The Frizzle Serama bantam.

What is the Frizzle Serama bantam?

The Frizzle feathered Serama was long thought to have been an American creation or a cross breeding between the frizzle bantam or the frizzle Japanese. Many claim it to be a mongrel or cross breed. Though it is true that the frizzle feathered Serama does occur in Malaysia itself and seems to be growing in popularity especially in Indonesia with several photographed specimens, many of which are of reasonably good quality.

While it is not popular or permitted to be exhibited at beauty contests in Malaysia the fact remains that it is a Malaysian creation. This means it is possible for frizzle feathered Serama to occur in imported stock from Malaysia as it would appear that some strains of Serama are homozygous for a frizzle modifier gene.

This means that they do not have to externally display frizzle feathering to produce frizzle offspring. This is very rare and almost goes against normal frizzling genetics

This beautiful female is 100% Malaysian bred and was bred from both straight parents hence the lack of frizzling in her tail and wings, her parents carried the frizzle modifier genetic.

Below: A magnificent frizzle Serama bantam chicken.

The frizzle Serama is popular in the USA and becoming popular in Europe also, with specimens exhibited already in Holland.

While here in the UK the frizzle Serama is not yet recognised by the Serama club GB, it can still be exhibited at any show provided it is entered into a non standard breed class, some websites contradict this, though if you contact the Secretary of the Poultry Club Of Great Britain then it can be confirmed that it is possible to exhibit these birds provided they are not shown alongside standardised Serama.

Below: A Frizzle feathered Serama male from Indonesia.

It is believed that the Japanese bantams and Ayam Walik were used in the initial breeding of Serama and that these are what introduced the frizzled genetics.

The frizzle feathered Serama in Malaysia is called the Ayam Serama Bulu Terbalik or Serama Walik which means Serama chicken with reversed feathers or upside down feathers.

I'm sure that no one can deny the quality of this bird shown below, even with her curly feathers she shows clear and correct Serama confirmation, dismissing the theory that frizzle feathering masks the true outline of the breed.

There are a few things to watch out for with frizzle Serama bantams, the feathers can be brittle and break easily and the birds will get cold much more easily as the feathers won't insulate the bird like a normal chickens feathers would.

If you are choosing frizzle Serama to buy, look for those with balanced even feathering.