Cocks of the walk: Malaysia's poultry pageant sees miniature serama chickens weighing just one pound compete for $10,000 prize

The beauty contests have been taking place in Malaysia for decades

According to experts, there are about 250,000 serama in Malaysia

Champion birds can fetch up to $10,000 if they win the top prize



Judges look for a bird with a puffed out chest and good posture



A pageant for tiny chickens sees a bird with its puffed-out chest stand upright focusing on its posture, and strutting its rich yellow plumage for a stoney-faced judge.

The chicken belongs to Mohamad Hatta who is as proud of his chicken as a father is of his children during the contest which took place near the capital of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.



'Yes my hero, puff out your chest!' Mohamad Hatta cries out above the din of fellow fowl-owners as his $10,000 bird pranced to victory in a 'beauty contest' for serama chickens.



Cocky: A judge watches as a Serama chicken struts down a judging table during a beauty contest at Kampung Pandan in Kuala Lumpur

The breed - among the smallest chickens in the world with adults weighing less than 500 grammes (17 oz) - have been a favoured pet in its native Malaysia for decades.

According to experts, there are about 250,000 serama in Malaysia.

But its popularity has spread as far as Europe and America, with enthusiast clubs popping up to celebrate the decorative breed's distinctive characteristics.

These include attractive and richly coloured plumage and a unique bearing marked by a protruding, heart-shaped chest and wings that hang straight to the ground, giving the pigeon-sized bird the air of a goose-stepping soldier on military parade.



Despite the Asian bird-flu outbreaks over recent years, the serama has remained popular loved by ardent enthusiasts who will pay up to several thousand dollars for a prize bird.

That's my girl: A Malaysian man prepares his prized Serama chicken 'Tokun' ahead of a beauty contest at Kampung Pandan in Kuala Lumpur - every bird likes to be pampered

Plucky: A prized Serama chicken 'Aramas' struts down a judging table during the popular beauty contest

Mohamad Hatta said: 'There are people who want to buy my bird. But I am not selling it. It is part of my family'.



The bird is believed to be a cross between the Malaysian wild fowl and Japanese bantam.

It first emerged decades ago as a decorative pet for Malaysia's state sultans before gaining a broader public following from the 1980s.

Some believe the breed originated as a long-ago gift from a Thai king to a Malaysian sultan.

Its name is thought to derive from 'Rama' - a term referring to Thailand's royalty.



Many Malaysians actually eat serama, believing that they are an aphrodisiac that also fights asthma.



Star bird: In this picture seasoned Serama beauty contest participant Pak Alang Ari makes final preparations to his chicken ahead of its debut

Serious contest: Judges sit out a series of tables to watch Serama chickens during a beauty contest which could pay out $10,000

Onlookers: A Malaysian family watches during a Serema Chicken beauty contest at Kampung Pandan in Kuala Lumpur

But the bird's attractiveness and good-natured, manageable disposition has pushed it up the pecking order of Malaysian pets.



Norzamini Tukiban, 54, heads the district chapter of Malaysia's serama association .

He said: 'These beautiful tiny birds give you great pleasure to own. They are warm and tame and this allows you to hold them, making serama birds adorable household pets.'



Ahmad Fauzi Mohamed, president of the Malaysia branch of the World Serama Federation, said the tiny bird has made its home overseas with serama clubs spring up in the United States, Canada, Belgium, Holland, South Korea and elsewhere.



Bold bird: It is important for the prized Serama chicken to be able to dazzle judges with their display of confidence and good posture

'Bootiful' chicken: This bird looks as though he thinks he'll win, standing straight with his chest held high

Dedication: Participants can spend hours preparing their Serama chickens for the beauty contest which is always taken incredibly seriously

The world federation has a membership of 35,000 and is growing by 10 per cent per year.

But Malaysia remains the serama heartland and contests are held almost weekly.



About 200 people turned out to the open-air community hall just outside Kuala Lumpur for a recent contest as driving tropical rain thundered down outside.



Lifting the diminutive competitors onto viewing tables, judges scored contestants on posture, feather quality, colour and temperament.



Hours of grooming precede shows, including embellishing plumage with additional feathers taped to the bird - which is allowed.



Oils are applied to enhance the sheen of plumage that can range widely in one bird from red to white to black.



A 2004 regional bird-flu outbreak gave breeders a scare, as the Malaysian government culled hundreds of serama along with other fowl to contain the contagion, though there were no reports of flu-infected serama.



Ahmad Fauzi said: 'Many owners hid their birds in the jungle, trying to save the species' .

But there are poultry import restrictions in the region which have hampered breeding and trade, forcing many enthusiasts to smuggle Malaysian chicks and eggs.

At present, demand continues to outstrip supply, and champions can fetch up to $10,000.



Fauzi Osman, a breeder from northern Malaysia said: 'Breeding is difficult and to get good-quality birds is extremely hard'.

'So die-hard enthusiasts like those from Indonesia will get someone to smuggle baby chicks for about $200 each.'



Who won: The men check the scores posted onto the wall after the beauty contest and work out which serema chicken got the most points

SERAMA: THE PLUCKY CHICKEN THAT CAN BE WORTH UP TO $10,000

Plucky, confident, and with a hint of bravado, the Serama originate in the Malaysian state of Kelantan. The bird is a result of cross breeding of the Malaysian wild fowl and Japanese bantam. It first emerged decades ago as a decorative pet for Malaysia's state sultans before gaining a broader public following from the 1980s. According to experts, there are about 250,000 serama in Malaysia.

However, they are also popular in the United States and Europe where they have dedicated fan clubs.

The tiny Serama are characterized by their upright posture, full breast and vertical tail feathers.



However, what they lack in stature they make up for in cockiness. In Malaysia they are described as brave warriors and archangel chickens, because of their very human like appearance.



However, they are the smallest breed of chicken in the world. Typically under 500g there are even smaller birds - at just under 250g - being bred in Malaysia.







