Yokohama chicken is an ornamental breed originated in Germany and came from the Japanese long tailed breeds. It was developed from two different Japanese Natural Monument breeds. One was the Onagadori and the principal ancestor was the Minohiki or Saddle Dragger.
Yokohama is not the place in Japan where the breed developed. It is the port from where the breed was first exported to Europe, where further breeding would create the Yokohama known today. Today Yokohama chicken is a long tailed breed kept as an ornamental breed and also used for exhibition.
The breed was admitted into the American Poultry Association’s Standard of perfection in 1981. And the Yokohama chicken is globally endangered. Now it is listed as Critical on the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy’s Conservation Priority List.
Yokohama Chicken Characteristics
Yokohama chicken breed has a game-like appearance. And it is a regal, slim chicken breed. The breed is small in size and comes in both standard and bantam sizes. They have incredibly long tails that sweep the ground. Yokohama chicken has similarities to the German Phoenix chicken breed.
But the main differences between these two breeds are in their earlobes and legs color and comb types. Phoenix has a mostly cream or white earlobes with slate legs, and the Yokohama chicken has red earlobes with yellow legs. Phoenix has single comb, but the Yokohama has walnut or pea comb. Color patterns are also different.
Officially recognized patterns of the Yokohama chickens include White and Red Shouldered, and the Phoenix chicken’s recognized colors are Silver and Golden. The skin color of the Yokohama chicken is yellow. And they have yellow colored beak. The most distinguished feature of this chicken breed is it’s unusual plumage.
Their plumage is unique in pattern from all other domestic birds. Their tail is long. And under right conditions their tail should increase one meter each year. It is relatively a small chicken breed. Standard Yokohama roosters weight about 2 kg and hens about 1.6 kg. And the bantam roosters weight about 0.74 kg and the hens about 0.625 kg. Photo from Wikipedia.
Behavior/Temperament
Yokohama chicken is docile, friendly and unusually quiet bird. They make excellent ornamental chickens in urban settings, and can bears confinement well. As they have long tail, so they require special type of housing for accommodating the length of their tails. They are easily handled and can be tamed easily. They are well suited to a back garden flock.
Hens are not good egg layers, and lay a few tinted or cream colored eggs. They tend to go broody after laying 12-14 eggs. The chicks are hardy, but require extra protein enriched feeds when their tails start growing. The Yokohama chicken can be a little bit flighty if not handled often. Review full breed profile of this chicken breed below.
| Breed Name | Yokohama |
| Other Name | None |
| Breed Purpose | Ornamental |
| Breed Temperament | Friendly, Calm, Docile, Bears Confinement Well |
| Breed Size | Large |
| Broodiness | Average |
| Comb | Walnut or Pea |
| Climate Tolerance | Heat |
| Egg Color | Cream or Tinted |
| Egg Size | Small |
| Egg Productivity | Low |
| Feathered Legs | No |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Varieties | White and Red shouldered |
| Country of Origin | Originated in Germany and came from the Japanese long tailed breeds. |
