Yokohama Chicken

The ornamental Yokohama chicken was originally bred from Japanese long-tailed chickens that were exported from the Yokohama port in Japan in 1864. These exported chickens were known as Minohiki chickens in their native Japan. They were renamed for their port of departure and brought to Germany. The Japanese long-tailed Minohiki were thought to be descended from the Onagadori chickens, which grew tail feathers up to 27 feet long.

The modern Yokohama chickens are a product of selective breeding, which began with Hugo Du Roi, the president of the German Poultry Association. As Du Roi and other German bird enthusiasts began to import these beautiful fowl, they realized the chickens were not hardy enough to start flocks. The hens died quickly, leaving only male survivors. Therefore, breeders mixed Yokohamas with other varieties, including Malay, Phoenix, and Sumatra chickens, to enhance the breed’s characteristics.

Today, Yokohama chickens still prefer warmer climates and often do not survive to maturity. They are a challenging breed to start with. Owners, however, favor them for their startlingly white plumage, their long and graceful tail feathers, and their friendly nature.  

Incredible Yokohama Chicken Facts

• The first president of the German Poultry Association, Hugo Du Roi, began to cross-breed Japanese chickens in the mid-1800s. He created breeds such as the Yokohama and the Phoenix.
• ‘The Yokohama is listed as “Threatened” by the Livestock Conservancy, indicating a global population of less than 5,000 and fewer than 1,000 annual registrations in the U.S.
• Yokohama chickens require a high-protein diet to grow their impressively long tail feathers. They lose and replace their long sickle feathers each year.
• The American Poultry Association has recognized two standard breeds of Yokohama chickens, including the Red Shoulder and White, since 1981.
• In the United Kingdom, the Yokohama classification also includes Phoenix chickens.
• Yokohama chickens are so friendly, owners claim they will fly right up and sit on a person’s arm.

Where to Find Yokohama Chickens

Yokohama chickens fare better in warmer areas. Breeders in countries around the world keep Yokohamas in small flocks. The breeding populations, however, are quite small in size and limited in number. The Yokohama is not part of large flocks or commercial operations. They are too small to be a good source of meat, they are not highly productive at laying eggs, and the breeders often have difficulty getting the chicks to maturity.

Breeders who choose to raise Yokohama chickens usually do so because of their ornamental qualities. They are beautiful birds with friendly demeanors, and they tend to make excellent show birds. Like its relative, the Phoenix chicken, the long-tailed Yokohama is an especially attractive bird to add to one’s garden, simply for the pleasure of enjoying its beauty.

It would not be easy to find Yokohama chickens to observe live. These chickens are on the Livestock Conservancy “Threatened” list, which means there are fewer than 1,000 annual registrations in the U.S. and a global population of less than 5,000. They can be difficult to raise to maturity, and many potential breeders have commented that chicks they ordered either arrived dead or died not long after. However, dedicated owners are willing to put in the work and suffer losses because they prize these ornamental chickens for their beauty and their friendly nature. For those who want to give raising Yokohamas a try, you can order chicks from specialty hatcheries in the United States and other parts of the world.

Classification and Scientific Name

The Yokohama 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

Yokohama chickens are small birds. Hens weigh only about 3.5 pounds, while roosters top out at around 4.5 pounds. They have long saddle feathers, and the males have sickle feathers in their tails that can reach up to four feet in length.

The most striking feature of the Yokohama is its luminous, snow-white plumage. According to Oklahoma State University’s Department of Animal Science, the coloration of the feathers of the Yokohama are attributes of a dominant gene that encodes for pure white.

Two distinct varieties of Yokohama chickens were recognized by the American Poultry Association in 1981. The White Yokohama, as its name suggests, is all white. The Red Shoulder Yokohama has red feathers at the shoulder and sometimes spattered down the breast and torso. This coloration is due to incomplete dominance of the white gene over the gene for red feathers.

Yokohama chickens are sexually dimorphic, meaning that the birds differ in appearance between males and females as they mature. Both have bright yellow legs and beaks, and both have small, walnut-shaped combs and little to no wattle. The males, though, are a little bigger than the hens. They have stunning white tail feathers that grow to an impressive length before molting each year.

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 absolutely necessary for growing the long, snowy tail feathers typical of a healthy Yokohama.

Behavior

Yokohama chickens are particularly vulnerable to predators due to their small size and exceedingly bright white feathers. They are also not known as speedy or agile birds, but they do like to roam, so keeping them safe can be tricky.

A secure coop and enclosure can help ensure the safety of Yokohamas. They may also require heaters if they are being kept in a cooler climate, as they are not able to easily handle the cold.

Owners say that Yokohama chickens are especially friendly birds. They have a docile nature, and they will happily eat from people’s hands or even fly right up and sit on your shoulder. Because these ornamental birds have such beautiful, snowy white feathers and long, graceful tails, they are popular as show birds.

Because Yokohama chickens have long feathers, and they like to fly, it is recommended that owners provide them with a high perch. Owners should also try to keep enclosures clean, so that the beautiful white feathers don’t become encrusted in feces or debris.

The Yokohama hens can mix easily with other chickens, but males have a harder time, especially with aggressive breeds. Because they are small and docile, and because their white coloration is so unusual, they are easy targets for bigger, meaner roosters.

Diet

Like other poultry, Yokohama chickens typically eat grain-based feeds. These are changed as they mature. Chicks get one type of feed designed for their rapid growth. Hens should be switched to another feed that is specially designed with plenty of calcium for the best egg production as they approach 24 weeks of age.

A diet rich in protein is necessary for all birds to support the growth of their feathers. The protein keratin makes up 90 percent or more of the structure of feathers. Yokohama chickens, especially the males, which grow sickle feathers up to four feet long each year, need an abundance of amino acids. Most of this protein comes from their feed.

A proper diet will also include a variety of other nutrients. A high-quality commercial feed will provide all the nutrients chickens need. However, breeders can supplement the chicken feed with treats at a 90 to 10 percent ratio. Only 10 percent of the chicken’s diet should consist of treats like table scraps, fruits, and vegetables. They should avoid toxic foods, like avocado pits and skins, beans, and rhubarb.

Yokohama chickens are not the best hunters, but ample room to forage may also help to improve their diet. Foraging birds may consume insects, worms, caterpillars, and other prey. 

Reproduction

Yokohama chickens do not produce an abundance of eggs. Hens average between 60 and 80 eggs per year, according to the Livestock Conservancy. The eggs are cream-colored and small. Yokohama hens tend toward broodiness after laying around 12 to 14 eggs.

Yokohama chicks can be purchased and shipped from a small number of specialty breeders. However, these chicks can be difficult to raise to maturity. The Yokohama is listed as “Threatened” by the Livestock Conservancy, which means there are fewer than 1,000 annual registrations in the U.S. and a global population of less than 5,000. This speaks to the difficulty of raising and breeding Yokohama chickens.

Predators

Yokohama chickens are small birds. Their bright white feathers offer little to no camouflage. Also, they are slow and not very agile. These factors put them at high risk from predators such as raccoons, foxes, coyotes, owls, and hawks. If Yokohamas are not kept in a secure enclosure, especially at night, they are very likely to be eaten. Yokohama chicks, like those of all breeds, are especially vulnerable to attacks by a variety of predators, including snakes. They may be better raised indoors than left outside with only small, docile adult chickens to look after them.

Lifespan

Yokohama chickens can be a particularly difficult breed to get started with. If the chicks reach maturity and are provided with a secure home, they can live between 6 and 8 years.

Like other chickens, they are vulnerable to certain avian diseases. These include infectious bronchitis, avian influenza, fowl cholera, fowl pox, aspergillosis, and different forms of mycoplasma. Breeders can take steps to minimize the risk to their Yokohama flock by keeping enclosures as clean as possible. They should also maintain adequate space for the number of birds in their care.

Birds Similar to the Yokohama Chicken

The Yokohama chicken is similar to its ancestor, the Onagadori chicken, in that it has impressively long and beautiful tail feathers. The Onagadori, however, does not molt its tail feathers, which grow up to 27 feet long. This is due to a recessive gene and is the reason that the sickle feathers grow to such amazing lengths.

The Phoenix chicken, also bred by Hugo Du Roi during the same mid-1800s time period as the Yokohama chicken, shares common ancestry and many similarities. In the Poultry Club of Great Britain, the Phoenix chicken is actually listed under the Yokohama standard, not as a separate standard breed. Unlike Phoenix chickens, which have black background feathers, both the Red Shoulder and White Yokohama chickens have been bred for pure white, luminous plumage.

Similar Animals

• Phoenix Chicken: The Yokohama and the Phoenix share similar ancestors, and both have long tail feathers.
• Onagadori Chicken: The Onagadori is a Japanese long-tailed chicken that grows incredibly long tail feathers, up to 27 feet in length. It is thought to be an ancestor of Yokohama.
• Silkie Chicken: The silkie chicken is a bird of Chinese origin. It is small in stature, like the Yokohama, but it has fluffy feathers all over.