Serama Chicken Eggs: Guide and FAQ

The Serama originated in Malaysia and is one of the smallest breeds of chicken in the world.

Measuring 6-10” inches tall and weighing just under one pound, some Serama varieties are considered micro size.

Seramas have extremely friendly personalities, and some chicken owners keep them as pets.

The Serama chicken is a fairly new breed, and white Seramas were not recognized by the American Poultry Association until 2011, followed by the black Serama in 2018.

Besides black and white, Seramas come in various colors, including chocolate, wheaten, and gray.

The Serama chicken has an upright stance with a puffed-out chest and erect tail feathers, making it a popular choice at poultry exhibitions.

Seramas are typically raised as show birds or pets, but despite their small body size, they are decent egg layers.

The egg size of Seramas is tiny compared to other chicken breeds.

It would take five Serama eggs to equal the size of one standard chicken egg.

Read on for more information about Serama chicken eggs, and learn how many eggs these small birds lay yearly.

serama hens and eggs

When Will Serama Chickens Lay Eggs?

Young Serama pullets will start laying eggs when they are 16-18 weeks old, but these chickens are not fully mature until 15-18 months. Despite their small size, Serama hens are decent layers and will produce between 4-5 eggs per week.

When your Serama chicks are about 16 weeks of age, gradually switch their diet to a high-quality layer feed with a 16% protein content.

The layer feed contains the essential nutrients Serama hens need to prepare for egg laying.

Since Seramas are so small, they cannot eat the same pellet feed you would give to a larger chicken.

Further Reading: Cute and small chicken breeds with pictures (the Serama is one of them)

The best type of layer feed for Seramas is a mash or crumble, such as this one.

Offer a separate dish of crushed oyster shells to ensure the hens receive enough calcium.

Calcium is vital for strong eggshell growth and helps prevent egg binding.

You must also provide plenty of clean, fresh water for your hens to avoid dehydration.

Dehydration is very serious for hens and may lead to decreased egg production or severe health issues.

Laying eggs strains a Serama hen’s small body, so it is crucial for her to receive proper nutrition.

How Long Do Serama Chickens Lay Eggs?

Serama chickens will lay eggs for up to five years, which is good, considering their average lifespan is around seven years. The Serama hen may not stop producing eggs in her lifetime, but egg production will steadily decrease as the bird ages.

The length of egg production varies among individual chickens.

Micro-size Seramas tend to have more reproductive issues and shorter lifespans due to genetics.

Since Serama chickens start laying eggs at a younger age than most hens, they are less likely to continue laying in their old age.

serama egg laying facts

How Many Eggs Do Serama Chickens Lay a Year?

Serama chickens lay anywhere from 180 to 250 eggs per year. Peak egg production usually occurs in a Serama hen’s first laying season. Egg production will then gradually decline each year by around 15%.

It is natural for hens of any chicken breed to lay fewer eggs as they age.

Seramas are considered ornamental birds used for show purposes or kept as pets.

Even though Seramas are not bred for egg production, they are still decent egg layers.

To encourage your Serama hens to lay more eggs, provide them with plenty of comfortable nesting boxes.

One nesting box for every three laying hens is recommended since it is unlikely for all of the hens to lay their eggs simultaneously.

Your Seramas also need a high-protein layer feed and oyster shells to produce healthy eggs.

Ensure your chickens always have access to clean, fresh water as well.

Allowing your Serama chickens to free-range is another way for the birds to get extra vitamins and minerals by foraging for insects.

Keeping your hens happy and healthy will ensure steady egg production.

How Often Do Serama Chickens Lay Eggs?

Serama chickens produce about 4-5 eggs per week, which means your hens are laying eggs almost every other day. Unlike most chicken breeds, Seramas will continue laying eggs into the winter months. In fact, Seramas lay a majority of their eggs from November through February.

Serama chickens originate in the tropical climate of Malaysia, but they are well-adapted to all types of weather.

However, if you are raising Seramas in the Northern part of the United States with extremely cold temperatures, you may see a decline in egg production during these months.

Related Reading: Are Serama Chickens Cold Tolerant?

A unique feature of Serama chickens is they do not stop laying eggs when they molt.

Most breeds of chicken go through a molting process in the fall, lasting between 8-16 weeks.

During molting, laying hens will stop producing eggs to focus their energy on growing new feathers.

Serama chickens are different because they do not undergo a prolonged molting process.

Instead, Seramas molt almost every day, dropping loose feathers here and there.

Continuous molting does not seem to bother Seramas, as they simply drop the old feathers and continue with their day.

serama chickens and how to incubate eggs

What Color Are Serama Chicken Eggs?

Serama chickens are unique because their eggs range in color from light cream to dark brown. Most chickens lay uniformly-colored eggs with very little difference in hue. The color variation in Serama eggs has to do with genetics.

Nobody is sure about the genetic history of the Serama chicken, but it is believed they have been cross-bred with Rhode Island Reds and Rhode Island Whites at some point.

Seramas with more Rhode Island Red genetics tend to lay more brown eggs.

The pigment of a brown layer’s eggs is stored inside the oviducts, where it is deposited onto the eggshell.

This pigment coats the egg’s outer shell in a thin layer, and sometimes it may be rubbed off by an abrasive substance.

There is a limited amount of pigment stored in a hen’s body.

Early in the laying season, a hen’s eggs may start with a dark brown color.

As the hen lays more eggs, they will gradually become lighter through the end of the season.

This explains why some Serama eggs are a dark brown color while others are cream or almost white.

Can You Eat Serama Chicken Eggs?

It is possible to eat Serama chicken eggs, but you will need a lot of them to make a meal. It takes up to five Serama eggs to equal the same volume as just one large chicken egg. In some countries, Serama chicken eggs are considered a delicacy.

For a size comparison, Serama chicken eggs weigh between 14-18 grams, which is less than one ounce.

Standard large chicken eggs weigh at least 56 grams, which equals almost two ounces.

While Serama eggs are very small, they taste no different than larger chicken eggs.

Serama eggs also contain the same nutrients as larger eggs, just in smaller amounts per egg.

Finding Serama eggs for eating is challenging unless you raise the chickens yourself.

Most Serama eggs are sold for hatching, costing between $3 to $10 each.

Do Serama Hens Go Broody?

Serama hens tend to go broody, and they are known to make excellent mothers. Unfortunately, Serama chickens are so small they often have difficulty incubating a large number of eggs, resulting in a low hatch rate.

If you have a mixed flock with some bantam-sized broody hens, you may be able to get them to incubate some of the Serama’s eggs along with their own.

Silkies are an excellent choice for this job, as they will incubate almost any egg in their nest.

Some Silkies have even been known to incubate duck eggs successfully.

Never use a large hen to incubate the tiny Serama eggs.

The larger hen’s weight will be too much for the small Serama eggs, and they may get crushed.

If you do not want your Serama hen to stay broody, you will need to separate her from the rest of the flock for 2-3 days.

Place the broody hen in a cage raised above the ground to protect her from predators, and do not place any comfortable bedding inside.

Keep the cage out of direct sunlight, and provide the hen with plenty of food and water.

After 2-3 days, the hen will likely snap out of her broody mood, and she may return to the rest of the flock.

Never keep the broody hen isolated for more than three days, as this will cause her to become very stressed.

Monitor the Serama hen’s behavior after releasing her back into the flock.

If the hen runs straight to her nesting box and refuses to leave, she will need to be isolated for a couple more days.

More Details: Serama Chickens, Broodiness, And What To Do

serama chicken eggs for your backyard farm

Can You Incubate Serama Chicken Eggs?

It is possible to incubate Serama chicken eggs on your own with the proper setup. There are times when your Serama hen lays more eggs than she can incubate on her own. If you want the eggs to have a chance to hatch, you may help her out by incubating them yourself.

Before placing the Serama eggs in an incubator, carefully inspect them for cracks or other flaws.

Discard deformed eggs, as they are unlikely to be viable.

It takes approximately 19-21 days for Serama eggs to hatch if they are viable.

The temperature setting in the incubator must be 99.5° degrees Fahrenheit (37.5° C) at all times.

Humidity levels need to range from 45 to 50% for the first 18 days.

Raise the humidity to 65% on day 18, just before the eggs hatch.

Ensure the incubator has adequate ventilation to allow oxygen to flow into the porous egg shells and carbon dioxide to flow out.

Do not be alarmed if all of the eggs do not hatch, as Serama eggs have a decreased hatch rate.

Seramas have inherited the lethal gene from their Japanese bantam ancestors.

The lethal gene prevents baby chicks from being able to get into the hatching position to break open the egg, causing them to die.

Smaller strains of Seramas, such as the micro size, are more prone to carrying the lethal gene.

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!

Let us improve this post!

Tell us how we can improve this post?

SHARE:

Author

Growing up amidst the sprawling farms of the South, Wesley developed a profound connection with farm animals from a young age. His childhood experiences instilled in him a deep respect for sustainable and humane farming practices. Today, through Farmpertise.com, Wesley shares his rich knowledge, aiming to inspire and educate others about the joys and intricacies of rural life.

Advertiser Disclosure

We are reader-supported and may earn an affiliate commission when you buy through links on our website. To be 100% clear, you should assume that we will earn a commission on any product you purchase after clicking on links or images on this website.

Our affiliate partners include but are not limited to Amazon.com.

In addition, we generate revenue through advertisements within the body of the articles you read on our site.

Although we only recommend products that we feel are of the best quality (which we may or may not have personal experience with) and represent value for money, you should be aware that our opinions can differ.

A product we like and recommend may not be suitable for your unique goals. So always be sure to do your due diligence on any product before you purchase it.