Updated February 8, 2008                                                                      Seramas For Sale

The following information is from the website of Jerry's Seramas, the original importer of Malaysian Serama into the United States, used by permission.  For more information go to his site and also the site of the Serama Council of North America.

Introducing the Serama

The Malaysian Serama is the smallest and lightest bantam chicken in the world and highly prized as living works of art. The weight range for ‘champion grade’ cocks is from 8 to 12 ounces while hens range from 6 to 10 ounces. The height standing upright, measured from the ground to the top of the comb ranges from 6 inches to 10 inches, with a girth measured from the chest to the vent, 2 inches shorter than the height. The Serama originated in Kelantan , Malaysia and is the result of selective cross breeding of many bantam breeds. Their chesty, regal and confident bearing is a joy to behold and they have been described as the Arnold Schwarzenegger and Dolly Partons of the bantam kingdom.

About Serama 

The Serama makes a beautiful pet and companion, both indoors and outdoors.  Their small size requires very little space and a pair or trio can comfortably be caged in a 24 inch by 18 inch enclosure. Seramas should only be let out of their cages when they are safe from predators such as dogs, cat and birds of prey.  Seramas usually raise a racket when an unfamiliar animal or object is sighted and are safe on their own as long as there are people within earshot who can recognize when they are under threat.  They make great companions while gardening and enjoying the mornings/evenings on the porch.  Their regal appearance and natural beauty adds to the splendor of any garden or home.  They are inexpensive to rear as each Serama consumes only about one pound of feed per month. As a domesticated and naturally breeding pet, the Serama is a great substitute for wild caught pets, especially wild caught birds. Promoting the Serama as a mainstream cage pet will reduce the demand for wild caught birds.

My birds are bred for TEMPERAMENT, (like a puppy, they are very, people friendly and actually crave human interaction and attention) CONFORMANCE, (think Arnold Schwarzenegger for cocks and Dolly Parton, for hens in full body building pose) and SIZE, (hens 6-12 ozs, cocks 8 – 16 ozs). COLOR comes fourth, much like color markings in dogs and the Serama are judged accordingly, based on the above criteria.  

The SERAMA is not your ‘every day, common bard yard bantam’.  Coming from the jungles of Malaysia where temperatures average 90-110 degrees they do get stressed when temperatures drop below 40 degrees, but, keep indoors in a well lighted area and given a source of heat (I use 75 watt bulbs in each cage), something they can move to or away from as the need arises, they will thrive.  They are no more difficult to rear than any other quality bantam.

SERAMA come in all colors and do not breed true to any one color.  Any two birds are capable of throwing off as many different colored chicks as there are eggs that hatch. Over 2000 different color variation have been documented in Malaysia .  I presently have on hand, over 250 different colors.

SERAMA eat regular chicken feed, a 50/50 mixture of game bird breeder feed and chicken crumbles. A little grain (red wheat) may be feed weekly as a treat.  SERAMA make great moms, laying, hatching and taking care of their own chicks.

I will share my experiences and knowledge of the Serama as my contribuition to bring people together to enjoy this magnificent pet. I will assist and contribute to the organization of Serama beauty contests as a means for the Serama community to come together physically to compete and appreciate the beauty of the Serama. I will serve the Serama community by sharing my experience to improve the beauty, health and vigor of the Serama as living works of art.  With shared experiences, I hope that the Serama will be kept knowingly in conditions that will ensure that they are at their best.

Characteristics of Seramas

Serama, known at the smallest and lightest of the world's chickens, is divided into grades, according to their size:

Grade A Serama weighs less than 350 grams should be no more than 7.5 inches in height for the full grown male and 5.5 inches for the female.

Eggs should weigh between 12-16 grams.

Serama Type Standard

Used by permission of Serama Council Of North America

SIZES
Mature Category

Cockerels - One Class Only
150 to 350 grams (5.29 to 12.35 oz.)

Pullets - one Class only
150 to 325 grams (5.29 to 11.46 oz.)

Chick Category
Regardless of sex - up to 150 grams (5.29 oz.)

POINTS
Type - 25 points
Temperament - 20 points
Tail Carriage - 20 points
Wings - 10 points
Body - 5 points
Legs - 5 points
Feather Structure - 5 points
Comb/Wattles - 5 points
Appearance - 5 points

Total possible points - 100

 

Type
Type is the outline of the bird or "silhouette". It is the general form of the overall bird and distinguishes the serama at a glance with it's upright tail, high prominent breast, low wing and head held far back nearly against the tail. The overall effect of tail and neck/head is of a V shape. The back should be very short and nearly completely covered by the hackle and saddles so as to appear nearly nonexistent.

Temperament
Calm, manageable. Easily handled. Showing no aggressiveness, but still possessing an assertive personality. The bird should poses easily and readily. Frightened or shy birds are as unsuitable as are aggressive and mean birds.

Tail
Very high and upright, at a 90 degree angle from the ground. The tail is carried parallel to the neck and should be relatively large and wide with full feathering. Further, the tail must have no falling to one side or the other (wry tail).

• True Main Tail - These feathers are to be long and wide. They should overlap to some extent, the overall effect is as a set of steps, as the feathers go from the tallest front feathers to the shortest ones in back. When viewed from behind, the main tail is open at an angle of 45 degrees, creating an open V shape from behind.

• Sickles - Profuse, wide and medium in length. These feathers are to be somewhat curved as is general in all rooster feathered breeds. These may protrude slightly beyond the main tail feathers and there should be as many of them as possible.

• Secondary sickles - Profuse, as many as possible. These feathers should well fill in the base of the tail giving a full and profuse look to the tail base. .

• Saddle - Profuse and in abundance, of medium length, flowing onto the secondaries and onto the back edge of the wing. The saddles should fill in the area between the wing and the tail.

Wings
The wings are to be large, but not so large as to drag the ground or to be longer than the foot. The wing must clear the ground and is to be well folded and should be completely vertical, straight up and down.

• Shoulders - Covered at the top by the hackles and should be strong and well rounded, set high.

• Covert feathers - Should form a distinct bar below the shoulder and above the main wing feathers (primaries).

• Primaries and secondaries - Broad with the overall effect of the wing being one of great strength and fullness. The secondaries fall over the upper part of the primaries, partially covering them.

Body
Body is to be full and well muscled. From a top view the body shape is somewhat elliptical, with more prominence and width in the area of the breast. When viewed from a standing side angle, the body shape is somewhat vase like, creating a wide V shape with the head held well back and the back of the comb touching or nearly touching the tail.

Legs
The legs are to be of medium length and are to be set wide, allowing for a full and muscular undercarriage of the body. There should be no narrowness or knock knees, the overall effect being of well set, very stable legs that are a strong support to the bird. The legs must be long enough to allow the ends of the wings to be above the ground Upper Leg - Medium in length and well muscled

• Shank - Medium in length of good thickness not to look too delicate. The shank must not be short or absent. The scales should be prominent and in good condition.

• Spur - The spur should be well set at the middle of the leg and be small in size. Must not interfere with the birds ability to walk or hamper proper carriage of the wing.

• Toes - There must be four toes which should be well placed, solid and strong.

Feathers
All feathers must be well structured and of fine form in clean condition and showing a glossy shine. The body feathers are to be full, profuse, not fluffy, but not tightly feathered either. A medium feather structure is preferred.

Comb and Wattle
The comb is to be of small to medium size and is of the single form, with five points preferred, but more points are allowed. The comb is to be of smooth structure without folds or any deformities. The blade should lift slightly off the head giving a slight lift to the blade of the comb. The wattles are to be of complementary size to the comb, with smaller wattles being preferred. They must be free of wrinkles and folds.

Appearance
The overall appearance of the bird is to be one of health and vitality. The bird must show good temperament and be amicable to handling. The bird is to be clean, and showing proper show grooming, with all feathers intact.

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Seramas For Sale

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Serama Facts

The Serama is a new breed of bantam, having been developed within the past 15 years.

The complete ancestry of the SERAMA is uncertain. However, it is believed the Red Jungle Fowl, the Common Malaysian Village Bantam, (a hodge’ podge’ of many breeds), and the Japanese Bantam contributed. There is also a school of thought which believes the Silkie, played a roll along with a few other ‘secret’ genes.

The downsizing of the Serama is still on going with a few specimens coming in at 6ozs for cocks and 5ozs for hens as current breeding methods continue.

Serama mature at 16-18 weeks.

Incubation period for Serama eggs is 19-20 days.

The Serama carry a ‘diluted’ lethal gene (Japanese Bantam Ancestry), which means 1 to 2 percent of embryos will develop fully but fail to hatch or the chick will die within 24 hours of hatching.

Serama are not color bred, nor do they breed true to any one color. It is not uncommon to hatch as many different colored chicks as there are eggs that hatch.

Serama do not breed true to size. Out of a clutch of 10 chicks, one can expect 1 or 2 to be very small, 2 or 3 to be rather large and the remainder to be within the normal size range for serama.

The color of Serama eggs range from the purest white to the deepest brown, with dozens of shades in between.

Serama make excellent house pets.  The crow of the cock is one third the volume of a regular chicken.

It takes approx. 5 Serama eggs to equal the volume of one Grade ‘A’ Large egg.

Serama are year round layers and have no particular laying season. Although, peak fertility and egg production occurs during  the months of November, December January and February.

Serama are in a continuous molt, dropping a few feathers each day.

Serama are tropical birds and need to be protected from cold temperatures.

The Serama is the most popular household pet in Malaysia , surpassing both,  cats and dogs in numbers.  

In Malaysia , “Serama Specialty” Shows are held each weekend throughout the year averaging 300-400 entries.

By the year 2010 the Serama will be the most popular bantam in the U.S.

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