Ornamental fowl

The breed descriptions below are extracted from the official British Standard.

a letter from Julia Keeling, the Yokohama Registrar, on the Yokohamas of the Britian

YOKOHAMA - Large Fowl

Origin: Japan

Classification: Light, Rare

Egg colour: white or tinted

"These are the longtailed fowl originating in Japan, where they are considered to be a living national treasure. The first Yokohamas in Europe were imported into France by French missionary Mr Girard in 1864, being taken to Germany in 1869 by Mr Prosche from Dresden. The name Yokohama must have been given after the port in Japan from which the birds were shipped.

At the end of the nineteenth century several other German enthusiasts, the most well known being Mr Hugo du Roi, imported Onagadori. It was at this time the name Phoenix was given to the single-combed birds.

The names Yokohama and Phoenix are not recognised in Japan. What are known as Yokohamas in Britain are known under various breed names in Japan. There is also the European development of the Red Saddled Yokohama. This makes it rather difficult to have an all-inclusive standard.

However, as only two types are seen commonly in Britain, these are the ones standardised in detail here."

YOKOHAMA - GAME-COLOURED

(elsewhere known as PHOENIX. This classification covers as closely as possible, what would be known in Japan as Onagadori)

General Characteristics

MALE:

CARRIAGE: Stylish and pheasant-like

TYPE: Body fairly long and deep, full round breast, long back tapering to tail, long wings carried rather low but close to the body. Tail as long and flowing as possible, with a great abundance of side hangers, the sickles and coverts narrow, the whole tail carried low and forming a graceful curve.

HEAD: Skull small, slightly long and tapering. Beak strong and curved. Eyes bright and full of life. Comb single, small and upright, evenly serrated. Face of fine texture. Earlobes small, oval, fitting closely. Wattles medium-sized and rounded.

NECK: Long and furnished with flowing hackle, which should form a complete circle around the neck.

LEGS & FEET: Legs of medium length, the shanks fine and free of feather.Toes four, well spread.

FEMALE:

The back long, tapering to the tail and furnished with long saddle hackles.

Tail very long and carried horizontally with the two top feathers gracefully curved and the coverts sickle-like. The remaining general characteristics are similar to those of the male, allowing for the natural sexual differences.

COLOUR:

PLUMAGE: Black/Red, Silver Duckwing, Gold Duckwing, White, Black-tailed Buff, Blue/Red

BEAK: Horn (yellow or white allowed with white plumage)

EYES: Red/brown

COMB, FACE & WATTLES: Red

EARLOBES: White

LEGS & FEET: Yellow, Willow or Slate blue (White allowed with white plumage)

YOKOHAMA - RED SADDLED (a variety not standardised in Japan)

General Characteristics

MALE

CARRIAGE: Stylish and pheasant-like

TYPE: Body fairly long and deep, full round breast, long back tapering to tail, long wings held close to the body. Tail long and flowing, with a great abundance of side hangers, the sickles and coverts narrow; the whole tail carried low and forming a graceful curve.

HEAD: Skull small, slightly long and tapering. Beak strong and curved. Eyes bright and full of life. Comb walnut. Face of fine texture. Earlobes small, oval, fitting closely. Wattles small or absent. Dewlap slightly developed.

NECK: Long and furnished with flowing hackle, which should form a complete circle around the neck.

LEGS & FEET: Legs of longer length than in Game Coloured birds are acceptable in the Red Saddled. Shanks fine and free of feather. Toes four, well spread.

FEMALE:

The back long, tapering to the tail and furnished with long saddle hackles.

The tail very long and carried horizontally with the top two feathers gracefully curved and the coverts sickle-like. The remaining general characteristics are similar to those of the male, allowing for the natural sexual differences.

COLOUR:

PLUMAGE: White and Red. Breast and thighs red in the male and red-buff in the female, with well-defined, white, kite-shaped spangling at the end of each feather. The male's back and wing bow bright red, the former vignetted into the saddle. Remainder white.

BEAK: Yellow

EYES: Red

COMB, FACE & WATTLES: Red

EARLOBES: Red

LEGS & FEET: Yellow

There is also a pure white version of the Red Saddled Yokohama, in which white beak, legs and feet are allowed.

YOKOHAMA - ANY OTHER VARIETY (please use your "back" button to return form the links below)

All other variations of plumage colour, comb type, earlobe colour, etc are to be considered Yokohama-Any Other Variety. This category includes what in Japan would be known as Shokoku , Minohiki and Totenko.

SHOKOKU -Very long tail, Single comb, Red earlobes, red/brown eyes, colours: silver duckwing, gold duckwing, white. Believed to be the progenitor of all the Japanese longtails. Originating from the island of Shikoku.

MINOHIKI - (Mino saddle feather, Hiki dragging) Very long saddle hackle, medium length tail, Triple or Walnut comb, Red earlobes, Red/brown eyes, colours: Black/red all shades, Silver duckwing, Gold duckwing, White, Black-tailed Buff.

TOTENKO - Single comb, White earlobes, red/brown eyes, Colour: Black/red. This is the Tenor Crower of the Japanese Long Crowers.

(Totenko Tenor, Tomaru Baritone, Koe Yoshi Bass)

Yokohama A.O.V. may be exhibited under the general Yokohama classification where Yokohama A.O.V. is not separately scheduled.

Scale of points :

Tail 25 (any Rumpless version to be judged from a total allocation of only 75 points)

Type & Carriage 15

Size 15

Saddle hackle 10

Head 10

Colour 10

Condition 5

Neck 5

Legs & Feet 5

Weights :

Male : 1.8 2.7 kg (approx. 4 6 lbs)

Female : 1.1 1.8 kg (approx 2.5 4lbs)

Serious defects :

Yellow or straw coloured feathers in the white. White in the face. Too high tail carriage. Any deformity.

YOKOHAMA Bantam

Yokohama bantams should follow exactly the large fowl standard except for weights. It is a serious defect for Yokohama bantams to be too heavy.

Weights :

Male : 570 680 g (20 24 oz)

Female : 454 570 g (16 20 oz)

Note :

The OHIKI, a small longtailed breed from Japan, is a True Bantam and is not included in the Yokohama classification.

The SATSUMADORI, a longtailed game breed from Japan, is a Game Breed and is not included in the Yokohama classification.

"Here again I find a bit of the confusion of the modern Onagadori with the Phoenix / Yokohama breeds of Western origin. Historically speaking, all countries which have the breed "Phoenix Fowl" or the "Game-coloured Yokohama" started with material originating from Japan and most likely these imported birds were a prototype Onagadori or of the modern type. Too many countries still think of their Yokohamas and/or Phoenix as Onagadori. The specific and distinguishing characteristc of the ONAGADORI is that, under optimum coop and care conditions, a genetic trait, expressed by the gene "nm" effects the non-moulting of a certain number of the tail feathers - the more the better - causing them to grow for the lifetime of the bird. In the best examples, the saddle hackle should be at least 1/3 of the length of the main sickles. Please refer to the ONAGADORI link and to the PHOENIX-ONAGADORI DEBATE for more information.

The breeds which have been developed from the ONAGADORI have lost this trait, being developed from crosses of Gamefowl with original Japanese imports, and not being selected for the genotype thereafter. Unless the nonmoulting gene is present, a bird cannot be referred to as an ONAGADORI. The birds illustrated here show, however, a very similar phenotype to true Onagadori with such spectacular feathering! Great job, Julia!"- Marc King


home / to EUROPEAN BREEDS

The breed descriptions below are extracted from the official British Standard.

a letter from Julia Keeling, the Yokohama Registrar, on the Yokohamas of the Britian

At the end of the nineteenth century several other German enthusiasts, the most well known being Mr Hugo du Roi, imported Onagadori. It was at this time the name Phoenix was given to the single-combed birds.

The names Yokohama and Phoenix are not recognised in Japan. What are known as Yokohamas in Britain are known under various breed names in Japan. There is also the European development of the Red Saddled Yokohama. This makes it rather difficult to have an all-inclusive standard.

However, as only two types are seen commonly in Britain, these are the ones standardised in detail here."

General Characteristics

MALE:

CARRIAGE: Stylish and pheasant-like

TYPE: Body fairly long and deep, full round breast, long back tapering to tail, long wings carried rather low but close to the body. Tail as long and flowing as possible, with a great abundance of side hangers, the sickles and coverts narrow, the whole tail carried low and forming a graceful curve.

HEAD: Skull small, slightly long and tapering. Beak strong and curved. Eyes bright and full of life. Comb single, small and upright, evenly serrated. Face of fine texture. Earlobes small, oval, fitting closely. Wattles medium-sized and rounded.

NECK: Long and furnished with flowing hackle, which should form a complete circle around the neck.

LEGS & FEET: Legs of medium length, the shanks fine and free of feather.Toes four, well spread.

FEMALE:

The back long, tapering to the tail and furnished with long saddle hackles.

Tail very long and carried horizontally with the two top feathers gracefully curved and the coverts sickle-like. The remaining general characteristics are similar to those of the male, allowing for the natural sexual differences.

COLOUR:

PLUMAGE: Black/Red, Silver Duckwing, Gold Duckwing, White, Black-tailed Buff, Blue/Red

BEAK: Horn (yellow or white allowed with white plumage)

EYES: Red/brown

COMB, FACE & WATTLES: Red

EARLOBES: White

LEGS & FEET: Yellow, Willow or Slate blue (White allowed with white plumage)

General Characteristics

MALE

CARRIAGE: Stylish and pheasant-like

TYPE: Body fairly long and deep, full round breast, long back tapering to tail, long wings held close to the body. Tail long and flowing, with a great abundance of side hangers, the sickles and coverts narrow; the whole tail carried low and forming a graceful curve.

HEAD: Skull small, slightly long and tapering. Beak strong and curved. Eyes bright and full of life. Comb walnut. Face of fine texture. Earlobes small, oval, fitting closely. Wattles small or absent. Dewlap slightly developed.

NECK: Long and furnished with flowing hackle, which should form a complete circle around the neck.

LEGS & FEET: Legs of longer length than in Game Coloured birds are acceptable in the Red Saddled. Shanks fine and free of feather. Toes four, well spread.

FEMALE:

The back long, tapering to the tail and furnished with long saddle hackles.

The tail very long and carried horizontally with the top two feathers gracefully curved and the coverts sickle-like. The remaining general characteristics are similar to those of the male, allowing for the natural sexual differences.

COLOUR:

PLUMAGE: White and Red. Breast and thighs red in the male and red-buff in the female, with well-defined, white, kite-shaped spangling at the end of each feather. The male's back and wing bow bright red, the former vignetted into the saddle. Remainder white.

BEAK: Yellow

EYES: Red

COMB, FACE & WATTLES: Red

EARLOBES: Red

LEGS & FEET: Yellow

There is also a pure white version of the Red Saddled Yokohama, in which white beak, legs and feet are allowed.

YOKOHAMA - ANY OTHER VARIETY (please use your "back" button to return form the links below)

All other variations of plumage colour, comb type, earlobe colour, etc are to be considered Yokohama-Any Other Variety. This category includes what in Japan would be known as Shokoku , Minohiki and Totenko.

SHOKOKU -Very long tail, Single comb, Red earlobes, red/brown eyes, colours: silver duckwing, gold duckwing, white. Believed to be the progenitor of all the Japanese longtails. Originating from the island of Shikoku.

MINOHIKI - (Mino ­ saddle feather, Hiki ­ dragging) Very long saddle hackle, medium length tail, Triple or Walnut comb, Red earlobes, Red/brown eyes, colours: Black/red ­ all shades, Silver duckwing, Gold duckwing, White, Black-tailed Buff.

TOTENKO - Single comb, White earlobes, red/brown eyes, Colour: Black/red. This is the Tenor Crower of the Japanese Long Crowers.

(Totenko ­ Tenor, Tomaru ­ Baritone, Koe Yoshi ­ Bass)

Yokohama A.O.V. may be exhibited under the general Yokohama classification where Yokohama A.O.V. is not separately scheduled.

Scale of points :

Serious defects :

Yellow or straw coloured feathers in the white. White in the face. Too high tail carriage. Any deformity.

Weights :

Male : 570 ­ 680 g (20 ­ 24 oz)

Female : 454 ­ 570 g (16 ­ 20 oz)

Note :

The OHIKI, a small longtailed breed from Japan, is a True Bantam and is not included in the Yokohama classification.

The SATSUMADORI, a longtailed game breed from Japan, is a Game Breed and is not included in the Yokohama classification.

MINOHIKI - (Mino saddle feather, Hiki dragging) Very long saddle hackle, medium length tail, Triple or Walnut comb, Red earlobes, Red/brown eyes, colours: Black/red all shades, Silver duckwing, Gold duckwing, White, Black-tailed Buff.

(Totenko Tenor, Tomaru Baritone, Koe Yoshi Bass)

Male : 570 680 g (20 24 oz)

Female : 454 570 g (16 20 oz)