New Serama and silkie chicks - first timer needs advice

you'll need a brooder for them. A brooder is a place that will keep the chicks contained, warm, and dry. Typically, it involves some kind of walls, a bottom surface that can be covered with shavings, a brooder lamp, and possibly a top to keep them from flying out. It also needs to house their food and water.

If you can find a brooder that is about 12 inches deep, you won't have to worry about putting a lid on it, as the chicks won't be able to fly out. If the brooder is shallower than that, consider using a top on it so they can't escape.

If you have curious dogs or kids, or if you're using a brooder shallower than about 12 inches, a top can be very helpful. The chicks need ventilation, so it should be breathable.

Brooder Lamp

You'll need a brooder lamp to keep the chicks at the right temperature. Purchase a 250-watt infrared heat lamp, preferably a red bulb instead of a white. You can find these at feed and hardware stores. You'll also need to purchase a reflector and a clamp for mounting the bulb. Don't go DIY here; you're asking for a fire hazard. Make sure you get the wire guard that goes underneath the bulb, too. When hanging this over shavings, the guard makes sure that if the lamp falls, it's less likely to start a fire.

The height of the lamp is what will determine the temperature at the level of the chicks. You'll need to experiment to find out what height works best for you. It's a really, really good idea to figure this out before the chicks arrive. And, having a way to easily adjust the height of the lamp (a piece of chain and an S hook work well) is handy, because each week you will reduce the temperature by 5 degrees F.
Thermometer

To check that temperature, you'll need a thermometer of some kind. I've always used one with a wire and sensor so that I can read the temperature easily from the edge of the brooder, while the sensor sits right under the lamp. The chicks will peck at the wire, but they've never done any damage, and I usually tuck it under some of the shavings.
Bedding

I like to use pine shavings in my brooder, after a few days on paper towels so they chicks don't eat the shavings. Never use cedar shavings as they are toxic to poultry. Never use newspaper as the chicks can develop spraddle legs from the slipperiness of the newspaper.

One to two inches of bedding in the bottom of the brooder is sufficient for comfy and happy chicks. You should change it when it gets overwhelmed with droppings or is stinky.

they will have to say in this until they are fully feathered around the 5 week mark, before they can go outside chicks area lot harder to look after than say Point of lay Hens.

Thanks for the really helpful advice

I'm now thinking I wait till the Serama's are at week four. Appears easier to look after? Would I need to be around most of the time?

Regrads heat; they're going to be indoors in the living room. I've got a ceramic heat lamp and a good quality plastic seed propagator tray where the heating element contained within is contained within thick but light density plastic moulding. Its waterproof and emits a very gentle warmth over a 12" by 6" area.

I have digital thermo I'll preset with a temp above which it switches everything off.

HOusing will be in a large long strong cardboard box with bedding ( Aubiose, Hempcore, used potting compost?,  ) . The ceramic lamp and seed propagator will have their own areas, in between will be cool areas.

Do they need nesting areas or boxes?  Any food brand/supplier recommendations please?

Thanks

I see you live in a built up area - what will you do if any are boys? You probably wouldn't know until they are over 10 weeks old.

For organic chick crumb then try looking at the organic feed companies website to see if they have a local supplier. It would also be an idea to have a bottle of coxoid or baycox on hand just incase they pick up coccidiosis when you put them outside as your feed is not treated with an anti cocci supplement. Even those that are are not guaranteed to stop chicks from getting it.

I realise you only have a small town garden so need a small hen but as a first time keeper, I was wondering why you chose Serama.  We also have poots and Dutch Bantams, they're fantastic

Wow, nothing quite like jumping in at the deep end

Do you know which grade of serama you're getting (they come in A, B and C, and any reputable breeder will be able to tell you which grade they are/or will be)  Grade A are the smallest, with fully grown adults being about the same size as a regular coke can.  Grade C are larger, up to 550g I think (Serama aren't my breed, so I'm not too sure).

Thanks for explaining Grade A/B/C - I couoldnt figure out what that meant . I've just sent him an email and he said Grade B, I've also asked if he would be prepared to hang onto the chicks till they're sexed.

At what age can they go outside?

As they grow to adult hood and looking towards winter, they don't do so well in the cold, and I know many breeders actually keep them in heated greenhouses over winter.

Thanks for that tip. Any links to good coop building designs? I've read up the roosting vars and nesting boxes but would love some more design tips. I'm also building a small polycarbonate greenhouse which they can use in winter.

You will also have to be more vigilant about visiting cats, and birds of prey from over head, because the size of the serama will make them quite easy to take by predators.

This will be a major problem as I have a cat of my own and several in the area who spend time in my garden. I've just accepted that the Seramas will only be allowed to free range when myself or someone is around otherwise they'll have a good sized run to forage in. I'm going to try and train my cat to stay away from the chickens.