I set the serama eggs on April the 9th. So, for just over two weeks the experiment has been underway. We've lost 7 of the original eggs along the way, and taken the incubator out of the equation. Now it is all down to a small black silkied hen. So far, so good. Except something rather strange seems to be happening.
Earlier, I made one of my daily checks on Vera. I opened the nest box door and peeked in at her. She sat there like a small headed cow pat with the glassy eyed stare of the hormonal hen. So everything as expected. However, just as I was about to close the door I heard a tap. Curious. A few seconds later I heard it again. Vera clicked her beak, but otherwise remained still. Ooh. Deciding I must be going mad, I called the ever tolerant husband outside to listen with me. Naturally, all was silent. Just as he was about to pat me on the head pityingly, the tapping started again.
The tapping was definitely coming from under Vera. Betsy, in the hutch below, kept looking up at the nest above her, clearly hearing whatever it was that was tapping. The ever tolerant husband said the unsayable: I think that we are hearing serama chicks. Refusing to even consider such a proposterous notion merely two weeks in to incubation, I was just about to close the door when I am pretty sure I heard some faint cheeping. Vera remained impassive, and firmly glued to her eggs. Still not quite believing my ears, I retreated to the house to google serama incubation times.
I found one interesting account of serama hatching on day 16, although this seemed to be notably rare. Most breeders tend to find that their chicks appeared somewhere between day 17 and day 20. So the earliest I should be expecting any babies would be tuesday.
I'll keep you posted.
OOOOh, how exciting! :D
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