I will use this excellent white and, on the next page, a Silver
Duckwing, to illustrate different, very important aspects of Onagadori
breeding. (By the way, this picture is of the German breeder, Knut Roeder)
Here we can see the careful handling of such a valuable bird. The birds
need the constant touch (TLC = Tender Loving Care) of their keepers to
supplant the stress of the solitary confinement necessary to keep their
long tail feathers in good condition. With such TLC the Onagadori breed
has set records for longevity in the world of poultry.
- This rooster has an excellent saddle hackle. The saddle hackle
length is influenced by different genes in rate of growth and many varying
lengths can be ascertained when studying differen show Onagdori. As in
other fowl, Onagadori have different levels of quality even amoung the
best. A top Onagadori has extra pairs of mutant sickles in the tail, "bunched"
around the gland on the tail, and saddle hackle that is at least 1/3 of
the length of the main sickles.
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- The shot above shows the handling of the birds from their temperate
stalls to a walk in the garden. Care must be taken at all times not to
soil white feathers because soaps and detergents should not be used on
the feathers - this, in order to preserve them for many years. White feathers
stain more easily and therefore are best taken down and "walked"
in dry areas of the stalls or when weather permits outdoors.
The shot above shows the soft, supple and slender feather type typical
of the Onagadori. Note the extremely long flight feathers in the tail.
This welded cage is adjustable, being raised to 5 metres above ground to
allow the birds to be displayed and to enjoy a bit of fresh air and sun.
This rooster really enjoyed being the King of the Roost high above our
heads when presented to us in the garden.
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- The shot above shows the wealth of blood feathers in an Onagadori of
high quality. Even though I did not take a count when I had this bird in
hand, this photo shows the mutant feathers "bunched" over the
glandular fleshy node on the tail, completely covering it. Mutant feathers
are a further refinement in the masterful breeding of not only Onagadori
but also some of the other breeds of Longtails.
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- I included this shot of a white that had been set in the breeding pen
a couple of months before this picture was taken. Note that nearly all
the blood feathers have gone dry and will be moulted normally within a
year. This rooster, once set back in the individual stalls, began the luxurient,
non-moulting growth again.
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