The hen tail is 10 meters lengthy in Japan, rising by almost 1 meter yearly

Of the seventeen breeds of chickens which can be thought-about Japan’s nationwide treasures, the Onagadori is the one long-tailed breed with a “special” standing. Since the long-tailed breed was acknowledged in 1952, the export of Onagadori eggs and birds additionally started to be banned, so as we speak only a few of those long-tailed birds are discovered outdoors of Japan.

This breed of rooster is understood for not molting, and due to this fact the tail feathers of the cock solely lengthen, not shed. If saved in one of the best circumstances, a rooster’s tail can develop for a lifetime.

The historical past of the long-tailed hen may be traced again 1000’s of years, however the Onagadori breed is alleged to have appeared within the seventeenth century in Japan’s Tosa Prefecture, on the island of Shinkoku. Experts imagine that the Onagadori additionally descended from different long-tailed breeds such because the Shokoku, Totenko and maybe the Minohiki.

Onagadori cocks have an impressive tail resulting from a mutation within the ‘nm’ (non-molting) gene, which permits them to maintain their tail feathers rising endlessly. However, additionally they have the “gt” and “sg” genes that trigger the speedy development of different feathers.

Interestingly, Onagadori hens molt usually, whereas the roosters by no means shed their tail feathers, and solely shed the remainder of their plumage over a three-year interval. This is without doubt one of the the reason why European breeders did not actually like this breed at first. They assume they should hold a flock of chickens with outdated, unhealthy feathers as an alternative of regularly altering birds.

As Onagadori chickens additionally had problem adapting to the European local weather and habitat, the scientists started crossing them with native breeds to make the brand new hybrid extra resilient. That’s how the German Phoenix was born. They look similar to Onagadori chickens, however molt extra incessantly than these “long-cocks”.

How to acknowledge purebred Onagadori long-tailed hen?

To be categorized as a purebred Onagadori, a rooster should have a tail at the least 1.5 meters lengthy. Under the appropriate circumstances, the Onagadori’s tail feathers can develop as much as 90 centimeters per yr, and roosters with tails a number of meters lengthy are widespread. The present document holder is a hen with a tail size of 11.3 meters.

In addition to the size of the tail, Onagadori roosters are additionally valued in accordance with the variety of Kawari-honge. This is a particular feather on the tail, the most important feather. The variety of these feathers can vary from 1-4, so if a chicken has 4 Kawari-honges, it will likely be wanted by breeders and can fetch a excessive value.

The Onagadori breed is presently listed as endangered, with solely about 250 saved by 250 breeders. One of the explanations may very well be as a result of the hens lay only a few eggs, solely about 25 eggs per yr).

According to Oddcitycentral