Onagadori Chicken

The Onagadori chicken of Japan has the longest tail in the world, with feathers growing up to 27 feet in length! The ornamental Onagadori chicken originated centuries ago in the Kochi Prefecture in Japan. These extremely long-tailed chickens were bred to preserve a mutation that prevented tail feathers from molting. This mutation allowed the birds to grow tails up to 27 feet in length. Of course, breeders had to take special precautions to protect the impressive tail feathers and protect the chickens from predators.

In 1952, the Onagadori joined a select group of chickens named as Natural Monuments of Japan, a distinction that made them a national treasure. This move gave them protection and reproductive support from the Japanese government. Exportation of the birds was largely prohibited, and efforts were taken to preserve the breed. The Onagadori was also cross-bred with other types of chickens, resulting in the more common Phoenix chicken and the Yokohama chicken. Both of these sport long tails, but not nearly so long as the Onagadori.

Incredible Onagadori Chicken Facts

• The Onagadori is the chicken with the longest tail in the world, measuring up to 27 feet.
• The Onagadori is a critically endangered breed with an estimated number of fewer than 1000 birds.
• Onagadori chickens require a high-protein diet to grow their incredibly long tail feathers, which do not molt or molt rarely.
• The feathers of the Onagadori roosters require protection using special perches and care.
• Onagadori chickens are friendly and docile birds.
• The Onagadori may have originated from crosses of wild junglefowl.

Where to Find Onagadori Chickens

Onagadori chickens are found almost exclusively in Japan. There are small numbers in the United States, Europe, and maybe elsewhere in the world, but they are rare. Japan designated the Onagadori as a Natural Monument twice: first, in 1923, and again in 1952. At that time, it was given the name Tosa-no-Onagadori and was declared a Special National Natural Treasure. The Oshino Onagadori Preservation Society was formed to help preserve the breed.

Japan prohibited the export of these treasured chickens and their eggs after they were listed as a Natural Monument. The Onagadori lines found in other parts of the world have been bred from older lines, exported before Japan instituted the ban. The genetic purity of these Onagadori birds, as compared to the ancient Onagadori breed, has been diluted through crossing with other chickens.

One place for people to see Onagadori chickens is in the Onagadori Center in Nankoku City, Japan. The Onagadori roosters in this facility are kept in the traditional nesting boxes, called tomebako.

Classification and Scientific Name

The Onagadori chicken’s scientific name is Gallus gallus or Gallus gallus domesticus, just like other domesticated chickens around the world. The red junglefowl of South and Southeast Asia, G. gallus, was named by Linnaeus in 1758. Today, dozens of different breeds comprise the Gallus gallus domesticus species.

Appearance

The Onagadori is a small to medium-sized chicken with an extraordinarily long tail. The hens weigh only about 3 pounds. Roosters weigh around 4 pounds at maturity. Onagadori comes in a variety of colors. The colors found in the Nankoko City populations include black-breasted white, black-breasted red, and white.

The most amazing feature of the Onagadori is the length of its tail feathers. Male Onagadori chickens have the longest tails in the world. This feature is thanks to a recessive gene. Onagadori of both sexes have long saddle feathers. Males have sickle feathers in their tails that do not molt, or rarely do, and can reach up to 27 feet in length.

Onagadori chickens are sexually dimorphic, meaning that the birds differ in appearance between males and females as they mature. Both have slate blue legs and beaks, and white earlobes. They have round, red faces and medium-sized wattles. They both have straight, single, bright red combs, although the male combs are larger.

In 2018, scientists studied the effect hormones had on the growth of chicken feathers. They found that although the production of feathers in both male and female chickens can be affected by a number of factors, hormones may be the most influential. Other factors include temperature, light, and the bird’s individual diet. A diet rich in protein is necessary for growing the long, snowy tail feathers typical of a healthy Onagadori.

Behavior

Onagadori chickens are at high risk of predation due to their small size and exceedingly long tail feathers. In Japan, male birds are traditionally kept as caged birds, living the majority of their lives in a tomebako. Breeders take great care to protect the chickens not only from predators but also from anything that might damage their feathers.

Like any other chickens, though, Onagadori does enjoy time to roam on the grass and explore. They require a secure enclosure, kept exceptionally clean, with high perches so that they can rest with their tails untangled.

Onagadori chickens are very friendly birds. These ornamental chickens are not aggressive, and they do well with people. They should be protected from other chickens, especially if owners want their roosters to grow long tails.

Diet

According to a book on raising Onagadori written during the Taisho era from 1912 to 1926, these chickens were raised primarily on “rice bran, loach and crucian, frogs, insects (like grasshoppers, earthworms and small locust) and dragonfly nymphs.” Like other poultry, modern Onagadori chickens are typically raised on grain-based feeds, which are adjusted as they mature. Chicks get one type of feed designed for their rapid growth. As the hens approach sexual maturity at around 24 weeks, they are switched to another feed that is specially designed with plenty of calcium for the best egg production. Adult roosters are also given a feed that is high in protein.

A diet rich in protein is necessary for all birds to support the growth of their feathers. Feathers are made up of 90 percent or more of the protein keratin. Onagadori chickens, especially the males, which rarely or never molt their tail feathers, need an abundance of amino acids. Most of this protein comes from their feed.

Reproduction

Onagadori chickens reach sexual maturity later than chickens that have been bred for laying, according to researchers from Hiroshima University. When compared with White Leghorn chickens, the Onagadori hens reached sexual maturity after 237 days versus 192 days for Leghorns. Onagadori hens also produced fewer eggs overall.

Onagadori chickens are critically endangered birds. Their population decreased to as few as 200 birds in Japan around 2013. Their global population is currently estimated to be between 250 and 1,000, with most found in Japan. The researchers from Hiroshima University studied the quality of Onagadori eggs, discovering that they were of good quality from the very start. They suggested that as many eggs as possible should be incubated and raised to bolster the breed’s numbers.  

A team of researchers studying Onagadori genetics in 2014 published a study on the genetic diversity of the breed. They found that to preserve the Onagadori, efforts must be made to prevent contamination of the lines with other breeds. They also found that efforts would need to be made to maintain genetic diversity within populations. Failing on either front could result in the erasure of the breed forever.

Onagadori chicks are available from a small number of breeders outside of Japan. Experts warn that they may be further removed from the Onagadori genetic line due to crossing with breeds like the Phoenix chicken.  

Predators

Onagadori chickens are small birds. They can fly up to high perches, but the males have such long tail feathers that it would be difficult for them to escape predators. Owls and hawks are typical predators that might make an easy meal of an Onagadori. Bears and foxes are also present in Japan and elsewhere. These larger predators could prey on unattended chickens or break into coops that are not well secured.

Fortunately, Onagadori chickens are usually kept in very secure enclosures, due to their status as treasured birds. Snakes are probably the biggest threat to the Onagadori, as predators go, because they can enter a coop through the smallest of openings and devour chicks.

Concerns About Animal Rights

In the Kochi Prefecture, Onagadori roosters have traditionally been kept in special boxes called tomebako. These raised, cupboard-like boxes are so narrow that the roosters are unable to turn around. They have a barrier between the long section where the tail feathers are allowed to trail down and the perch where the chicken stands or sits. The rooster spends most of its life as a caged bird in this small enclosure, so that it can grow the longest and best quality feathers.

People concerned with animal rights have expressed concern for the Onagadori chicken, due to the use of the tomebako. They insist that these beautiful chickens would prefer to spend time outside, on the grass, and be able to wander around. Breeders who do allow their Onagadori roosters to spend time outdoors may need to put in extra work to keep their feathers clean and free of debris.

Lifespan of the Onagadori Chicken

Onagadori chickens live around 6 to 7 years on average, but have been reported to live up to 20 years. During their lifetime, Onagadori roosters seldom or never molt their tail feathers.

Like other chickens, they are vulnerable to certain avian diseases, such as infectious bronchitis, avian influenza, fowl cholera, fowl pox, aspergillosis, and different forms of mycoplasma. Breeders work diligently to prevent such illnesses because the Onagadori is at such risk of disappearing.