PHOENIX

 

 

The Phoenix is a breed of Western origin, which was developed from imports of Japanese long tailed breeds blended with Western breeds. Phoenix were first developed in Europe in the late eighteen hundreds to early nineteen hundreds from imports of early rudimentary Onagadori that were bred out to other European breeds to strengthen the weak, newly imported Onagadori of that time. The Phoenix in America was developed in the same manner as in Europe and for the same reasons; by blending early type Onagadori with other breeds, predominantly Leghorn and game, to produce a stronger and more vigorous bird.

 

The major characteristics of the Phoenix are multiple feathering and length of feathering in all parts of tail, sickles and saddle. The multiple stacked feathering produces, in both the males and the females, more feathers in each part of the tail than is seen in other breeds.

 

Special management and care is taken by the breeders to preserve and keep intact the tail feathers.

 

 

TYPE

 

MALE

 

 

COMB: Single, fine in texture, of moderate size, straight and upright, firm and even on the head, having five distinct points with medium depth serrations and moderate extent of blade; blade moderately clear of neck

 

BEAK: Medium in length, strong, nicely curved.

 

FACE: Full, smooth

 

EYES: Full, bright

 

WATTLES: Medium in length, smooth, well rounded, free from folds and wrinkles.

 

EAR-LOBES: Oval, neat, moderate in size, firm texture, smooth

 

HEAD: Medium in length and depth, skull of natural, moderate convexity.

 

NECK: Medium in length, well arched. Hackle -- long, abundant, flowing well over the shoulders.

 

BACK: Rather long, straight, broad and slightly rounded at the shoulders, sloping moderately downward to the end of the back whence it sweeps upward to the tail. The length, substance, and abundance of plumage creating a well-filled appearance.

 

Saddle - Extremely long and abundant, carrying on the unbroken sweep to the tail, covering a large portion of the ends of the wings, extending to the tail in a luxuriant drapery, the longer the better, with the feathers of the mature cock dragging the ground.

 

TAIL: Main Tail - Long, broad, and overlapping, the longer the better, well concealed by sickles and coverts, continuing the concave sweep of the back carried at an angle of twenty-five (25) degrees above horizontal in cockerels, but lowers in older males as the sickles grow in length.

 

           Main Sickles - Multiple, broad, firm in texture, very long

 

           Lesser (Mutant) Sickles - Multiple stacking rows concentrated around the glandular node at the base of the tail, forming a very full appearance, broad, moderate to firm in texture, very long and abundant, reaching lengths of up to 5ft, merging with and carrying rearward the drapery of saddle hangers.

 

           Coverts - moderately broad, moderate to firm in texture, at least reaching, but preferably dragging the ground.

 

WINGS: Large, well-folded, carried nearly horizontal without drooping, held closely to the body. Bows - smooth, prominent, and well rounded. Coverts - feathers broad, forming 2 distinct bars across the wings. Primaries - broad, tapering convexly to stern, completely hidden by secondaries. Secondaries - moderately broad and strong, ends concealed by saddle.

 

BREAST: Broad, full, carried well forward

 

BODY AND FLUFF: Moderately long, medium depth, firm, muscular, with good heart girth, plumage carried closely and neatly. Fluff - medium length, carried without drooping.

 

LEGS AND TOES: Legs set well apart when viewed from the front, and middle of body to provide firm balance and poise for the great length of plumage. Lower shanks and thighs--moderately long. Spurs - Hard and set low on the leg. Toes--four on each foot, rather long, straight, well spread.

 

 

FEMALE

 

 

COMB: Single, rather small, with five well defined and evenly serrated points, blade not conforming to shape of head

 

BEAK: Medium in length, stout, well curved.

 

FACE: Moderate in size, well-defined, smooth.

 

EYES: Full, alert.

 

WATTLES: Small, clean-cut

 

EARLOBES: Oval, neat, moderate in size, firm texture, smooth

 

HEAD: Medium in length, moderate in depth, moderately convex.

 

NECK: Rather long, moderately arched.

 

HACKLE: Extremely full, with very long and narrow feathers, flowing well down back and shoulders and fronts,  forming closely joined cape in front of the neck.

 

BACK - Rather long, straight, broad and slightly rounded at the shoulders, nearly horizontal, sloping slightly downward to the end of the back whence it sweeps upward to the tail. The mass of feathers at the base of the back extremely full with the rearward feathers long, curving downward and increasing in resemblance to the tail coverts as the tail coverts are approached. The length, substance, and abundance of plumage creating a well-filled appearance.

 

TAIL: Very long, well contained, and moderately well spread. Gracefully carried at an angle of thirty degrees (30*) above the horizontal, the top line carrying out the smoothly flowing contour of back and tail.

 

          Main Tail - broad, feathers neatly overlapping, long, decidedly curved in a convex manner, wider at the base when viewed from behind.

 

          Tail Coverts -Top Coverts, multiple, broad, very long, extending beyond Main Tail feathers, curved to follow the contour of the tail, tapering towards ends. Lower Coverts, multiple, moderately broad, very long and abundant, tapering toward ends; the entire coverts curved and spread to cover sides of main tail to the end or beyond thereof.

 

WINGS: Large, well-folded, carried nearly horizontal without drooping, held closely to the body. Bows - smooth, prominent, and well rounded, Coverts - feathers broad, forming 2 distinct bars across the wings. Primaries - broad, tapering convexly to stern, completely hidden by secondaries. Secondaries - moderately broad and strong.

 

BREAST: Broad, full, carried well forward

 

BODY AND FLUFF: Moderately long, medium depth, firm, muscular, with good heart girth, plumage carried closely and neatly. Fluff - medium length, carried without drooping.

 

LEGS AND TOES: Legs set well apart when viewed from the front, and middle of body to provide firm balance and poise for the great length of plumage. Lower shanks and thighs-moderately long. Toes--four on each foot, rather long, straight, well spread.

 

 

COLOR

 

 

Silver

 

MALE

 

 

COMB, FACE AND WATTLES: Bright red.

 

BEAK: Light bluish horn.

 

EYES: Reddish Bay.

 

EAR-LOBES: White.

 

HEAD: Plumage, silvery white.

 

NECK: Hackle - Silvery white with narrow black strip extending down the middle of each lower hackle feather, tapering to a point just short of the tip. Front of Neck - Lustrous greenish black.

 

BACK: Silvery white. Cape - Black and silvery white. Saddle - Same as hackle, but with less striping.

 

TAIL: Main Tail - Black. Sickles and Coverts - Lustrous greenish black. Smaller Coverts - Silvery white.

 

WINGS: Fronts - Black. Coverts - Lustrous greenish black, forming 2 distinct bars across the wing. Bows - Silvery White. Primaries - Black, except lower edges of lower webs, which should be white. Secondaries - Exposed surface showing enough white to make a white wing bay, the white expanding in upper feathers until the top secondary shows entirely white; remainder of secondaries, black.

 

BREAST: Lustrous greenish black.

 

BODY AND FLUFF: Lower Thighs - Black. Shanks and Toes - Leaden blue.

 

UNDERCOLOR OF ALL SECTIONS: Moderately light slate.

 

 

FEMALE

 

 

COMB, FACE AND WATTLES: Bright red.

 

BEAK: Light bluish horn.

 

EYES: Reddish bay.

 

EAR-LOBES: White

 

HEAD: Plumage, silvery white

 

NECK: Silvery white, with a narrow stipe of black in the middle of each feather and coming to a point near the lower extremity.

 

BACK: Silvery gray with a silvery white shaft, finely stippled with dark gray.

 

TAIL: Main Tail - Dull black. Coverts - Same color as back.

 

WINGS: Fronts, Bows, and Coverts - same color as back. Primaries - Upper webs, dull black; lower webs, gray. Secondaries - Exposed portion, same color as back; remainder of each feather, black.

 

BREAST: Salmon, shading to gray at sides.

 

BODY AND FLUFF: Ashy gray.

 

LEGS AND TOES: Lower Thighs - Ashy gray. Shanks and Toes - Leaden blue.

 

UNDERCOLOR OF ALL SECTIONS: Moderately light gray.

 

 

GOLDEN

 

MALE

 

COMB, FACE AND WATTLES: Bright red.

 

BEAK: Light bluish horn.

 

EYES: Reddish Bay.

 

EAR-LOBES: White.

 

HEAD: Plumage, golden straw.

 

NECK: Hackle - Light golden straw with narrow black strip extending down the middle of each lower

 

hackle feather, tapering to a point just short of the tip. Front of Neck - Lustrous greenish black.

 

BACK: Deep, rich golden. Cape - Black and light golden straw. Saddle - Same as hackle, but with less

 

striping.

 

TAIL: Main Tail - Black. Sickles and Coverts - Lustrous greenish black. Smaller Coverts - Light golden

 

straw.

 

WINGS: Fronts - Black. Coverts - Lustrous greenish black, forming 2 distinct bars across the wing. Bows -

 

Deep, rich golden. Primaries - Black, except lower edges of lower webs, which should be golden

 

straw. Secondaries - Exposed surface showing enough creamy straw to make a creamy straw wing

 

bay, the creamy straw expanding in upper feathers until the top secondary shows entirely creamy

 

straw; remainder of secondaries, black.

 

BREAST: Lustrous greenish black.

 

BODY AND FLUFF: Lower Thighs - Black. Shanks and Toes - Leaden blue.

 

UNDERCOLOR OF ALL SECTIONS: Moderately light slate.

 

 

FEMALE

 

 

COMB, FACE AND WATTLES: Bright red.

 

BEAK: Light bluish horn.

 

EYES: Reddish bay.

 

EAR-LOBES: White

 

HEAD: Plumage, golden.

 

NECK: Straw to light golden, with a narrow stipe of black in the middle of each feather and coming to a

 

point near the lower extremity. Front of Neck - Deep rich salmon.

 

BACK: Grayish Straw to brownish gray with a straw colored shaft, finely stippled with dark gray.

 

TAIL: Main Tail - Dull black. Coverts - Same color as back.

 

WINGS: Fronts, Bows, and Coverts - same color as back. Primaries - Upper webs, dull black; lower webs,

 

gray. Secondaries - Exposed portion, same color as back; remainder of each feather, black.

 

BREAST: Rich salmon, shading to gray at sides.

 

BODY AND FLUFF: Ashy gray.

 

LEGS AND TOES: Lower Thighs - Ashy gray. Shanks and Toes - Leaden blue.

 

UNDERCOLOR OF ALL SECTIONS: Ashy gray.

 

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