Do Micro Serama Bantams Exist?

[allosaurusrock]

Revisiting this a year later, it seems that the criteria mentioned on this picture I attached is very misleading. Chickens normally fill in to full size/weight at around 12-18 months old, yet when they refer to these different classes of seramas, they start weighing them at 6 months old. So when they say micro chicken males under 13oz and females under 8 oz, they refer to the weight at 6months old, while advertising them as "full grown." In my search for the smallest chickens, I've found several breeders referring to their chickens as micros and when I ask them for age, it's always only a few months old. It's unfortunate, because to those who don't know much about chickens, they are mislead into thinking adults have to weigh that little to be small and decide to buy those chicks just for them to grow to full size 6 months later and be past the given micro criteria. There should be a hard distinction to the weight of seramas for specifically a certain adult age, not this arbitrary 6month old chick age that they weigh them at.

The smallest roosters (1.5 years or older) I have seen are at the very very least 12 oz in weight. Interesting that they make 13oz the cut off because a lot of the smallest roosters are 13 oz. So in my opinion, these micro, class a, class B, etc are flawed and should be more strictly defined by actual adult birds. If your "rooster" doesn't have spurs, it should not count.

There are different age groups defined for competitions Baby: Under 6 months of age; Junior: 6-12 months of age; Open: Over 12 months of age. So it is interesting that there is no official distinction for weight classes. I feel like weight classes should be measured and defined proportionally to their age group with the 12month and older group being the determining factor for weight classes.

But that's just my two cents.

We don’t use weight classes anymore, at least in the SCNA. It may be different in other countries- if you are located outside of the US and this applies to your breed club, I apologize. I think it’s very likely that whatever information that you’re able to find on size classes is quite outdated.

Anyone who markets their bird using weight classes is uneducated on the breed. While small size is important, type and health and temperament are as well. Many good lines are ruined in pursuit of the smallest bird.
Weight is somewhat misleading as well- if you breed for lightness, rather than visual size, you are going to be selecting for weak and skinny birds. If it can’t hold weight well, it shouldn’t be bred.

We got rid of weight classes for a reason. Increasingly pursuing the smallest individuals is bad for the animal and bad for preserving and improving breed type.

I am confused by this statement:

“There are different age groups defined for competitions Baby: Under 6 months of age; Junior: 6-12 months of age; Open: Over 12 months of age”

Like most other breeds of chickens, seramas are divided up in classes at shows by cock, cockerel, hen, and pullet. They are a hen or cock once they reach a year in age. A cock and hen being over a year old is also true for APA and ABA. Occasionally, some shows will have “prospect” classes for birds under 5 months, but this is not sanctioned by the SCNA.

I am interested in where you are finding your information. It is not accurate to the current state of seramas.