Traditional Serama

[Ok_Junebug]

We had absolutely fantastic weather in my area yesterday. Just a perfect spring day...made me feel like a 'nother whole different person (in a good way). My birds are normally indoors, and we go out to sun on good days. Took these pictures early morning...just sharing a few crumbs together and waiting for the sun to come up.

 

[Memphisjourney2seramas]

Yes, it was beautiful here today as well. I am ready for warmer weather and I think that my chickens are too! june-lovely birds.

 

[ocseramas]

Call it what you want....still belongs on the other thread! That is not a Malay bird, sorry. A large chest does not a Malay make! hahahahaha

 

[ChristineR]

I think it's confusing having these two threads. I don't really see a difference in the pictures posted on the "Traditional" thread vs. the "American" thread.

What is supposed to be the defining difference between the two??? I thought the Malasian was supposed to be "extreme". In my mind (which is, I will admit, used to looking at horses, not chickens), I don't see any difference in the pictures posted here and those posted on the American thread.

 

[ocseramas]

That is because no one has posted photos of Malaysian birds here or on the American thread. Here is the SCNA Malaysian Standard (draft), it goes beyond a big chested Traditional bird. Visit SCNA and there are photos there of true Malaysian serama.


WORKING DRAFT FOR MALAYSIAN SERAMA

Engagement:
Serama would be entered either as a Cock, Hen, Cockerel, or Pullet.

Size Classes:

Ideal weights are given for each class.

* Mature Category:
o Cocks - 12 oz (9.6 oz to 14.4 oz)
o Hens - 11 oz (8.8 oz to 13.2oz)

* Youngsters:
o Cockerel - 11 oz (8.8 oz to 13.2 oz)
o Pullet - 10 oz (8 oz to 12 oz)

Shape of the Male

Comb: Single, small to medium, set firmly and evenly on head, straight and upright, evenly serrated - regular and distinct points, the middle points the same length as the width of the blade, moderately arched, blade should extend well over back of head.

Beak: Strong, stout and well curved.

Face: Small, rounded, smooth, fine in texture, free from wrinkle or folds.

Eyes: Round, conspicuous. Should not be placed in front of vertical line from legs or shanks when in pose.

Wattles: Small to medium, round, fine in texture, free from wrinkles or folds.

Ear Lobes: Small to medium, oval, fitting closely to the head.

Head: Small, with good width of skull, carried well back, eye behind a line vertically drawn through shank.

Neck: Moderate length, backward arched and curved showing off breast, full, tapering from shoulders to head, from head to neck to breast to stern a prominent 'S' shaped profile.
* Hackle: Abundant, flowing naturally from front of neck, partially covering shoulders, reaching far back so as to flow over saddle.

Back: Very short, broad, hidden away by hackle. There should be no gap visible between the hackle and the tail.

Tail Coverts & Saddle: Slightly curved, sword shaped hanging over the abdomen and covering back, widely spread, overlapping the tail and lesser sickles.

Tail: Moderately large, carried at 75 degree angle.
* Main Tail: Feathers medium width, moderately spread in a neatly overlapping manner. Moderately fanned open from the rear view.
* Main Sickles:Moderate, strong, firm, medium width, and sword-shaped.
* Lesser Sickles:Medium width, medium length slightly upright, sword-shaped sickle feathers covered with coverts.
* Coverts:Abundant, medium width, flowing well up tail

Wings: Large, long, carried vertically not quite touching the ground. May be past vertical if bird is in strut.
* Shoulders and Fronts: Prominently forward, slightly concealed by hackle.
* Bows: Well rounded.
* Coverts: Feathers broad, forming two distinct bars across wings.
* Primaries: Long of Moderate width, concealed by secondaries.
* Secondaries: Broad.

Breast: Highly lifted, well developed, full, carried prominently forward with the top of the breast forming a shelf and extending well in front of a vertical line drawn from point of beak, broad and well rounded, from head to neck to breast to stern a prominent 'S' shaped profile. These traits should be seen when the Serama pulls to its maximum position.

Body & Stern:
* Body: Short and compact, good depth and width.
* Stern: Fluff, short, abundant.

Legs & Toes:
* Legs Moderate length, widely set, parallel to each other without bowing or knock-knees; well proportioned.
* Lower Thighs:Moderate length, stout at top and tapering to hocks.
* Shanks: Moderate length, smooth, round, evenly scaled.
* Toes: Four, straight, well and evenly spread, evenly scaled.

Appearance: Small, broad, compact, active, tame, standing up with regal and imperial splendor.

Shape of the Female

Comb: Single, small, set firmly and evenly on head, straight and upright, evenly serrated - regular and distinct points, the middle points the same length as the width of the blade, moderately arched.

Beak: Strong, stout, and well curved.

Face: Small, rounded, smooth, fine in texture, free from wrinkle or folds.

Eyes: Round, conspicuous.

Wattles: Small, round, fine in texture, free from wrinkles or folds.

Ear Lobes: Small, oval, fitting closely to head.

Head:Small, with good width of skull, carried well back, eye behind a line vertically drawn through shank.

Neck: Moderate length, backward arched and curved showing off breast, full, tapering from shoulders to head, from head to neck to breast to stern a prominent 'S' shaped profile.
* Hackle:Abundant, flowing naturally from front of neck.

Back: Very short, broad, hidden away by hackle. There should be no gap visible between the hackle and the tail.

Cushion: Short, feathers broad and plentiful, flowing into coverts.

Tail: Moderately large, carried at 75 degree angle.
* Main Tail: Feathers medium width, moderately spread in a neatly overlapping manner. Moderately fanned open from the rear view.
* Coverts:Abundant, medium width, flowing well up tail

Wings: Large, long, folded, carried vertically not quite touching the ground. May be past vertical if bird is in strut.
* Shoulders and Fronts: Prominently forward, slightly concealed by hackle.
* Bows: Well rounded.
* Coverts: Feathers broad, forming two distinct bars across wings.
* Primaries: Moderate width, rather long, concealed by secondaries.
* Secondaries: Broad.

Breast: Highly lifted, well developed, full, carried prominently forward with the top of the breast forming a shelf and extending well in front of a vertical line drawn from point of beak, broad and well rounded, from head to neck to breast to stern a prominent 'S' shaped profile. These traits should be seen when the Serama pulls to its maximum position.

Body & Stern:
* Body: Short and compact, good depth and width.
* Stern: Fluff, short, abundant, from head to neck to breast to stern a prominent 'S' shaped profile.

Legs & Toes:
* Legs: Moderate length, widely set, parallel to each other without bowing or knock-knees; well proportioned.
* Lower Thighs:Moderate length, stout at top and tapering to hocks.
* Shanks: Moderate length, smooth, round, evenly scaled.
* Toes: Four, straight, well and evenly spread, evenly scaled.

Appearance: Small, broad, compact, active, tame, standing up with regal and imperial splendor.

Disqualifications

Comb: Comb foreign to the breed
* Single comb falling below the horizontal plane on level with top of head.
* Single comb with side sprig. Split comb.
* Inverted Comb

Legs: Creeper Legs
Tail: Wry or Squirrel Tail
Plumage: Any specimen having twisted feathers, particularly in hackle, back, wing bows and male sickles.


Defects

Character:Lack of attitude, nervousness or shyness.
Comb: Thumb-marks. Large combs.
Wattles: Large wattles. Wattles with wrinkles or folds
Head: Narrow head, crow head
Back: Long or narrow back
Chest/Breast: Shallow or narrow breast
Legs: Short Legs
Tail: Main tail sickles curved in a concave manner.
Wings: Horizontal Wing.

 

[smoothmule]

Call it what you want....still belongs on the other thread! That is not a Malay bird, sorry. A large chest does not a Malay make! hahahahaha

Was this absolutely necessary?

 

[froggiesheins]

NICE birdies!!! drool...............

 

[froggiesheins]

X's 2....what I see on U-tube for the Malay "type" I am not seeing on these threads either....I am as confused as you Christine.......
Thank you ocserama for the SOP on the Malaysian Type....

 

[Chicklette 1]

Hey Froggie........actually had a minute to see what was going on here! Going home to my babies on Wed. Woo Hoo! Can't wait to see how all my "new" ones look. I'll post some photos first chance I get. Almost finished here in IL. and about time!

 

[Laingcroft]

I've sat down with all of the standards I could find - The “American Serama” standard from SCNA brochure, the DRAFT "Malaysian Serama" standard from post above and the "Traditional Serama" at the beginning of this thread. The Traditional standard is a more generalized description rather than specific parts of the whole so I could not make a true comparison. What I take away from that standard is that any Serama that does not fall within the other two categories, as long as it looks and more importantly acts like a Serama is of the "traditional" type. By comparing the remaining two standards word for word, I got a bit clearer picture. What I take away is that the American Serama is a bird in balance - not too extreme, evenly distributed on both sides of the vertical without getting so "skinny" that the broad chest is lost or so large that the 'C' class is exceeded. Shape represented by something like the greek letter phi or one of those folded paper fans that when you open it is kind of paddle shaped. On the other hand, the Malaysian type sought (in the US or North America) is the "dragon" type of Ayam Malaysian Serama. It is a blockier bird with more extreme distribution of balance and spinal curvature. like a dollar sign with the top of the tail tilted back (75 degree angle).

For anyone else trying to understand the differences, I've written the combined standards below. Typed words unique to the American Serama Standard are in purple italics while words in bold red are unique to the Draft Malaysian Serama Standard - everything else is common to both. Note I've only prepared this for the males. Size categories are not included since one appears in ounces, the other in grams and I didn’t feel like doing the math. I'm not sure which standard includes the bit about leg and ear colors --- I didn't see anything in the copies I printed.

Shape of the Male

Comb: Single, small to medium, set firmly and evenly on head, straight and upright, evenly serrated - regular and distinct points **evenly serrated with five regular and distinct points, the middle points the same length as the width of the blade, moderately arched, blade should extend well over back of head.

Beak: Strong, stout and well curved.

Face: Small, rounded, smooth, fine in texture, free from wrinkle or folds.

Eyes: **small Round, conspicuous. Should not be placed in front of vertical line from legs or shanks when in pose.

Wattles: Small to medium, round, fine in texture, free from wrinkles or folds.

Ear Lobes: Small to medium, oval, fitting closely to the head.

Head: Small, with good width of skull, carried well back,**in a proud manner eye behind a line vertically drawn through shank.

Neck: ** Medium Moderate length, backward arched and curved showing off breast, full, tapering ** gracefully from shoulders to head, from head to neck to breast to stern a prominent 'S' shaped profile.

* Hackle: Abundant, flowing naturally from front of neck, partially covering shoulders, reaching far back so as to flow over saddle.

Back: ** Extremely Very short, broad, ** in profile, shaped like a V with neck and tail forming vertical sides hidden away by hackle. There should be no gap visible between the hackle and the tail.

Tail Coverts & Saddle: Slightly curved, sword shaped hanging over the abdomen and covering back, widely spread, overlapping the tail and lesser sickles.

Tail: Moderately large, carried at 75 degree angle. **and upright, carried in an upright position so as to almost contact the back of the head.

* Main Tail: Feathers **wide medium width, moderately spread in a neatly overlapping manner.**rising above the head, “A” shaped from the rear view. Moderately fanned open from the rear view.

* Main Sickles: **Medium to long Moderate, strong, firm, medium width, and **broad sword-shaped.**slightly curved.

* Lesser Sickles: Medium width,**medium to long medium length slightly upright, sword-shaped sickle feathers covered with coverts.

* Coverts: Abundant, medium width, **becoming very broad flowing well up tail

Wings: Large, long, **closely folded carried vertically not quite touching the ground. May be past vertical if bird is in strut.

* Shoulders and Fronts: Prominently forward, **prominent slightly concealed by hackle.

* Bows: Well rounded.

* Coverts: Feathers broad, forming two distinct bars across wings.

* Primaries: Long of Moderate width **rather long, completely concealed by secondaries.

* Secondaries: Broad. **tapering convexly to rear, wing bay well exposed

Breast: Highly lifted, well developed, full, carried prominently forward *beyond with the top of the breast forming a shelf and extending well in front of a vertical line drawn from point of beak, broad and well rounded, from head to neck to breast to stern a prominent 'S' shaped profile. These traits should be seen when the Serama pulls to its maximum position.

Body & Stern:

* Body: Short and compact, good depth and width. **sloping from front to rear

* Stern: Fluff, short, abundant.

Legs & Toes:

* Legs **Average Moderate length, widely set, parallel to each other without bowing or knock-knees; well proportioned.

* Lower Thighs: **Short Moderate length, stout at top and tapering to hocks.

* Shanks: **short Moderate length, smooth, round, evenly scaled.

* Toes: Four, straight, well and evenly spread, evenly scaled.

Appearance: Small, broad, compact, active, tame, standing up **majestically with regal and imperial splendor.