Serama breeding

 Everything starts with a good breeding flock put together.
 Ask yourself these questions, the type good? The wings not too long?
 Do they have good combs? Tail and wing  well? Is there enough chest?
  Is the quality of the feathers good ?
  If desired,is the colors working well together? The hens lay eggs that
 are large enough?(Small eggs are often infertile)
 We breed Serama's to improve the breed characteristics.
 Provide healthy older animals. Replace very old animals,
 because the fertility declines over the years.
 A x A class give a small number of chicks because the eggs are often too small
 A x B hens rooster is easy to do. Nevertheless,
  C x C Class give you A-B and C offsprings

 The size of the older animals does not matter to much, but it determines
  the degree of fertilization
 The larger the egg, the easier they hatch and will be fertilized better.
 The Class A tiny egg often doesn't have an egg yolk  ,
  it will lead therefore to almost zero offspring.

 Find a couple on breed characteristics.
 A hen with  short legs  you give a cock with nice long legs
 A rooster with  too narrow chest, but otherwise all good, you give hens
  with a full chest, so that each compensates.
  Watch your animals  well.

  collecting eggs
 A hen lays the second year the best, the third year is also good,
  then the number of eggs increase each year
 The same goes for the males, they fertilize the second and third years the best.
 A rooster can fertilize 7 hens,less hens can improve fertilization.
 Often a cock has a favorite hen  she often gets a bald head.
 Give this hen a rest for a few days by taking her out of the pen,
  so the rooster can fertilize the other hens
  Just to avoid damage is a plus that a cock has multiple hens.

  Pick up the eggs daily and  write in pencil on the egg the pair and the date.
 Never store the eggs in the fridge! . That has a bad influence on the outcome.
 Collected eggs you have to store at an ambient temperature of
  12-16 degrees Celsius
 And a relatively high humidity level otherwise  the eggs wil dry in  too early.

  About turning the eggs of the Seramas during storage ‘opinions differ widely.
 Some turn the eggs every day while others don't turn the eggs  (it would   
  otherwise damage the cord hail)
 This is for you to try to turn  one-half and the other half you don't turn during
 storage.
 ( eggs of any other breeds you turrn twice daily )

  Eggs  older than 10 days  will hatch later or not at all.
 (Newly purchased eggs wich are transported  need a 24 hours rest before  
  placing them in the incubator.)

  What you need to get the eggs to hatch is a broody hen  or an incubator

  Breeding

  The most natural is a broody hen to hatch a brood,
 Check whether the hen is in good condition and that they do not have vermin.
 Provide a quiet environment, preferably put apart, so that other hens are
 not able to lay eggs in the same nest ore disturb the broody hen

   in the incubator.
 Check the machine and let it test run without eggs in it. When everything
 functions, you can put the eggs in it.
 After inserting do not turn the eggs the first 48 hours.

  Temperature during breeding

  Still air incubator about 38.5 degrees Celsius.
 Engine incubator about 37.8 degrees Celsius.

  The humidity content during breeding depends on the size of the eggs and the
 thickness of the shell.
 55% humidity for small eggs and large eggs about 50% humidity.
 The humidity can be controlled by changing the surface of the water container
 
  Around the 20th day  increase the humidity  to 70%
 Or increase the humidity as the first eggs are pecked.

  Ventilate the eggs every day

  candling eggs

 Between the 5th and 10th day you candle the eggs
 Unfertilized eggs immediately remove from the incubator.
 Some candle the eggs again around the 18th day
 All eggs not fully developed are removed.


 The hatching of eggs.
 don't open the incubator during the hatching to often
 The humidity then drops and the temperature keeps going down.
 This can be very detrimental to the hardworking chicks.

 
  Poor outcomes.

  1. Many infertile eggs.
   Causes ;
 - cock infertile
 -  parents to young or too old
 - Frozen comb
  - Sick parents
 - Down to rich ( Cut down cock under cloaca,
   hen above the cloaca)
 - Too fat cock
 - Damage of eggs by the frost.
 - Hatching eggs stored incorrectly or for too long
 - Poor nutrition parents

2. Dead germs(first 10 days)
   Causes
  - too cold / too hot /too dry stored eggs
  - Incubator temperature anomalies
  - Inadequate ventilation
 -  Inadequate turned
 -  Genetic predisposition
 -  Diseases parents

3. Dead germs (later)
    Causes
  -  as above (2)
 - Lack of vitamins and minarals
   parents.

4. Chicks not hatched after picking
   Causes
  - too low humidity
 - Too high or low temperature for a short time
 - Inadequate ventilation

5.  Sticky, wet chicks
  Causes
 - low incubation temperature
 - Too high humidity

6. Chicks with glued down
   Cause
  - to dry in outcome

7. Chicks born prematurely, possibly  with open bloody navels.
  Cause
  - excessive incubation temperature

8. Outcome takes too long
 Cause
  - both old and new eggs hatch
- Temperature differences in the machine
- Large and small eggs.

9. Deformed chicks
Causes
 - genetic predisposition
 - Breeding failures
 - Deficiencies (vitamins) in food
-   hatched on smooth incubator floor.

  Sorting after hatching

  - Weak chicks
 - Cross beaks
 - Leg abnormalities
 - Thick heels
 - Rowing legs
 - Umbilical abnormalities
  -open navel


  The chicks we put into a preheated brooder. The first 48 hours they don't need
 water or food, they live on the reserves of the yolk.
 The first week the temperature should be 32 degrees Celsius.
 Each week the temp a few degrees downward until no
 more warmth is needed.
 Of course we give a good chick rearing diet and daily clean(Boiled) water.
 Check the little bottums regulary. If poop is sticking, remove directly with water.
 Do it carefully the skin is very fragile
 Ensure good hygiene.