Do I have Seramas or Japs? PHOTOS!

[CrazyAnimalGirl]

The lady that sold them to me said they were Seramas, not A class but definitely Seramas. When I look at pics of Japanese Bantams, they look more like that breed Or at least the hen does). Are the two breeds that close? I know I need to do some research on the breeds, but I figured yall would know quicker!

They are pretty much full full grown, roo a couple months older, hen not laying yet though.

Here they are walking

Thanks for any help!!

 

[SilverPhoenix]

I've owned both breeds, and those both look like Japanese to me--black-tailed white roo and mottled hen. Not saying for certain, but I think it's a better chance that they're Japanese.

 

[stumble_n_mumble]

id have to say there japs. i have a white hen that is a jap and they look like her!

 

[CrazyAnimalGirl]

Yea, I thought so....

What exactly is the difference between the two, other than the tighter back/tail, etc? Are Serama's breeder only?

 

[SilverPhoenix]

Tighter back/tail, seramas are a fair bit smaller than Japanese, they come in a huge wide variety of colors and most do not breed true (this is beginning to change, but...), and yes, hatcheries do not carry them. Even if hatcheries begin to carry seramas, I'd be on my guard, as serama chicks are fairly fragile and difficult to hatch and I think it's likely they'd begin crossing them to other breeds to try and make them more hardy/profitable at the loss of what makes seramas seramas. Japanese have yellow legs, too, and while seramas can have yellow legs as well it's a marking characteristic for the Japanese. Japanese only come in a limited amount of colors, both of your birds fit perfectly into those color categories.

Hmmm, I wonder if I could manage a photo of my Japanese and serama together... Might be kind of chaotic but I could try it for comparison's sake! They're sleeping right now, though.

 

[speakup4kids]

Honestly, I think seramas just have a "look" about them. I have one serama, hatched from an egg I was given by SilverPhoenix, and she is always the one out of my chickens that people ask what kind she is. I absolutely love her! I can't really compare to Japanese though cause I haven't ever had any... if I had to guess I'd say you've got some Japanese there though.

 

[CrazyAnimalGirl]

Hmm... well!

If you can get a photo of the jap and serama, that would be nice! I've never seen a serama in person, so I prob could tell the difference between the two if I had. They are still pretty darn cute though. I guess I have to add Serama back to my wish list!

I have a bantam chick which came in an assortment, he is really looking to be like a jap. Let me see if I can find a photo...

That white one with black spots.... see that wing!


When I think japanese, the photo on Ideal Poultry always pops in my head. Bowl shaped bird with tail sticking up and out on one end and head sticking out on the other...

 

[SilverPhoenix]

Seramas are a wonderful breed, well worth the trouble of getting some purebred ones! The Japanese are a great breed as well, though--I keep both and I like both! I had a black Japanese rooster as my head roo for eleven years. I loved that guy, he had a wonderful life with me. I'll see what I can do about getting a comparison photo in the morning, might be kind of fun to see the two breeds side-by-side.

The white chick with the spots does look like a mottled Japanese to me! It surprised me so much to watch the white chick with little black spots become a black hen with little white spots.

 

[Surehatch]

Japanese

 

[jenjscott]

They do look like pet quality Japanese. Neither one has the short legs required to show. The male also has an upright stance associated more with a Serama than a Japanese, although not as extreme as the seramas I have seen.