WELCOME TO THE SERAMA COUNCIL
OF
NORTH AMERICA




Hello and thanks for taking a look at our new website. We are a non profit organization incorporated in November 2003 to promote the further breeding, development and improvement of the serama in North America. Our growth has been phenomenal and on July 17, 2006 SCNA officially became the Parent Club and Sanctioning Organization for the American Serama.

SCNA offers various educational programs for breeders and judges alike, as well as providing local, state or district Serama Club Sanctioning and a full range of support programs designed to help our member Sanctioned Clubs from their inception through holding SCNA Sanctioned Shows.

We are very excited about this new breed and find that excitement is growing by leaps and bounds as more people see and experience this new breed. The serama was first imported from Malaysia in 2000 by Jerry Schexnayder, one of our founding members.

We have several objectives with the serama, the first and foremost of which is to promote the establishment of well bred flocks of the serama throughout North America, with focus on type, hardiness, reproductive qualities and size, as our major focus. You will note that type is listed first and size is listed last amongst our criterion. While size is a very important factor in grading serama (A, B or C size), type is the key and it is type that makes the breed rather than size. While size is important, and the serama is known as the smallest of all chicken breeds, the establishment of type is of utmost importance, as the tiniest bird without type is a cull. Since the serama was first imported to America, an over-emphasis has been placed on size, while type has not been given as much attention. This is natural, since the very tiny sizes of A size serama (under 350 grams) is a striking trait and in and of itself creates much excitement, but the marker of a breed is type, and thus we give type as the first and foremost trait to focus on, as these birds are established in America.

Serama can be colorbred, like any other poultry, to that end SCNA is working to help our members who wish to participate in varioius color projects the opportunity to do so under the guidelines of SCNA and eventual SCNA Color Standards. SCNA also recognizes the importance of maintaining a sound genetic diversity within our flocks and to this end we also encourage our members to maintain non colorbreed flocks as well so that Serama breeders will have a continual source of genetic material.

While certain colors (reds, golds, yellow and mottled) are preferred, the focus of serama breeding is the form of the bird. Leg color and earlobe color are also not factors in this breed. This is to allow the full development and _expression of type and size which are the markers of this breed. In Malaysia, serama are shown in three recognized sizes (A, B and C). While preference is shown in Malaysia for the smallest birds, any of the three sizes are shown in their own classes and the type of the bird is the main consideration in showing. While certain colors are preferred, none are disqualified. We have decided to thus follow these criterion in establishing the American Serama.

Personality and temperament are also important factors to consider in this breed, as these birds should be very gentle and confident. Wild, flighty and aggressive birds are very undesirable. Reproductive qualities are of importance with this breed, as with any other, as well. B and C sized birds often make the best breeders. The very tiny size seems to be a recessive gene and thus very small A sized birds can come from breedings of B and C birds. While A sized males may show good reproductive traits, many A sized females are less reliable for reproductive traits. This is very similar to other tiny breeds of animals, such as Chihuahua, etc. In establishing a breeding group, careful records and attention should be given to both egg production, fertility, and the quality of young. Further, egg eating and other negative traits should be noted and culled, as there is some evidence that these traits have a genetic basis. Another important point in establishing a breeding flock is that sickly birds and those who are repeatedly sick should not be bred from, regardless of other good qualities, as there is much evidence that such traits are of genetic origin and can easily be passed along, impairing entire flocks when it is ignored. In establishing the serama in North America, we need to focus on not only pretty birds of high type, but also birds of high quality in every sense of that word. There are many traits which are very valuable but are not noticeable at a glance. We would like to see the serama embody a wealth of fine traits, rather than (like so many other exhibition poultry breeds) just be pretty, but "empty packages". In this site you will find much useful information. Enjoy and come back often.

*NOTE TO VISITORS

If the Serama Council of North America has caught your fancy and if our Council sounds appealing to you, we would very much like you to consider joining the SCNA today. We welcome your membership with enthusiasm. Please follow directions on the Member Dues page.

Thank You.
Jerry Schexnayde