American serama thread!

[HeartsDelight]

Finally got some Seramas after years of wanting them -- two black pullets, sisters, who I named Holly and Ivy.

A couple months after getting them, they both went broody, so obviously I ordered them some hatching eggs...

Out of a dozen shipped, six hatched, one on day 18, the other 5 on day 19. Moms are happily co-brooding the chicks just like they did the eggs. The babies are from blue and chocolate lines, and are the most darling little marshmallows ever.

 

[WVduckchick]

Hatch is over. These chicks are so tiny. 2 days old, they’ve gained a few grams already! Eating, drinking, and pooping well.
Total of 11 seramas, 9 from my smooth pen, 2 from the silkied pen. Several from the silkied pen were DIS. I think the creeper gene got some. Fully formed and yolks absorbed, just never pipped. A few bantam cochins are in with the seramas. I also hatched some cream legbars and olive eggers.

 

[Moki]

This is my setup for my Seramas this winter. My husband built this frame on wheels, if we get any more nice days I can wheel it out of my heated cellar, the cage can be removed to sit on the ground also. It has a drawer that pulls out for easy cleaning, I keep a blue night time heat light on , if they get cold they go under it. It is 72x30x18, they love all the space. I also put a piece of sod with grass and roots attached in a dish, and water it , they like to scratch around in it. My hubby is the best.

 

[Ra_]

Hey! Where'd all the Serama go?

 

[nurseshelly]

Here is Phyllis my Silkie Serama chick

She or he hatched July 12th. I'm a little worried that Phyllis is a Phil, since my favorites always end up roos. Also there is a little bit of pink starting under the bottom jaw ... like a wattle is going to happen. Who knows though, I don't keep enough of them to an age to sex, to know for sure. Hardly any comb at all though.
Still hoping Phyllis is a girl!!!

 

[cluck-cluck]

The Malaysian Serama comes in many varieties including such extremes as to look as if they're falling over backwards. Honestly, from all I've read now, I think Malaysians took it to a different aesthetic in the past 12+ years, and Americans went a different direction. Many American breeders also didn't breed properly to keep the type up to standards (American aesthetics, straight, soldier at attention stance with head back chest out) But from what I've seen from the top breeders here, they are most definitely Serama, not Kapans, though some poor specimens do look a bit like that. But those are poor specimens, not what is desirable.

Anyway, a "pure breed" is simply a chicken that conforms to a set of standards and breeds mostly true. Other than that, there is no such thing as a "Pure bred chicken". All breeds can be reproduced from other stock given enough time and talent (as they have done with the Sultan in Australia) so the point, genetically, is pretty silly IMO.

 

[Jewls819]

My amazing little Xena! I can not wait to take her to a show!

 

[meltel]

WHOA U have LOTS AND LOTS of Serama breeders not that far from you. AND a good breeder will rehome their "culls" rather than killing them (Stay away from ASA serama group, they LOVE to kill their culls, I know from first hand experience ... U can contact Jerry Schex for birds also.. .http://jerrysseramasllc.weebly.com/about.html He WILL sell pert quality. Thats all I own is pet quality.. LOVE THEM LITTLE shavers!

This post angers me beyond belief.

You are entitled to your opinion, however you are extremely short on facts. Culling is entirely up to the specific breeder and NOT affiliated with a specific club or organization. Some of the best breeders worldwide are member of all 3 clubs-ASA, SCNA & Serama USA. Each club has a slightly different way of showing and scoring, however ANY GOOD BREEDER works to better the breed according to breed standards. If you have ethics issues that would prevent your from buying from a breeder that culls for type, personality etc. then that is your perrogative. But please refrain from bashing an organization based on your personal opinion and not fact!

I have wonderful friends and breeders in all 3 organizations. Some cull heavily. Some rehome their culls as pets. But let me call an ace an ace and a spade a spade here! Only about 10% of hatches are breeder quality and 5% are show quality. That leaves a lot of undeesirablle birds out there to be "rehomed". As mentioned by @Poultrybonkers Seramas are a special breed that require special care, housing and feed and do not "provide" as far as a meat bird or good layer if they can not sell for show or breeding. They make wonderful "pets" but many times people choose something other than a mini chicken if they want a "pet" bird.

The problem with "pet quality" and people buying and selling them is drawing the fine line as far as intentions and representation of the bird. I read the above post of someone looking for "pet quality" but looking for a specific type, size color, standard, fertility etc...... None of these should be a concern if you are truly looking for "pet quality"!!! Sex, color and mostly personality/disposition & health should be your only concerns if truly want just a pet. People will buy culls from people "rehoming" birds and still try to breed them as a representation of that breeders line. They think that because there is a big name behind the bird, it's a "good bird". This could not be further from the truth. They will often breed them and then try to sell their eggs on ebay with pics of "parent birds" when in fact they are selling eggs from culls of the parents that are more likely to carry traits such as the lethal gene, wry or squirrel tail and aggressive dispositions that will be passed down to future generations.

Most disheartening is when "starter birds" are offered to Juniors for free just pay shipping. These birds are often rehomed culls-often given at 3-4 months of age who are not nearly mature enough to tell if they have automatic disqualifications. They are all excited to show and proud of their bird only to find out they spent their $65 hard earned 4H money (or their parents) only to find out that their bird will be disqualified every time it shows as there is no fixing a wry or squirrel tail or an aggressive bird. You can find a good local breeder (i work with several just in my area) who will sell you a bird that is decent enough to breed or show in the $50-$100 range for Juniors and 4H kids. Well worth the extra money in my opinion.

I do not like to cull and have not done it yet as I have the room and luxury to grow out my birds to see how they mature. I have successfully rehomed several of my birds. Some have gone to petting zoos, some to friends and other to people who state they want "pet birds". I ask them to sign a contract stating that they are aware that these birds are being sold as "pet quality" only and are not meant to breed or shown at any level. That way my name stays reputable as far as breeding and showmanship. I also do not sell eggs or birds that are not of laying age to see how the bird grow out to ensure people are getting what they pay for.

Also, in regards to yellow legs and beaks, seramas show 2 different ways-in cage and tabletop. Cage right now is APA/ABA standards which is white only with hopefully blacks next to be admitted. Tabletop is colorblind. Although yellow legs/beak is preferred as far as breeding, I feel that focus on type, tail and wing carriage, feather quality and disposition character are so much more important until the groups can work together to get more varities can be accepted for cage judging.

I am proud to be showing at the dual ASA/SCNA show in Lima, OH on 3/18. I have been fortunate to have acquired birds from and mentored by some of the finest breeders in the country-ASA, SCNA & Serama USA. My pullet won champion pullet 2016 and my silkie cockerel took reserve champion of show 2016 at the ASA Serama Nationals. Also all 5 birds that I showed at Ohio Nationals won quality ribbons scoring 75 pts or higher. My focus this year is to try to improve feather quality and disposition on white birds, further develop my reds and successfully breed more of my Malaysians since they have proven a challenge for me to breed, hatch and raise.

 

[yellowherb]

I either miscounted or missed one in the brooder. I was having sultans hatch at the same time as the serama so I probably miscounted. I have 6, but still a great hatch rate from shipped eggs. They did not cooperate much with the picture taking and I didn't want them getting chilled, so it's a quicky.

right side black and white I think may be my new rooster he's feisty and stubborn


LOVE the colors of the background chipmunk. The foreground little one is one of the smallest.


The heavy white with black spots is also very small even though it doesn't look like it in the picture. The yellow has a few spots on it's back which do not show well in pictures.
I'm still all kinds of happy.

 

[WVduckchick]

My little silkied girls have their first hatchling!