If I am following this right, the rooster, Natchez Serama is missing and presumed gone for good. You wanted offspring from him.
Is it possible the eggs from the hen are fertile at this point? This subject was passed around not long ago, but seems the eggs are fertile for several days if I recall.
I remember this because a lady that bought a beautiful silkie hen was hoping she had been with a rooster. She was going to get her first eggs and see if they were fertile. Something I would not have thought to do.
Not sure your silkies are comfortable enough yet to be broody, but is that a possibility?
Tiny Seramas
Thank you for your Concern LFJ, but no there will be no little Natchez' now! His only Mate is infertile because she is an A Serama. There is however one offspring from Natchez, little young Pullet and I am hoping to find her an appropriate mate this Spring! Her Companions as of now are a little heavier and long backed! But I maight get a Surprise and find she will throw beautiful babies......maybe even a little Natchez!
Oh Eufaula, I'm so sorry to hear that, how heartbreaking for you and Chickopee. Maybe now you can move her into your house?
Hay, I don't want mesh barrier LOL, we all want to hang out with ZZ, crazy and fun!
Now I'm sad... My lil black/gold Serama hen is gone.. That's the second hen this Fall.. DANG IT! So now I have 2 roos wandering around eyeballing the lavender Ameraucanas ... I'm down to 2 Serama hens, and one is tiny and doesn't produce much..
Oh well.. It is what it is.. :( Hopefully one of these house chicks will be a pullet.. or 3
Nooooooooooooo, ZZ! Girl we are just not having any kind of luck with our Seramas. this has been a bad Fall for most of us I think! Heres my ((((((Hug))))) ! Hopefully Spring will give us all some wonderful Surprises!
This message was edited Nov 23, 2010 8:52 AM
How sad! Seramas are so cute but apparently also fragile, especially the pullets. There must be a genetic deficit some where. Best of luck with the house chicks.
I hate hearing that kind of news ZZs. What happened to her? I kinda feel like a deserter, since I've gotten into the seramas I have just lost interest in the standards. It's their friendly ways that have me hooked. In my present flock I have at least seven or eight girls that are in the A class. Their eggs are dinky and infertile but they are so tiny and friendly I just love spending time with them. I sent for some new memory card so I can post some pic's on ZZs thread and they are supposed to be here today or tomorrow, so I'm hoping to get some pic's soon...Hay
I'll just enjoy your enthusiasm and pics for and of the little guys. I have to have eggs to show for the cost of feeding them. All these horses we still have are sucking me dry. Everything else has to pay for itself or at least contribute a bit. *sigh*
Well, I think it was a cat.. There are so many feral cats around here.. Seramas are so tiny, if a cat is sly enough, they are easy to catch.. It might have been a hawk, but I really don't know.. A cat is my guess.. There was a HUGE one out there the other night.
Catsy will come to the rescue probably.. She has some pullets stashed away.. :)
Oh ZZ I am so sorry. my cat only gets to go out at night for a few hours because she torture birds and butterflies. She can catch all the rats and moles she wants. I just wish she wouldn't bring them to me when she does.
No cats here for that very reason. There was one stray here a year ago and it got hit on the road.
Mine was a stray kitten I thought I could tame and find another home for but she is just to skittish with anyone else. My grandsons are in awe when they get a glimpse of her because it is so rare. Most people don't know I have a cat unless they see the litter box by the garage door. She is a fraidy cat lol. My other cat was 19 1/2 when we put her down 2 yrs ago yesterday. She never went outside until we moved here. Then she stayed on the front porch and ate my pansy. So every year I planted a flower box of pansy for her and DH planted her grave with them for me.
What a great DH you have Donna...Hay
he is pretty great Hay when he takes a notion to be lol. He is most of the time ;-)
We had some barn cats at the other place and they didn't mess with the chickens. We got the cats as kittens and they were smaller than the chickens so they never saw the chickens as food. I really liked those cats. One got snakebit, one got hit by a car and the other disappeared. Little Bill was my favorite but Smokey Tom was the prettiest.
See? Cats are no bother to full sized chickens.. it's just the tiny Seramas that are prey.. Well, I do know a cat ate my cochin chicks that were 1/2 grown.. but for the most part, the Seramas are at risk the most. I hate cats.. I can't help it.. I live in a place that is over run with feral cats that people feed around here, but they don't bother to sterilize any, so there are WAY too many cats here..
I am in agreement ZZ! I cant say that I hate cats , I just believe that they should be outside not inside and should be well fed by their owners as well and spayed and neutered! I was raised around barn kitties, that ate Rats and mice, and they never bothered the Chicks or Chickens , they knew the difference.
But Like you I have neighbors that just will not take care of their cats... thus I also have Feral cats. I lost 4 Maran, 3 Serama, and 3 buff O babies to them last year. This was after I had trapped 5 of the Suckers and took them to the pound!
JUst yesterday I saw a huge male Black Cat skulking around my house, coming from the direction of the barns. Needless to say I ran out back and counted heads!! All is well for now but I am also unloading the BBs in my little gun and loading Sharp Pellets!! Now Im wondering if it wasnt this giant Demon that took my Natchez Serama Roo!
Cats are very accomplished hunters and if they need a meal, they will find one. And some cats just like the thrill of the hunt and hunger plays no part in it. Guess it depends a lot on the breed and the individual cat. I'll just say no to cats and keep putting out the rat bait. You may have to put out cat bait.
I have two very large black male cats. They were feral when I got them. The largest of the two really scared my wife so I told her to leave it alone and I would train him. He didn't like her either...LOL. but I tamed him and his brother which is my wife's and they go into the coop and lay with the chickens, even the seramas, they catch the mice but never bother the chickens. I must say it took me a year of working with them to get them there however. Most cats will kill whatever moves just for the hunt, as Cajun said. If I see strange cats around I shoot (not to kill) and they generally never come back...Hay
There were a lot of feral cats around here. One by one we trapped them and got them spayed/neutered then turned them back out behind the barn. Over the years their numbers have dwindled but having a resident population of ferals seemed to prevent new ones moving in. They never bothered the chickens, but I have only large breeds.
When we were at the farm we got a very poor cat that had been thrown out at McD's where my DD worked. We brought her out to the farm. She was a nearly grown kitten. She started killing the free range chicks even though we were feeding her. But she was not killing for the thrill of the hunt. She was eating them. I think she had been hungry for so long she just thought she had to eat while the opportunity was there. We took her to a friend's barn that didn't have chickens.
I hope to get pictures of the 3 babiez in this thread.. The crippled one is completely healed and no one would know he ever had a problem! His legs were totally straight out to the sides and he was flat on his belly till I splinted him.. left it on for 2 weeks till he tore it off.. He is growing the fastest, and seems like he will be pretty big..
Then the white one in the top pic is a little pullet.. she is cute, and will be small, but not as small as the other roo.
There is one more.. and he is gonna be really small.. he is turning a bronze color with brown.. He will be really nice when he matures.. I'm guessing he is gonna be itty bitty.. :) I'll probably name him Rocky.. cause he can whip the big one.
My best rooster pal Billy Bob has been missing now for three day's. I named him after miss Jesters little man Billy Bob. I'm totally baffled. He never came out of the coop even with all the doors wide open. He only came out when I brought him out and he would not return unless I took him in. He was attached to me like no bird I have ever seen. As soon as I would enter the coop he would come to me and dance around and then stand on my feet. I always picked him up every time I went to the coop, generally three times a day. He showed no interest in the girls, just me. I could do just about anything with him and he would never get down unless I put him down and then he would resist getting down. I don't know if someone came and stole him, or what? I have never found a body or any other bird taken. He simply vanished into thin air. My wife and I have searched for three days for him or any signs of him. I'm sick, really sick. He was supposed to be entered in the fair next year along with pic's of little Billy. I still cannot believe he's gone. He was so adored by everyone who ever saw or watched him. He was more than just handsome, he was an unusual bird that could be handled by anybody and never a flinch by him. Those who knew him would always ask if they could go in and get him. Of course the answer was always yes. He had so many fan's from the fair as well as my customer base. I took him to the Senior Center and they just loved it as they could all take turns holding and petting him. Billy is gone but he is one bird that will never be forgotten. This is his pic.
Oh how tragic; I'm so sorry!
That is terrible. I am so sorry. I would rather have one die in my arms than simply disappear. There is no closure like that. He is such a pretty boy and being so tame he might well have been stolen. What an awful shame.
That troubles me too. Three days with no sign is not good news.
So, did he have the chance to leave the coop, but never did? Guess I'm trying to ask if it is possible he was outside free ranging when he disappeared, or was he always locked up inside?
Strange isn't it, how our animals become family members almost. To not know where he is, I'm sure is very disturbing, especially since he is your favorite one.
Reminds me of several stories told this year of stolen silkies. The people that sold me my pretty silkies, said they keep their chickens in a place where nobody knows. They never tell anyone where they are and never allow anyone in.
I sure hope he shows up soon. That pollice trained mind of yours is no doubt working overtime on this.
BillyBob was always free to come and go as he pleased, he and four gamehens along with two other Seramas were always together in the large coop and free to come and go. He was sixteen months old. He just never came out of the coop, he lived like an old hermit. All the others would be outside but he never came out. All his pic's are with me as he never integrated socially with any of the other birds. When I would bring him out he would never stray from where I put him down. He might move six feet in a three hour period. He was just not like any normal chicken. When he would see me or my wife he would just dance around like he was so excited. If I stood still he would stand on my feet. He would be on me all day if I let him. He just never showed any interest with any bird, (Serama or gamehen) He always wanted to be with people only and any stranger could pick him up. he never shyed away from a human. At first when I did not see him I thought he was probably off in a corner sleeping but the second time I went out I could not see him and I went and got my flashlight and could not find him. I searched the rafters thinking maybe he decided to roost which he never did. No luck, and I became alarmed and went to get my wife and asked her if she would help me find him. Three days later and many hours of searching,,,nothing. I always left the door closed cause it's very cold here, so I can't see how he could get out but he is gone. My poor wife is really upset also as she was very fond of him also. I'm gone a lot these days due to my work with the senior center and all my customers know they can come and go as they please, however I have no one that I suspect. I feel like terrible that something happend and I was maybe not there to care for him. I'm just baffled as to what could have happened. The not knowing is much worse than one dying on me. All I can do now is choose another to spend a lot of time with. Life does go on, but It has been both frustrating and painful...He was my BUD...Hay
This message was edited Dec 5, 2010 6:30 AM
You say he never roosted. Do you think it is possible that a stray dog got him?
We have never seen a stray dog here in fourteen years of living here, he was either stolen, or the only other possibility is that he did come out while the door was open and I was here and he wandered off and I did not see him, then I later closed the coop not knowing he was outside and then a predator got him. Those are the only two options I could come up with. The fact that I picked him up so often is what causes me confusion as to how he could have wandered off without me knowing...I just can't figure it out...Hay
I hope he miraculously shows up. It could happen.
Oh Noooooooooo!!!!! I am so sorry Hay
After reading about your rooster, I went to check on my show silkies. They were doing fine, and I put the pink hair tape around the hen's crest. Wish I had had my camera, you could have had a good laugh. Had to wrap her up in a blanket to get the tape on her, and even then she kept trying to duck her head down into the blanket. Still NO EGG from her and she must be around 10 months old now. I have read that sometimes the higher quality the chicken the longer it takes them to lay an egg. Hopefully that is the case with her, but I don't know. Seems like it's taking too long.
On the way home I prayed for you to find rooster Billy Bob, or at least find out what happened to the little guy.
Karen
This man online told me that he had this worthless uncle that came to their house once when he was a little boy, probably around 1940 or so. He had the back of his old truck just full of chickens he had just stolen. His mother refused to take any of them.
"Chicken thief" is a phrase that kind of brought a chuckle to me in times past, but it's really no laughing matter.
Before I met you guys I had no appreciation of chickens. I thought they were all the same, and didn't think much about them at all. Boy, that opinion is forever gone from me.
Many people on DG and around the world have some gorgeous chickens that matter so much to them. Some have spent a lifetime perfecting their lines. A few, like the lady with the Jersey Giants have had them passed down from a previous generation. It's no laughing matter when they come up missing or stolen.
My big stocks are just mutts but they are important to me as I know everybody else's chickens are to them. I have learned a whole lot about chickens here and I appreciate everyone here who is willing to share knowledge. It has made my life a lot fuller.
Oh Haystack, that is just heartbreaking! I have lost some that exact same way in the last couple months.. it's hard.. I still look for my lil hens. I worry about Clark every night.. and day.. he is so tiny..
Oh man.. I feel awful for you Hay.. This is so hard.. To not know can drive a person insane. I am so sorry.
I would quickly give some chickens to anyone that was in need, and in my opinion a thief is a thief. Anything that is not mine, I keep my hands off of. I don't really believe anyone stole my bird, I think made some kind of mistake and he paid for it. I just can't believe anyone took him. It makes me sick to think I did something that brought about his demise, but thats what I really believe...I'm so glad I have lots of pic's of him and I together...Hay
This message was edited Dec 5, 2010 5:41 PM
This message was edited Dec 5, 2010 5:47 PM
Oh Hay so sorry! I know you have probably looked everywhere could he have fallen behind something or down into something?I know you have thought of everything just some thoughts from me
Hay, ....I still hurt about the Mysterious dissappearance of my little "Natchez". He Like your Little Billy Bob seemed to care for people more than other chickens. the only difference is that he had his very own little hen whom he protected from all others! Natchez and Chickopea always segregated themselves from the other Seramas and preferred to be in the henhouse with the juvenile and teenage standard Marans and RIRs.
When the Young Maran Rooster started to crow I noticed that Natchez was not wanting to go back inside the Juve house at night and he and Chicky would go into the feed lean to instead and roost on an old hollow core door that was on its side there for storage. I would pick them both up and take them back into the "Ju-ve" House every night and have to place them on the roost and lock the hen house door. Well the night he just dissappered , was the one night I decided to just leave them where they seemed to be happiest. .....Bad move .... Natchez was gone the next day. I still blame myself, but cannot understand why Natchez and not both! for a couple of days Chicky would not eat but began to do better after I started paying close attention to her.
Now Chickopea comes inside with me every night! She is soooo small and doesnt get along with any other chickens . So she is now my official House Chicken with her very own Guinea Pig cage and roost! She seems quite content and will actually follow me inside to her "House" every evening. She stays locked up on my front porch with my little Chihuahua during the day , they never leave the others side.
I hate that you lost Billy Bob.... It hurts me like it happened to my own all over again..so here are all my ((((((hugs)))))))) for you and Mrs Hay . It will get better and there will be other losses but the memories of a special family pet will never go away! E
Eufaula, thanks and I love the story about Nachez. Your so right, we do what we do because they are so special and their little idiocincricies, are so special. We want the very best for them and at times that causes us to make fatal errors. These stories are also a great part of what bonds us together and helps us to understand one anothers joy's and sorrow's. I'm so glad my friends understand and I hope i'll always understand also. I'm really glad as I know you are for the pic's that will always be there for us to remember them...Have a great day my friend...Hay
Oh Mr. Haystack I am so sorry to hear about Billy Bob.. I just dont know what to say...