OEG Bantam, vs. Dutch Bantam, vs. Serama Bantam

[Brian]

I would appreciate feedback on these breeds. I would like to raise small--tiny, really--bantams that are quiet, docile, tame, like to be handled and given attention, and can be breed for color. Seramas, I understand meet the requirements and the roosters are not loud, however, they do not breed to true color. In other words, a pairing of two red birds may still result in black, white, speckled, etc, offspring. Otherwise, I think they fit the bill perfectly. I'm just not that familiar with the other two breeds, and perhaps some folks who have firsthand experience will comment here.

Thank you,
Brian

 

[key west chick]

I have several Seramas. I really like them. I also have a little OEG hen. She likes to talk, a lot. She is much more vocal than my Seramas, but not loud.

 

[HenThymes]

I also have several serama's and just love them, they are my choice over your other two options but I do believe that you will find mixed opinions when it comes to serama's and breeding true to color..

Good luck with your decision!!

 

[catwalk]

OEGB and dutch have been bred for color for a long time, so if you want something predictable, I'd go with them. I do not know anything about their personalities, though. As far as seramas, you are right. They fit all your requirements except for the color breeding. Many of my chicks can be separated into full sibling groups, and none of them look alike!

 

[DragonEggs]

Sermas are great! I really love mine! However also consider Silkies. They are perfet lap chickens and make excellent pets. I love my silkies more than my seramas. They come in beautiful colors too nd are just so gentle.

 

[Puresilk]

I just picked up my first OEGB, and they are very vocal. I was told some colors are more tame than others. I have a pair of duns that are very tame, yet a spangle hen I have is impossible to catch, she just freaks if I get close. I have seramas, and a 5 month old cockerel I have only had a couple weeks will follow me around the coop, wanting to be up on my shoulder. I was told that in OEGB the duns and fawn duckwings are more docile, but still vocal. Depends on whether you value color or attitude more. And seramas can be a lot smaller than OEGB. Silkies are also a real cool little chicken. Very tame, not too vocal but not near as small as prior chickens talk about. Silkies, Seramas and OEGB are the three breeds I have.

 

[suburbanminifarm]

Oh my gosh my OEG bantam is SUCH A LOUDMOUTH!!!! Her name is "Hiccup" because (my kids say) she SCREAMS HICC-UP!!! over and over and over.... does anyone want a cute tiny little OEG ?

... Love our seramas though...
In silkies, it really depends on the breeder line what size you get. I do have a few females that are surprisingly tiny under their fluff. I should weigh them....

 

[DragonEggs]

My favorite silkie, a female splash, is very small, even with all the fluff. She is mostly fluff though. I took her for a ride in the car with me one time. She sat in my lap the whole way. We drove through the drive thru someplace and the girl in the window said "Awww, look at the cute little poodle" LOL. Imgine how surprised she was when the poodle clucked and flapped its wings!

 

[austinhart123]

Quote:
some of us serama breeders are working on color breeding now, and its true you likely will not get all red offspring if you breed two reds, but colors are being developed, and here is an example of what we do. Lets say you have to reds, and you breed them together, and you get 10 chicks. 6 are red, 2 are black, and 2 are brown. Considering all of them are equal in type ( when culling, type ALWAYS comes first) we would cull out the ones that arent red and then breed those to eachother and their parents again. through inbreeding you gradually tighten the gene pool between your flock to where they will eventually breed true. I personally love serama because they are fun to breed and it is like a project, because they arent standardized yet. Breeding them is a little tricky though, so i would reccomend joining the serama council of north americs (scna) and reading around the message boards and studying the standard first before you buy, then buying through a good breeder like Jerry so you know that you are off to a good start

 

[crele3]

well me an my family raise oeg bantams an we love them they arent real load an and breed very very true an our meet u at the door of the pens for petting the more u handle any of them the more cuddlers they becaome