~MALAYSIAN SERAMA THREAD~ (PICS!!!)

[smoothmule]

HenThymes,
What color was your cockerel as a chick? I think I have a cockerel that color. I hatched a chick from some eggs Jerry sent to me with a pair I bought back in Jan I think. Anyway, his down wasn't so yellow as it was almost white with black stripes. He's just beginning to lose his juvenile feathering and he has the same silver neck hackles coming in now and the saddle is the same copper color too. His tail and chest feathers are still the first feathers so it's hard to tell if he'll be exactly the same color there but he's been moulting some tail feathers so it won't be too much longer before he has those in. I'll have to take some updated photo's and post them here. Do you have any pics of your guy when he was younger? Here is Coppernicus about a month ago. He hatched Jan 14th so he's 3 months now and also very small still.

 

[muddyhorse]

here is my new pair from pixiechicks

this is Blue Boy a frizzled silkie and Miss Piggy silkie. Miss Piggy is very sweet and likes to be held.

 

[HenThymes]

Quote:
He hatched almost a solid silver looking color with vary faint cream stripes. His full brother that could have been his twin hatched solid brown (lost him to an accident this winter

). His other full brother hatched a light cream color and could now be a twin for their father. Here are a few pictures as he has been growing:
He is the small one over on the far left. His brothers are the blurry cream toward the top and the solid brown just to the right of him. All from the same hen.

 

[smoothmule]

Copper isn't chocolate that I can tell but his general appearance is so similar, probably just the wheaten but I'm dying to see what he's going to look like when he's mature. He's 3 months old now. I love the copper color in his hackles. He has more coppery color in his neck hackles than your rooster too. Have you hatched any like this? I know he may finish moulting to look a lot different but I hope he keeps the copper color.

I took this one in natural lighting, it shows his colors better

Here is one taken inside so the colors are not as natural but he was standing better with his buddies.

 

[tailfluff]

Quote:

FRIZZLES GALORE!! You must be such a proud mama! Oh my goodness, absolutely darling!!

I know you're an expert - could you (please) give me any special advice/tips on incubating seramas? Thank you! I just want to make sure I know as much as I can about them so I can offer them the best care in the world.

Tailfluff-
Thanks for the compliment, but I am hardly an expert...hatching practices vary from one incubator to another, from one person to another, so I can only tell you what works for me and my situation...

Check out these posts...http://www.pixiechickens.com/141/141/

http://www.pixiechickens.com/161/fertile-serama-eggs/

http://www.pixiechickens.com/164/how-often-do-you-turn/

http://www.pixiechickens.com/226/first-serama-hatch-14-of-14/

http://www.pixiechickens.com/230/baby-seramas/

Juliette

Thank you! I'm getting ready to put some eggs in the 'bator!

I will definitely check out the links!

 

[laughingdog]

so why are seramas bred with such short, big/thick lags and feet? anyone know, as otherwise so pretty, but just look like they have big bird feet just tuck in them. not bashing the breed, but just curious, as otherwise seen some small ones id love to try some eggs from. can they walk around ok, or are just for small cages, and do they prefer close confinement? only seen them in person at a flea market for fifty at least for mostly roosters (im assuming they can be cross bred to still get tiny babies or was idea, or just show?).

 

[smoothmule]

Laughingdog,
I don't note that they have such big feet, lol. I have some that are finer boned and some heavier, typically the roos have a little heavier bone but not really big feet and legs like you describe. They'e a very small breed but they do have a rather large, upright chest so it may appear that way or it may be they are actually do have larger feet/legs but need them to support the body. I don't really know. They don't seem large footed to me but then they don't have spindly sparrow feet either.

There are some that have shorter legs but if they're super short, you're probably looking at culls. I don't recall what the name is (getting sleepy) but there's a term for those with very short legs. They are a fault.

As far as activity, they love to fly around, walk around and love being outside like any other chicken but it's a simple matter of keeping them safe when you see then penned. It doesn't take a very large predator to take a Serama. Also, you see them caged sometimes because they're as much a pet to some as "poultry". They're pretty much too small to be meat birds or egg layers. They're more of an exhibition breed and pet. In their country of origin, they out number cats and dogs as house pets. I've placed several young roosters that are house pets that were not good enough to breed. I think all chickens have personality but these guys top the list for fun to have. They are actually judged on their temperament and how well they handle. They were recently accepted as a breed by the APA and they are judged by a standard type like any other breed but they are also judged in tabletop which you can look it up to learn more.

Most of my roosters will stand in the palm of my hand and crow. They're affectionate and smart, a multitude of colors and patterns and even come in silkied type, frizzled type and booted. They're technically "American Serama's" here but there are a few of the Malaysian type here in the US that are unique looking. They are considered the smallest breed of chicken, however not every Serama is that tiny. They come in A, B and C sizes and even D. The B and C's are the primary breeder sizes. Some A's are fertile and productive but more are not although they are wonderful pets or for show. You can get all of these sizes in a single hatch but they're beginning to be more uniform as breeders work to standardize the breed somewhat.

I know I'm forgetting something but you might consider joining the SCNA Forum at the website for lots of information
http://www.seramacouncilofnorthamerica.com/ and you might even find a breeder near you. What part of the country are you from?

They can definitely be crossed to other breeds if you have something in mind but don't count on "tiny babies". When you crossbreed, you often get larger more robust chicks and it depends on the breed you cross them to and the size of the Serama doesn't matter since they can produce tiny to larger sizes.

 

[aprophet]

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Short legs are mostly undesirable it is known as creeper gene there is some good reading over at SCNA Seramas are really sweet personable babies

 

[froggiesheins]

Quote:
Smoothmule did a SUPER job describing these adorable critters! And if you are lucky enough to hand raise one from a newborn chick they make extra-super duper great pets. My "Beep-Beep" has coffee in the AM with me, goes outside with the big guys during the day and in the evening comes back in for TV watching or just for her company. At night she sleeps in a cage in my bedroom. Because she was an "only child" she is very very attached to me-I am mom.

Seramas are for EVERYTHING in my book. I would NEVER keep any chicken in a small cage [ I have a rescue chicken now that has many problems from living in a small cage] Small cages are only for transporting them. They need to be able to roost/ stand up/stretch and flap their wings and be able to walk around otherwise their muscles atrophy from lack of use. Another chicken I rescued spend her entire 7-8 months of life in a small cage-alone and she had a host of problems because of that. She could not fly, was terrified of other chickens. I helped her exercise her wings to fly again and because she LOVED people more than chicken company I found her a wonderful home with an autistic boy that loved the family's chickens [ a BYCer that has hens for egg laying]and wanted one of his very own, it was a match made in heaven

Anyways I am babbling her, but I think you get the idea.

Seramas ROCK!

 

[catwalk]

How's this for small feet! JK