Long Term Goals
Goals
2001 - first importation of serama into the United States. This importation being of 35 males and 100 females, all adults, being brought through USDA and then being certified by NPIP. This import represents the only import with enough genetic material to establish a sound gene pool. All other lines that will be imported later can add even more genetic material to the US serama population as well, though the one import is large enough to be established as a genetically viable closed flock, due to the numbers imported. The ALBC only considers a genetically viable flock to consist of more than 50 hens and 5 or more roosters. The first import of 2001 far exceeds this number. Smaller imports can make significant additions to this gene pool, but because of this import, the serama can now be established in the US and without a terrible establishment period, where only have two or three birds to work with as has been the case with other recent imports in other breeds of domestic fowl. While in the beginning, many of us may work with just a very few birds, the most important things to do are to start selecting for type and hardiness, while getting as many large flocks established as possible, thus giving us the ability to breed the serama up in numbers. By having the numbers, we may then select for and get birds of excellent type with great vigor and overall quality, thus being able to advance the breed more soundly and with a wider gene pool.
2002 - 2004 - SCNA inception, fourth year of serama in the US.
Current to five years hence - establishing type, vigor/resistance and production/reproduction traits. Beginning to select for and breed up the three e-alleles in the serama in the US into homozygous populations for e-allele, so as to allow for the quick and orderly development of serama color vaieties in the near future. By getting the e-alleles pure, it will be very easy and fast to have wheaten and bbred, for instance, in the standard at the very beginning nad within a five year period these and a few very easy varieties should be ready for introduction and standardization at the end of this five year period, ending in 2009.
2009-2010 - Preparation for Standardization meet(s). Pooling records and birds. Working on the final stages of setting e-allele purity in our flocks.
Six Years from Present - 2010 - Standardization, beginning of establishment of color varieties. The first color varieties that should be established and standardized should be e+ duckwing and eWh wheaten. Black and White may also be ready by this time. It is possible that black tailed buff or black tailed silver (Db or Co on eWh) or ginger red, ginger gold, ginger silver (Db or Co on e+) could be finished or nearly so by this time too. More comles colors will probably take longer to be set, but it is possible some could be ready or very close to it by this time.
2010 to 2015 - refinement and perfecting. During this time, we would focus on the more advanced points, the details known as refinements. Here is the time when we could give much greater focus to size, color breeding and perfecting several varieties, deciding on leg colors for the given varieties (hopefully based on sound genetic correlations between e-allele and shank color), perfecting comb form, etc; all the fine tuning that will make them into very refined and well bred specimens, a thing which is never achieved in a rush. If this can be done only fifteen years after the improtation of the serama to the US, then we as a generation will have set a record in the establishment, standardization and refinement of an imported breed.
2015 to 2020 - fullest development, advancements, reinvigorating. At this time, the serama would have been around long enough to have seen trends and fads, both in form and color, and to see certain forms starting to take on more popularity, some colors should be very well bred and very set. Types should be high and fully developed. Some populations of very small birds will exist and may be in the process of becoming commonplace. Different strains and lines will have emerged, showing the unique touches of taste and aesthetic. At this time, it will be extremely important that larger sized lines have been maintained (and that the e-alleles have been carefully noted, with all the color varieties on the proper e-alleles) as outcrosses. It is to be hoped that everyone heeds the advice of breeding from large numbers and breeding in large numbers so as to keep their gene pools wide. If that is the case, at this point, the outcrosses will not need to be radical, and some simple outcrosses, between closely related genetic variations on the same e-allele, will probably suffice. In the smallest sized lines, some breeding to slightly larger (B sized) fowl should occur from time to time, but in stock where it hasnt to this point, it will be a very good idea to make one or two outcrosses to bring in more genetic variation, gradually. At this time, the larger flocks should still be continuing, building the base for continued development of resistance, type and vigor, allowing the perfect outcross to the smaller birds. In situations where too few a number of birds has been used from the start, there may be evidence of inbreeding showing insuch lines, and steps must be taken to remedy this if it should come to pass. An outcross, as distant as possible and carrying much vigor and type, of any size, should be made in such instances and strength bred back in before too much inbreeding is followed again in those lines.
