Frequently Asked Questions

There are inherent dangers in shipping hatching eggs or live chickens. Unfortunately, the USPS insurance treats eggs and live chickens as perishables. They are an insurance exception and cannot be insured. In the event of any loss or tragedy with shipping, we can not issue a refund. 

Priority does insure a courtesy claim of $100 under certain circumstances. In the event this should occur, we will pass the $100 on to you. There can be no recourse to Diamond Seramas or Feathered Diamonds. We have no control over shipping once your eggs or birds leave our premises.

Hatching Seramas can be a bit tricky. Please see the Hatching 🥚🐣 page.

Seramas are from Malaysia. We adhere to our rule of 50/95. Under 50⁰ and over 95⁰ requires heat or air conditioning (respectively). Malaysia is a humid and tropical climate. So, keeping them warm and toasty...around 72⁰ in the winter...is recommended.

Getting one pair? Why not house them in a guinea pig/rabbit cage inside your home? We recommend about 36-48 inches length by 18-24 inches width and 2 feet high.

Some Seramas enjoy perching. We place a sturdy branch on the bottom of their cage. You can make your own perch by simply setting a garden paver, cut tree trunk approx. 6wx3h, etc.in their cage. There is no need to have a perch any higher up. Safety is paramount and we have our perches grounded. They are happy and content just an inch or two up.

Seramas are more like house birds than chickens. We do not recommend free ranging. Here, we do supervised recess only. They are tiny and easy prey for just about every predator. Even larger chickens in your flock could become a predator to them.

If you must house them outside in a coop, please keep the 50/95 rule in place. This will help avoid an unnecessary tragedy. Insulation, adding (ambient) heat as necessary with heaters. We recommend 72⁰ for extended cold periods. Of course, adding a brooder plate, heat plate or mat is always helpful when temperatures drop.

It is in their nature to stand that way. They have been bred to be show pieces. They are truly living works of art. The frames of their bodies are built to have a very upright, vertical stance with a pronounced breast a bit of the shape kind of like a rocket. Most breeds of chickens are more horizontal and "look" more like an airplane rather than a rocket.

Posing is part, a big part, of the training and makes up about a quarter of the score the bird receives from the judges.

The Serama makes a wonderful companion. We always say that they are more like house birds than chickens. Because they are so little, they require very little space. 

Seramas should only be let outside of their cages for what we call "supervised recess", where they are safe from predators such as dogs, cats and birds of prey. As long as there are people within earshot who recognize when they are under threat, they will "sound their alarms".

They are inexpensive to keep as each Serama consumes very little feed per month. 

They have docile, kind, sweet personalities. They are family friendly and actually need and crave human interaction and attention. 

We like to wash  Seramas 4 to 6 days before the show. The type of shampoo to use should be very soft and gentle on the chicken. Dawn will work in a pinch.

We do like to add a couple drops of glycerin to their water at the end of rinsing to help give them a headstart to replenishing the oils lost from washing. (That is also why we wash several days before the show. They need time for preening.)

Trim beaks and toe nails carefully and file. We keep styptic powder always nearby when trimming toe nails. The judge will notice a good manicure or a manicure that was needed and not done. We find no need to trim spurs unless they are completely uneven looking or so long that they are causing an issue for the cock.

On the day of the show, baby oil gel or coconut oil will shine the waddles, comb, beak and legs nicely. We also like using the pink sheen spray by Luster's to shine their feathers up. Be careful not to get it in their eyes or face when using.

A grooming box is smart to have on show day. Place your NPIP card or paperwork in it so it isn't accidentally left at home. Place all grooming items inside.

We include the following:

Styptic powder (stops bleeding from anything)

Cotton balls (used to clean feathers or apply baby oilgel or coconut oil)

Antibiotic ointment (just in case...we like Bacitracin. Never use antibiotic ointment on chickens that has added pain relief. Chickens cannot tolerate the active ingredient it contains.)

Wet wipes, washcloth, hand towel, hand wipes, toothbrush, paper towels (last minute clean ups)

Nail clippers and file

Feed cups/feed and water cups/water for our birds

Silk cloth (shines hard feathers nicely)

Pink Sheen Spray

Zip ties and a pocket knife (always comes in handy)

We keep cardboard in our car. (Sometimes we put it between coops to keep birds from fighting.)

Oh, and we always keep a couple camping chairs in our car if we are not familiar with the venue. Seating is often times lacking or limited.

Different types of Serama in the USA. This is one of the best and most easily understood explanations of the different types of erama that I have read. Thank you to author David Mills.

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There are 4 different type of Serama here in America. AMERICAN (standard type and colors accepted by the ABA), TRADITIONAL (same body as American but no color requirements), AYAM (US version of Malaysian type), and then MALAYSIAN (recent import of new blood birds different than the original 2001 import). Smooth, Silkied and Frizzled are the three feather types that Seramas come in.

APA accepted variety: white

ABA accepted varieties are: white, black, exchequer, splash, blue and red ginger

Table Top accepts all varieties: every variety "under the sun" can be shown

Our BASIC kit contains: disposable gloves, Vetericyn Spray, Vet Wrap, syringe or dropper, Preparation H (without pain relief), some type of eye wash (I like Vetericyn products), Sav-A-Chick Electrolyte packets, raw/unfiltered honey, antibiotic ointment (without pain relief, prefer Bacitracin), nail clippers, nail file, styptic powder (corn starch works), Vet RX, Vaseline, Ivermectin, Elector PSP, disposable scalpel, tweezers, Rooster Booster, Tylan (oral) and Corid.

Shipping

All shipping is via US Post Office Priority Express. Orders do not include shipping expenses. You will be notified of your shipping expenses prior to shipping.

Only live birds in good health and vigor are shipped. We do our best to ensure they have adequate fresh bedding, feed and hydration for their journey to you.

TEXAS🌼SHIPPING UPDATE🌼Shipping requirements to Texas have changed in 9/2022. Due to these changes, Diamond Seramas will no longer be shipping live birds to Texas. We apologize for any inconvenience. For more details about the new poultry import requirements for Texas, please call Texas Permits Help Desk 512-719-0777 or Texas Program Records Manager, Dusty Boullion, directly at 512-719-0725.

Returns

Due to the nature of live birds, and shipping eggs, once delivered, there are no returns.  Deposits will be forfeited if you do not take delivery of your order. Once live birds leave our hands, they are considered delivered, no matter if they are picked up in person, taken to the USPS or traveling with a private transport.

Payments

Birds cannot be held. Payments to be made as a one time payment in full at the time of purchase. Partial payments or deposits will not be considered (unless specials are being run). Thank you for your understanding. We accept, PayPal (please add the 4% fee), Venmo, Zelle and CashApp. You may also send cash through Wal-Mart Money Center.