Serama Chicken Breed: Eggs, Size, Color Varieties & Pictures

The Serama chicken is one of the world’s smallest chickens. Also, they are a little expensive. The Serama chicken breed is a little mighty, or you can say, the violent type of nature. 

Here, in this article, a complete breed guide is provided about the Serama chicken, which will definitely help the farmers learn in brief about this particular breed.

This breed has a huge demand, and, in this article, you will learn about the eggs, size, color, lifespan, temperament, characteristics, and care guide with pictures.

What is Serama Chicken?

They are also known as Malaysian Serama. This is a breed that is a relative newcomer to the Western world.

Serama chickens also have the specific aspect that they are true bantams. They are lovely, cute chicken breeds.

This particular breed is unique from the others, and they are growing widely across western countries.

Malaysian Seramas are similar to Kikiriki chickens. Serama chickens have almost the same appearance as the Kikiriki roosters and hens. Kikirikis are popular in Puerto Rico.

History of Serama Chicken

Image Source – seramanegeri.com

The actual origin of this smallest chicken breed is from the Kelantan province of Malaysia. Well, for the first time, they were seen at the beginning of the 1600s.

The actual credit for the development of Malaysian Serama goes to Wee Yean Een in the 1970s. He was the first person to name this breed “Serama.” The name ‘Serama’ means a tribute to one of the Thai kings (King Rama).

This breed was imported to the US in the year 2000 by Jerry Schexnayder. Well, there was a calamity, and the import process was banned due to the Asian bird flu outbreak.

This Asian bird flu almost wiped out this smallest chicken breed, but they learned to bounce back wonderfully. The Malaysian Serama was the product of the cross-breeding of Japanese bantams with the local bantams of Malaysia.

Serama Chicken Lifespan

Like other bantam chicken breeds, Serama has a good life expectancy. The average lifespan of a Serama chicken is about 7-8 years.

Breeding Types of the Serama Chicken

These are the three types of breeding verities of the Serama chickens:

1. American Serama
2. Traditional Serama
3. Malaysian Serama

Serama Chicken Recognized varieties

The American Poultry Association and American Bantam Association recognize only the white Serama chicken variety.

However, the SCNA (Serama Council of North America) recognizes six color varieties of Serama chicken:

• White
• Blue
• Wheaton
• Black-Breasted Red
• Black
• Black-Tail Buff

You can also find them in other colors like:

• Exchequer
• Blue
• Splash
• Wheaten
• Chocolate
• Cuckoo varieties.

Egg production

Well, the Serama eggs are small in size. Up to five eggs can match the contents of one grade-A egg. But this breed is known as prolific layers.

The Serama hens can lay up to 4 tiny eggs per week. They can also lay around 180 to 200 eggs per year, as that is their usual quantity of egg-laying. You can read a list of best egg laying chickens here.

They start laying their eggs throughout the year, and their fertility power is at its peak between November and February. Also, the Serama hens go broody, and they are excellent mothers. The Serama chicks turn into mature hens at 16–18 weeks. 

Temperament  

The temperament of this breed is quite assertive as they tend to show a confident and cheerful personality. This particular breed is very positive when it comes to its natural behavior.

Seramas are generally calm; not as violent as other bantam breeds. They are also manageable, and the Serama roosters possess a high degree of confidence.

Hens of this breed are not loud and talk only with their coop members. Roosters also do not crow much, so they are a better choice for people living in urban areas.

Color, Size, Appearance, Characteristics of Serama Chickens

Colors

The most recognizable colors of Malaysian Serama are chocolate, wheaten, gray, white, brown, blue-red, brown-red, and black.

These are not standard colors. You can find Serama chickens in any color.

The color of their feathers makes them more attractive. This particular breed is worth buying as they are for ornamental use.

Size

These fowl are tiny breeds. Their size is too small if we compare them with other bantam breeds. There are some classifications regarding Serama hen’s and rooster’s size and weight.

• In the micro category, males are up to 13 ounces, and females are up to 8 ounces. 
• In the A-Class, males are under 13 ounces, and females are under 12 ounces. 
• Under the B category, males are under 16 ounces, and females are under 15 ounces. 
• Under the C-Class Category, males under 19 ounces, and females under 19 ounces are eligible. 

Appearance

These birds have a red-colored single comb. They also have red earlobes and red wattles, or sometimes a red-white mix.

The length of their legs varies from medium to long. These kinds of birds can be found in so many varieties (different colors). 

In Malaysia, they are not a colored breed. Size is a big concern in this breed. They are very tiny, and many farmers keep them to add an ornamental look to their coop. You can check out some of the best portable chicken coops here.

Also, you cannot judge a chicken of the Serama breed by its size; it may be the other bantam breed but not the Serama chicken.

Characteristics

• The Serama chicken is a very upright little bird. The structure of its breast is high and pushed upwards, with the wings almost touching the ground. 
• This decorative appearance helps them to be described as brave warriors and archangel chickens in Malaysia. 
• The construction of their bodies is short and well-muscled. They have a breast carried high, full, and forward. The Serama chickens have objectively large wings as per their body size. 
• They have shoulders that are set high. These birds’ tails are full and carried high, indicating upwards and detained near to the body. 
• If you notice them carefully, you will find that they have little or no space between their body and tail. The size of their heads is small and they are placed well back.

The Benefits of Raising Serama Chickens: Smallest Chicken Breed

The chicken is used for ornamental purposes

For some passionate farmers or pet lovers who want to add some ornamental chickens to their collection; the Serama chickens could be the best choice for them. The tiny, buffy chest birds can give you pleasure just by looking at them.

Human-friendly behavior

They are adorable and very polite. The beauty of this breed can make you so happy in times of tense situations.

This bantam chicken breed helps you to relieve all your stress because they enjoy human company. Your children can play with them or cuddle with them.

Warmth condition is good for them

Serama chicken is highly recommended if the weather is hot. They can handle a high temperature, so it may not be a problem for the breeder as per the weather.

Quite productive when it comes to egg-laying habit as well as hatching

Malaysian Serama enjoys its time of laying eggs. Also, the Serama hens love to hatch, and they can take care of their chicks.

The Serama baby chicks, along with their mothers, require special attention from the breeder, most importantly during the maturity of the chicks.

Problems in Raising Serama Chickens

• It is not a great option to raise this bird in the northern climate (winter conditions)
• The feeding procedure for this chicken is expensive as they would eat 1 lb of food per month.

Care Guide Serama Chicken

The specialty of this breed is that the Serama chickens are so tiny. They can be fitted into a very small area. That is why this breed has gained popularity among breeders for this show-purpose chicken.

Some precautions should be taken for them, as they are sensitive to cold weather. A 90-degree Fahrenheit temperature should be helpful for them. But these birds can also manage if the temperature is at 40 degrees Fahrenheit. 

You need to feed your chicken regularly. Many farmers use a mixture of poultry breeder feed, which is available in small-sized pellets, and a small number of mixed grains. You need to supply water consistently so that this can keep them hydrated.

Serama hens can be good hatchers. These hens are very capable of hatching, brooding, and looking after their chicks. You need to provide them with a good, warm place where they can hatch their eggs without any fear.

You need to keep them away from the violent predators in your backyard, as they are not fond of getting into fights with them. Use good-quality electric fencing if you find multiple chicken predator attacks.

Conclusion

Those who wish to buy Serama chickens can get them from a domain breeder. As we mentioned earlier, this fowl breed is very fond of egg-laying. 

The massive egg-laying capacity makes this breed a very special attraction for farmers. It is effortless to find Serama chicks near your location.

There are so many choices available for those who are eager to sell Serama chickens. Many farming companies keep leghorn chicken. This smallest chicken breed is the most advantageous possibility for farmers in terms of egg manufacture.