Yokohama

The Yokohama originates from the Japanese Longtailed Fowl. The red-saddled/red-shouldered variety is the most well-known and both that colour and also White are standardised in Australia.

Whilst the Yokohama is derived from the Japanese Longtailed Fowl, the fowl we see today is most like the German strains of the fowl that results from importations during the 1800's. Long tailed fowl have been in Australia for many years. The earliest colour varieties may have been duckwings.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

THE COCK

Head - Skull small, but inclined to be long and tapering. Beak strong and curved. Eyes bright and full of life. Comb single or pea, small and even. Face of fine texture. Earlobes small, oval or almond shape, fitting closely. Wattles round and small.

Neck long and furnished with flowing hackle. Body fairly long and deep; full round breast; long back tapering to the tail; long wings carried rather low but close to the sides.

Tail as long and flowing as possible, with a great abundance of sidehangers which are long enough to drag on the ground in good old cocks, the sickle and coverts narrow and hard, and the whole tail forming a graceful curve and carried somewhat low.

Legs of medium length; the shanks fine and free of feathers. Toes (four) well spread.

Carriage stylish and pheasant-like.

THE HEN

The general characteristics are similar to those of the cock, allowing for the natural sexual differences. To emphasize two of the chief points of the breed it may be said that the hen's back must be long, tapering to the tail, and furnished with long saddle-hackles, and that the tail must be very long and carried horizontally, the two top feathers gracefully curved, and the coverts sickle-like.

COLOUR

THE BLACK-RED

(NOT STANDARDISED IN AUSTRALIA)

Beak horn.

Eyes ruby red.

Comb, Face and Wattles bright red.

Earlobes white on red.

Legs and Feet yellow, willow, or slate-blue.

THE COCK

Head bay.

Hackles red, each feather having a black stripe in the centre.

Breast, Thighs, Tail and Fluff black with beetle green lustre.

Back red. Wing, bow and secondaries deep bay; bar black.

THE HEN

Head brown. Hackle orange, each feather striped with black in the centre.

Breast salmon, lighter shade below.

Thighs grey-brown. Back and Shoulders brown, each feather with a light shaft.

THE BLUE-RED

(NOT STANDARD IN AUSTRALIA)

Plumage similar to the Black-Red, but blue instead of black.

THE DUCKWINGS (SILVER AND GOLD)

(NOT STANDARD IN AUSTRALIA)

Plumage similar to that of Modern Game fowls of this variety, but all the black feathers having a metallic lustre.

THE RED SADDLE

Beak yellow.

Eyes ruby red.

Comb (pea and not single), Face, Wattles, and Earlobes bright red.

Legs and Feet bright yellow.

Plumage white and red (practically a Pile).

Breast and Thighs (red in the cock, and red-buff in the hen) with distinct white lacing around the outer edge of each feather.

Cock's Back and Wingbow crimson red, the former vignetted into the saddle.

Remainder white.

THE SPANGLED

(NOT STANDARD IN AUSTRALIA)

Legs and Feet slate or willow; other points as in the Black-Red.

THE COCK

Head, Back and Wing-bow white.

Neck-hackle white, with a narrow black stripe down the centre of each feather near the base.

Breast, Thighs and Fluff black, each feather tipped with a crescent of white.

Saddle hackle white next the wing, then slightly striped with black, the stripes heavier approaching the tail. Wing, bar black with white lacing; secondaries white, with black on inner web.

Tail black, lower coverts distinctly laced with white.

THE HEN

Head, Breast, and Thighs white.

Hackle white striped with black.

Back white, slightly pencilled or laced with black.

Tailcoverts black, evenly laced all around with white.

THE WHITE

Beak, Legs and Feet white or yellow.

Eyes bright red.

Comb, Face, Wattles and Earlobes red. Plumage snow-white, free of any straw tinge.

OTHER VARIETIES

The foregoing are the principal varieties. Others may be kept that are not standardised in this country. The above colours and markings are ideal, but general type, and quality and length of the tail and hackles, are the most important points in the Yokohama fowl.

SERIOUS DEFECTS

• Yellow or straw feathers in the White;

• White in face;

• Other than four toes;

• Any deformity.

For further information see Disqualifications

APPROXIMATE WEIGHTS

Cock weight from 4 lb (1.8kg) to 6 lb (2.72kg)

Hen weight from 2 1/2 lb (1.13kg) to 4 lb (1.8kg)

Bantam weights to be approximately one third of standard weights.

SOURCES

• The American standard of perfection, illustrated. A complete description of recognized varieties of fowls, as revised by [the Association at its 62d-67th annual meetings, 1937-42.] Public Domain accessed from: https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009169004

• https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009202629 The Poultry club standards, containing a complete description of all the recognised varieties of fowls, ducks, geese and turkeys, ed. by William W. Broomhead.

• https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b2979305&seq=336

• Wright's book of poultry by Wright, Lewis, Lewer, Sidney Herbert, Publication date 1912

• Kramer, R. (1926). Kramers Taschenbuch der Rassegeflügelzucht. 3. Aufl. Würzburg: H. Stürtz.