Serama
OrnamentalMalaysia
The Serama is the smallest chicken breed in the world, a Malaysian micro-bantam that stands like a toy soldier with its chest puffed and tail vertical. Their eggs are quail-sized and their personalities are enormous; some devotees even keep them as indoor house pets.
Eggs per year
150–200
Egg color
Cream
Egg size
Small
Hen weight
0.5–1.1 lbs
Temperament
Confident and personable
Broodiness
Often broody
Did you know?
In Malaysia, Seramas compete in beauty contests judged on posture and attitude — the birds are literally scored on how well they strut.
Serama egg production
Expect roughly 150–200 cream eggs a year from a Serama in her prime — about 3–4 a week, or 13–17 dozen over the course of a year. That makes it a solid, dependable layer. Production naturally dips during the annual molt and the short days of winter, and eases off as a hen ages past her second or third year. Most pullets lay their first egg somewhere between five and eight months old.
Temperament & handling
The Serama is generally described as confident and personable. They tend to be active, alert foragers that would rather be busy in the run than sitting in your lap, so give them space and things to do.
Climate & care
The Serama isn't especially cold-hardy, so in cold-winter regions give it a well-insulated, draft-free coop and take extra care to prevent frostbite. It handles summer heat comfortably too, given shade, cool water, and good airflow.
Broodiness & raising chicks
Seramahens go broody often and make devoted mothers, so you can let one hatch a clutch the natural way. If you'd rather incubate, our incubation calculator maps out candling and hatch day.
Space & feeding
A Serama hen is a bantam bird at 0.5–1.1 lbs. As a rule of thumb, a small flock of 6 would want around 12 sq ft of coop and 30 sq ft of run, with about 2 nest boxes and 5 ft of roost. Size it to your own flock with the coop size calculator, and estimate the monthly feed bill — and your real cost per egg — with the feed cost calculator.
Is the Serama right for you?
A great fit if…
- You want a dependable supply of eggs
- You'd like cream eggs in the basket
- You want a striking bird kept for looks and personality
- You keep chickens in a hot climate
- You'd love hens that hatch and raise their own chicks
Think twice if…
- You want the most low-maintenance possible first bird
- You face long, hard winters
- You want the absolute maximum egg output
- You only want eggs and would rather hens didn't go broody
Serama FAQ
- How many eggs do Serama chickens lay?
- A healthy Serama hen lays about 150–200 cream eggs a year — roughly 3–4 a week, or 13–17 dozen over a year. Output drops during winter and the annual molt, and eases as a hen ages.
- What color eggs do Seramas lay?
- Seramas lay cream eggs, small in size.
- How big do Serama chickens get?
- A Serama hen weighs roughly 0.5–1.1 lbs — a bantam bird — with roosters running a little heavier.
- Are Seramas cold-hardy?
- Not especially. The Serama does best in mild or warm climates; in cold-winter regions it needs an insulated, draft-free coop and extra care against frostbite.
- Are Seramas good for beginners?
- The Serama is confident and personable and tends to suit keepers with a little experience more than absolute beginners.
- Do Serama hens go broody?
- Often. Serama hens are reliable setters and devoted mothers — ideal if you'd like to hatch chicks naturally, less so if you only want eggs.
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