Toni-Marie Astin, USA

Toni-Marie Astin, USA

Toni-Marie Astin, USA

Toni-Marie Astin, USA 

Toni-Marie Astin, USA

Toni-Marie Astin, USA

Toni-Marie Astin, USA

Toni-Marie Astin, USA

Toni-Marie Astin, USA

Japan (?)

Japan, foto taken by Julia Keeling

Japan, foto taken by Julia Keeling

Germany, foto taken by Marc King

Germany, foto taken by Marc King

Germany, foto taken by Marc King

Belgium, foto sent in.

I have scanned two sketches of mine to give a better impression of a Standard for the Ohiki. The body is low, the comb form single, the size of which varies according to the particular line or colour of the birds.

I have one line that is a Black Breasted Red (a dark Golden Duckwing) and that is very feather rich and has medium large combs. We recently acquire a second bloodline from Mr Wolfgang Vits of Germany which is longer in the back, but smaller in the comb. I have also displayed on this page two BBSilver lines - on we acquire thanks again to Mr Wolfgang Vits, and another, which could be of the same lineage, of BBSilver Ohiki in Belgium (above)

What is very important in this breed is the Chabo or Cochin-like carriage, with the rump of these little birds being raised distinctly and well rounded. There are also different strains of Ohiki as far as feathering goes, some of which show more Onagadori blood with tail lengths up to 3 feet. Not all Japanese are agreed with this line of breeding. Please link on to Page four below of our own OHIKI to see examples.

Our strains have moderate lengths of 60 - 80 cm, which is much easier for these little gnomes to drag behind them, but the strain originally from Knut Roeder has had, on the average, longer feathers.

The saddle hackle must drag the ground. The leg colour is olive (willow), and this colour is reflected in the earlobes until the feathers are finished growing and go dry. As long as a bird (any) is in bloodfeathers, the earlobes reflect the colour of the legs and this is very noteable with the longtails as tehy need many more months to "finish" due to the extended growth period of the tail feathers.

The Ohiki has presented us with just a few problems in breeding, but is not, in general, as delicate as some of the other newer Japanese breeds here in Europe.

My experience is that unless the incubator is one of the more modern with computer-controlled humidity levels, etc., that the eggs are not dependable in the incubator (nicht Kunstbrustfest). Not all our hens go broody, and only tried older hens were the ones we could depend on. When the chicks hatch, they are ususally on very wobbly little legs, so energetic chicks (like of gamefowl breeds, etc) should not be kept in the same brooder, as the little Ohiki chicks will be easily trampled. Once grown, they are very cold hardy, lively and yet very tame little "wobbly" garden gnomes!

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