Our Yokohamas
The earliest long tailed fowl were found in China, but during the 17th century Japan became the centre for their development. The Japanese are experts in keeping their tails growing all season. By adjusting the lighting and heating the tails continue to grow up to a metre per year. In normal conditions, over here, the birds moult and re-grow their tails each year. This usually occurs just before a show. The Red-Saddled variety was developed in Germany by Hugo de Roi, but is not recognised in their native Japan. Available as both large and bantam, but we only keep the bantams.
Our first white Yokohama male. We had a bit of a disaster with
my egg dousing and out of five eggs I got four males. I've paired one up with my
Columbian Yokohama female and am hoping for better odds with this years
hatching. No females again! Perhaps our cock can only father males.
We have three standard colours at the moment - White, Red-Saddled and Silver Duck-wing. We also have a pair of Columbian feathered Yokohamas we bred ourselves. We will have to wait for their offspring to ensure they pass on the correct markings. No pictures yet as she still needs to feather up following the hot summer.
This
white chick is five weeks old and will soon be off the heating pad, but will
have to wait for its younger pen-mates who are two weeks his junior.
New pictures of my white Yokohamas showing the male's tail (he looks a bit of
an odd shape as he's sitting on Chris's hand); the chicks are now 5 weeks old
and enjoy the sun in my fruit cage during the day; the breeding team; and a
close up of the males head. His tail by the way is half an inch short of a yard,
at least until one of the females stands on it!
These
two chicks hatched today. They are Silver Duckwing and Red-Saddled
Silver Duckwing Pair and female. The male is the chick in the picture above,
taken a
few months ago. His tail is not very long yet, but he may be ready for showing
next year.
Red Saddled male and female - note the pea comb. The current standards book
allows either, though there are rumours about calling the pea combed birds
Phoenix rather than Yokohama. I thought the Phoenix were specially bred,
super-long tailed birds. Some of the pictures I've seen have tails about 6ft
long!