Chickens of the Yokohama breed are not ordinary layers, which were bred in Russia before Yuri Dolgoruky founded Moscow.
Before you are real aristocrats of the chicken family, a decorative breed, German factory breeders worked on the creation and improvement of which for several decades.
However, in fact, the genus of these noble birds goes far back into centuries, to the Far East, where these chickens were considered status birds at the noblemen’s court, and later also the birds of the emperor himself.
It is worth noting that peacocks played a similar role in the courts of the rulers of the Middle East.
Chickens Phoenix: breed description and features
One more thing is related to the royal peacocks of the Yokohama hens - the beauty of the chicken aristocrats is also in their tail.
It is worth noting that here the German and Japanese Phoenix are very different - if the "Japanese" tails are incredibly huge and eventually reach ten or more meters, then the Germans were guided by practicality in forming the breed and therefore the tail was shortened to "only" three meters.
However, judging by information from already Japanese breeders, even 10 meters is not the limit and soon a breed with a tail of sixteen or more meters will be finally bred.
The meaning of the breeding of such a bird remains unclear, since even the current Yokohama chickens experience obvious discomfort when walking with a lowered tail, forcing the owners to literally walk their pets, lifting their tails personally.
The following article will discuss the German breed of chickens, which has become dominant throughout the world.
It is almost impossible to get the Japanese breed of chickens outside the islands, not only because of its incredible fastidiousness to the conditions of the institution, but also because the direct sale of these chickens is prohibited and the violator faces a considerable fine.
The only alternative to selling is to exchange, and even it presents some difficulties.
At the sight of the Phoenix in geneticists, ornithologists, and in general bird lovers, the question immediately arises - why don't the Yokohama hen shed its tail, like all normal birds?
The answer is that the tail doesn’t fade because some gloomy Japanese genius found the gene responsible for molting and managed to slow it down with the help of proper selection, which provided not an annual molt, but a gradual renewal of feather cover for five years.
Aside from the outstanding tail, the Yokohama hens are nothing special - they are medium-sized birds with a white or off-white color (others are also possible, but incredibly rare) and smooth, dense plumage.
Comb pea or nut and is one of the criteria for the breed. The legs of the birds are bare, the presence of down or feathers on them may be grounds for disqualifying the bird from the exhibition.
Oryol calico chicken is another decorative breed. She is known around the world for its unusual appearance.
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In the year the chicken brings from 80 to 100 cream-colored eggs, weighing about 50 grams. The weight of the birds themselves depends on the sex - if the roosters reach a weight of 1.5-2 kg with ease, then chickens rarely cross over 1,300 grams. In particular, because of this, the breed is very well suited for hatching eggs.
The meat is quite edible and even tasty., so that Phoenix can be derived as a meat breed, although in this case the profitability of the production will be low.
Sexual maturity in birds occurs at the age of six months, but the formation completely ends in two years. Yokohama hens fly very well, so do not forget about this when ordering and installing fences.
On the basis of the Yokohama hens, the Yokohama bantams were bred, which are distinguished by their reduced size. In general, except for reducing the weight of the egg to 30 grams and the increased number of eggs brought per year (up to 160, according to the owners), all of the above applies to them.
A photo
Here is an individual of German origin:
Photo of a rooster and a phoenix chicken, sitting in a cage for fertilization:
And this representative seems to be posing for the camera:
A well-made photograph of a rooster walking outside:
But in the following two photos you will see the real Japanese Phoenix with a long tail:
Features of the content and cultivation
The most important thing in growing Yokohama breed chickens is to remember the length of their tail. Accordingly, you need to install high perches, the ideal option would be 120-140 cm from the ground and above. In addition, do not forget about the regular cleaning of both the cages and the chickens themselves - a lush tail instantly collects all the dirt from the floor, as well as small debris.
However, the owner’s torment does not end there - hens regularly require fresh air, so that they cannot be closed in a sterile unit. However, everything here, as often happens with the Phoenixes, rests on the length of the tail.
If your rooster’s tail is “only” 1.5–2 meters, then he will most likely be able to walk normally himself, albeit with your support from time to time.
But if the length of the plumage is three meters standard for the breed, then you will find exciting walks either with a rooster in your arms, or with a special holder for the tail. What to do - beauty requires sacrifice.
And such roosters can only rejoice - the Japanese Phoenixes have no freedom of movement at all and they live in twenty-twenty centimeters cages, suspended at a height of two meters or more, and they feed and water to these same roosts.
These feathered friends of a man walk with a tail wound on papillon.
But the dwarf Bentak-Phoenixes of the above drawbacks are deprived, since their tail simply does not grow to such length. So, if you are not sure that you will cope with the conclusion of “full-fledged” Yokohama people, then try to bring out the dwarfs - according to many, they are even prettier.
In addition, dwarf breeds of chickens are much more economical and tastier, and their eggs resemble quail to taste.
As for food, there are no special complaints about it, mainly birds of this species are used as soft food (mostly in the morning), and grain (it is better to give in the evening). Feed the birds twice a day, but it is possible more often if weight gain is your priority.
The Yokohama chickens view the temperature regime with contempt - many owners mention that their feathered pets adore pecking snow and generally refuse to enter the aviary in the winter.
The complete Japanese genes and interbreeding with the English fighting breed must have had an effect (the most popular version of the breeding of the German Phoenix mentions the English and Old English hens as ancestors).
On the other hand, the chicken overnight place is better to warm to the maximum - the ridges of the Phoenix are very large and the long exposure to low temperatures can lead to frostbite.
INTERESTING FACT: According to Feng Shui, Phoenix chickens should be kept in the southern part of the yard. So in the family wealth will not be transferred and an atmosphere of wealth and well-being will appear.
It is also interesting that when crossing Phoenix with any other breed (for example, with Padua), the chance of transmitting the long tail gene is almost one hundred percent. So, if you are interested in practical selection, then it is possible to start with Phoenixes.
Where to buy in Russia?
On the territory of the Russian Federation, you can buy Yokohama chicken, but only in those regions where there are enthusiasts. It is on chicken farms that this breed is not divorced, due to its decorative effect and seeming impracticality.
However, the breed is quite popular, so finding a seller will not be particularly difficult, especially on thematic forums. A good example of this is www.pticevody.ru, and specifically - the theme //www.pticevody.ru/t258-topic. There you can read the opinions of the owners, as well as ask them those questions that you are interested in.
Do you know Adler chicken? They can be kept on the farm for several years!
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Analogs
From an industrial point of view, the breed has many analogues, but from the point of view of decorativeness, there is only one analogue - real Japanese chickens, Phoenixes. And if you consider that getting them is extremely difficult, then we can say that there are practically no analogues in Phoenix, not counting hybrids with other, not long-tailed breeds.
However, he doesn’t need them - those who are interested in 300 eggs per year and maturity at three months in any case will choose another breed, leaving Phoenixes to those who want to delight not only the stomach, but also the look.
So, if you want to become like the Japanese emperors of ancient times and enjoy the view of beautiful birds, while eating quite tasty and nutritious eggs, then this breed is for you.
