At a glance the quick version
Wikipedia: males 450 to 500 g, females 300 to 450 g.
Looks how to spot one
Normal smooth feathering; silkie-feathered and frizzled forms also exist
A tiny bird with a very upright, proud stance: a full, forward-thrust breast, a short back, wings held almost vertically near the ground and an upright tail. Smooth-feathered birds are the standard in Malaysia, while silkied forms are popular in America and Europe.13
Personality what they are like
Confident and upright in bearing, yet calm, friendly and easy to handle. Seramas are bred for good nature, enjoy human company and cope well with small, confined housing.13
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Lively and able fliers, but their small size means a compact, secure run or pen covers their exercise needs.3
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Chickens keep their own feathers in order by preening and dust bathing, so the main jobs are a dry dust-bath area, clean dry bedding, daily flock checks and regular egg collection. Seramas handle heat well but are not cold hardy, so give them warm, draught-free shelter in winter. Hens can lay up to about four small eggs a week.31
Home where they are happiest
A secure, dry, well-ventilated but draught-free coop with perches and nest boxes, plus a fenced run with a patch of dry soil for dust bathing. The RSPCA suggests about 1 m² of indoor space per bird where possible. Their tiny size means a small coop or cage can house them, but it must be kept warm and free of draughts in cold weather.45
Food basics what goes in the bowl
A complete commercial poultry ration is the base: chick starter, then grower, then layer feed once hens begin laying. Provide insoluble grit, oyster shell as extra calcium for laying hens, and constant clean water.45
Company who they like around
Chickens are flock animals that forage, roost and dust bathe together, so keep at least three birds that get along.4
The story where it all began
The Serama was created in Kelantan, Malaysia, from the early 1970s by crossing Japanese bantams with small local Malaysian birds. Breeder Wee Yean Een named it after Sri Rama, a hero of traditional shadow-puppet plays, and it was first exhibited in 1990. Birds reached the UK in 2004 and the US soon after.12
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
The Serama is the smallest chicken breed in the world, standing about 25 cm tall or less.1
- 2
About five Serama eggs add up to one large standard hen's egg.3
- 3
Serama eggs usually hatch in about 19 days, two days sooner than most chickens.3
- 4
In Malaysia, Seramas are trained to pose on a table in front of judges and are admired as 'living works of art'.2
Recognised by the official bits
- The Poultry Club of Great Britain
- Classed as a true bantam; the Serama Club of Great Britain was recognised in 2008.1
- American Poultry Association and American Bantam Association
- White variety accepted in April 2011.1
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Serama. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- Fresh food and waterevery day
- Egg collectevery day
- Coop spot cleanevery day
- Coop full cleanFresh bedding and nest boxesevery month
- Mite checkLook under the wings and around the ventevery 2 weeks
- Dust bath checkKeep a dry dust bath spotevery week
- Free rangeDaily time outside in a safe runevery day
- Vet check-upFind a vet who sees poultryevery year
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at support@furrydiary.app and we will fix it.
- Serama - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.orgused for origin, naming, recognition, weights, height, posture, temperament, egg rate
- Serama - The Poultry Club of Great Britain poultryclub.orgused for development in Kelantan, ancestry, name, UK arrival, exhibition
- Serama - BackYard Chickens backyardchickens.comused for temperament, climate needs, egg size and hatch time, colours
- Keeping chickens as pets - RSPCA rspca.org.ukused for general chicken housing, social needs, feeding
- Care of the Backyard Chicken - Lafeber Vet lafeber.comused for general chicken space, perches, diet stages
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.