Uses: Exhibition / Ornamental / Pet.
Origin: Malaysia.
Eggs: 80 – 160 brown to white.
Weight: Bantam Cock: Up to 500g, Hen: Up to 500g.
Colours: Any colour or combination of colours.
Useful to Know: A true bantam. Any colour or combination is allowed according to the standard (something not found in other breeds). Colours do not breed true. Type (a ‘V’ shaped posture is required) and weight are important.
They will not tolerate muddy / wet conditions.
A lethal gene combination inherited from the Japanese bantam causes 25% of chicks to be unable to hatch.
Photo: A Serama Bantam (Male) owned by Roz Boothman that exemplifies the required type. Photo courtesy of Grant Brereton.
Serama bantams originate from Malaysia and the birds we see today were developed from crosses of Ayam Kapans and Japanese Bantams in the 1970’s and 80’s by Wee Yean Een. There are claims of its ancestory dating back to the 1600’s but documentary evidence of this hasn’t been proven as far as we can tell.
Serama’s are a true bantam (they have no large counterpart) and are the smallest breed of chicken in the World.
Type and weight are the two most important factors in the Standard. Unlike other breed standards, Seramas can have any colour combination. The colour does not breed true. The Serama should have a short back, and the chest should be carried forward, head back with its tail almost touching it. The tail should be carried centrally at 90 degrees and should not tilt to one side. The wings almost touch the ground.
Serama’s, like other true bantams that carry their wings low will not be able to tolerate muddy / wet conditions well but being so small are better suited to being kept in sheds and outbuildings when the weather is bad.
The Serama bantam is very popular in many countries around the World. They first arrived in the UK in 2004 and after an incredible growth in popularity were standardised by the Poultry Club of Great Britain in November 2008.
Breeding Hints
The Serama bantam has inherited (from the Japanese bantam), a lethal gene combination that causes 25% of chicks to be unable to hatch. This means you need to set larger numbers of eggs when incubating.
Photos
Books
The following books are available. Links take you to the Amazon or other sellers’ pages for the books.
- An introduction to the Serama Bantam – C. Wright
Breed Clubs
These are the breed clubs for Serama chickens:
- US: The Serama Club of America – Sorry Website is currently down.