can get from good ole Mother Earth.
Well I believe it! between not getting enough fresh air and good green grass and live natural protein (bugs) that would be equivalent to a human mother to be sitting in the house and not going out in the fresh air to excersize and not eating right.... the baby just will not thrive!
Now that Ive thought about this.... no more egg setting until the parents have been properly conditioned!!
Well I finally have some good news! "Sweet Tater" finally hatched one little baby! It hatched out day before yesterday , but I was afraid to take any photos for fear it wouldnt make it like the rest. Its doing okay though! The only problem with this little Serama is that its left eye is glued shut. I wont handle it too much yet, still waiting for it to actually start eating and drinking regularly. It drinks very well but still would rather just fall to sleep wherever it stands. Mama Tater is taking really good care of it.
This message was edited May 7, 2011 12:10 PM
It has really good lungs! You can hear it way before youever get into the barn! So it looks as if I will have another white Hen or maybe a white roo which I dont have right now!
That is just precious , how many total total do you have now ? In the whole flock ?
Awww! Such a cutie!
Could that be Penguin's brother or sister? Sure has the face! Congrats!! Hope he is okay.
So Far So Good!!!! It has learned to watch its Mama and is eating and drinking really good, it even will go to the waterer( with flat marbles in it) and drink whenever its thirsty.
Digger I believe the count is;
3 (Silkie trio)
3 dark brahmas
2 Buff o
2 (pair BLRWyandottes)
1 wyandotteXOrp
3 Plymouth BR's
2 Penciled Wyandottes (I think)
1 Lavender Splash Cochin bantam
5 Serama Roos
7 Serama Hens
1 Serama Baby
That makes thirty
Thanks ZZ and porkpal.
Wonderful Oofie . Your family is sure growing . Love it .
Big Sissy
Oofie? How cute is that!!?
Yeah , I know . We are best friends and I couldn't spell Eufaula for the longest . It became Oofie and it stuck with me . I forget to call her Lynn or Eufaula sometimes and it comes out Oofie . Sorta a pet or nickname . LOL
Love it!! :)
It fits her .
OH HOOOoo! ZZ she forgot to tell you that she just dropped off the G in front!!! LOL!!
oofie. Well , I just spell checked it and it can't spell it either .
It went right over your head! I meant to say that your oofie really was supposed to be "Goofie" ...silly rabbit!
No it didn't . I wanted to see if it needed a G and it didn't , they couldn't spell it either . HAH , you ain't so smart . Gotcha !
Hey ZZ, just getting this little baby to hold still for a good "wing" shot is almost impossible.
So what do you think... do we have a "Sweet Pea" or a "Sugar Pop"
Here it is exploring its new brooder pen with mama.
They are beautiful, esp the coloring on the hen. Congratulations.
That is a sweet pea wing for sure! Doesn't work well with Seramas though.. Without another one the same age, there is no way to guess...
I have a loner baby that I am just now realizing it is a she.. She is broody with her mom and her Aunt Gina! Crazy cause she is only a month old.. LOL My coops have been vandalized so much, a lot of mine are going broody. :(