Phoenix Chicken
The Phoenix chicken is a breed of domestic fowl known for its long tail. It is the result of cross-breeding different European chicken breeds with others from Japan including the Onagadori.
Kingdom - Animalia
Phylum - Chordata
Class - Aves
Order - Galliformes
Family - Phasianidae
Genus - Gallus
Species & Subspecies – G. gallus domesticus
Common Names – Phoenix chicken
Phoenix chickens are even-tempered, but not particularly friendly unless they are introduced to being handled by people at an early age.
The Phoenix chicken originates from the long-tailed Onagadori chicken of Japan. This breed was crossed with many European breeds, including Leghorn, Malay, Modern Game, Old English Game, Ramelsloher, Bruegge Game, Kruper and Yokohama. The resulting chicken breed was more suited to the colder climate of Europe than the Onagadori. During this breeding process, the gene responsible for the chicken’s long tail feathers was mostly lost, but with proper raising they are still able to produce impressive and elaborate tails.
Phoenix chickens are bred for ornamental use rather than consumption. They are primarily show chickens that are bred for exhibiting, and sometimes for sale of their feathers.
The Phoenix chicken has a red comb, red wattles, and bluish legs and feet. They are known for their elaborate feathering, especially their long fanciful tail feathers. There are three recognized colorations: silver, golden, and black-breasted red.
The Phoenix chicken was first bred by Hugo du Roi of Germany, the first president of the National German Poultry Association, in the late 1800s.
Phoenix chickens are a heritage breed, which are specialty breeds that are mostly bred in small numbers to preserve the breed, and are not bred for commercial consumption.
In Great Britain, the Phoenix chicken is not a recognized breed, and is grouped with the Yokohama chicken.
In the United States, the silver Phoenix was recognized in 1965, the gold in 1983, and the black-breasted red in 2018.
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_chicken
https://livestockconservancy.org/heritage-breeds/heritage-breeds-list/phoenix-chicken/
Safari Ltd Phoenix Chicken Toys