Onagadori - Long Tail Fowl and Long Crowing Fowl Discussion Forums

I've made a few tomebaku over the years and wanted to share a possible idea. I built a regular size 6 foot tomebaku, with the little window, feed tray, poop pan, ect. and frequently found the birds at the bottom of it. I then built smaller boxes, i dont remember the size but the pics are at the msn proto onag site under onagbreeders pics. they were great for getting the stags used to it, it had everything but more room for the tail, instead of a window i drilled 1/2 holes into the front for light, and also made the door slide in grooves, better than latches ( budget friendly). but the birds would still turn around.

So after some thought, how about no window, complete darkness. of course you would take the bird out for exercise and feeding. i noticed that they look all around them and if they see a speck of light they must investigate. maybe yall didnt or dont have that problem but when i had mine they would. when i get some more in the spring i'll have to try it. also building the box for each bird like David said, maybe if they can feel the sides of the box they wont turn around. Thanks Kyle

My young males typically turn around a couple times within the first week, after that they don't try. The key to keeping them facing the right direction is to have the tomebako no deeper than 8" to 9".

Also as you noted, they seek light. So you must have more light coming in the front window than any place else. The doors should meet well and not allow light in between them. I would have thought that your sliding door would have been great. Should have let less light in than hinged doors being secured in grooves.

The Japanese breeders are very serious about their window type of vertical slots. It lets light in, but keeps the distractions on the other side to a decreased visibility. You can see the slots in some of the photos on the sites linked in various places here.

One other thing that keeps them from jumping is the vertical drop down a narrow space. They hate that because they can't slow their descent. A 4 ft drop in a 9" space is typically a journey they won't take twice. In a full size tomebako, they have no place to turn around to. From the inside, the back of the box just looks like a dark pit that goes on forever - nothing they want to investigate.

Theoretically, if you have a window letting light in, food and water in front of them, and a narrow vertical compartment behind them, they won't turn around. Not but once or twice to start with when young anyway. At least that's how mine are.

In your full sized one that you made, did you have it about 9" deep with the perch roughly 4 ft up? If so, and it had a window, that should have done the trick.
Bye for now,


David

I also think that it has to do with the individual rooster, i had 4 and only 1 really kept turning around. maybe like you said in another article, the calmer more docile ones will fare better than the high strung ones. i'm going to design another one and build it over the winter and put pics up, it's not going to be full size but maybe 3'X3' and 7-9" deep, i think that 3 feet from front to back, in the birds perspective would be enough for him and an area for the tail, and i'll be using the sliding door but may do it different.the only reason i want to make them smaller is i could stack them on top of each other and get more into a single space,,,, lots of possibilities.

dont know if this applies in this section, but once you start getting 4-5 year old non moulting birds, would all of the sons have the gene or just a few? Thanks

>i had 4 and only 1 really kept turning around.>

That's not a bad ratio at all. That's correct, only docile birds will be non-molters. The more active, dominant males do not make good birds. Too high of hormone levels. 9 times out of 10, the more active bird will be the dominant bird.

I let a good natured older male (with hens out of sight) raise the cockerels from 2 to until 6 months of age. I place 3 or 4 with him. He does well keeping them in line.

As one or two attempt to assert themselves over the small flock I toss them out on the yard. If they make it, they do and if not it's no loss. Those dominant birds always go dry in the tail not long after that change in attitude anyway.

I just keep culling that way until I am left with the most subordinate young bird. By then 6 months has usually passed and he is ready to get out on his own anyway.

3 ft is the same width that I make my tomebako. I think the Japanese only make theirs 30" or 31", but I like a bit more room to space out the perch in relation to the tail compartment and the area where the droppings fall through to the bottom. They also only make theirs 5' 10" tall. I make mine a couple inches taller because that raises the perch to a more comfortable working height for me even though I myself am not really tall. Some taller fowl keepers may prefer a perch at a higher level than 49" to prevent stooping over when working with the bird while at perch.

23" or so is a good space to have between perch and ceiling. It allows good room for the taller birds.

>once you start getting 4-5 year old non moulting birds, would all of the sons have the gene or just a few?>

They all may have it and be capable of passing it on to offspring, but not all would exhibit the trait. Too many hormones sometimes get in the way. I believe that's in part probably where the goitrogenic vegetables, cabbage in particular, come into play.
Bye for now,


David

Well we'll have to see. I'm going to build me a little shed and maybe a half dozen tomebakus for next year, might need more, just got to see how many your able to send. and a coop for the hens. i already have breeding pens for my games so i'll use them and let the game hens sit on the longtail eggs to get the most biddies.

and for a diet, give me your opinion, cabbage, cooked egg, white or brown rice, bits of fruit. and every now and then fish, that should make up a good diet ?

6 or so tomebako would allow you to do some good selections!

You can see my feed here and kind of go from there with what you'd like to use.
Bye for now,


David

Hey David, yeah 6 or so will give me plenty to choose from once i cull them out to the ones that need to be in the tomebakus. man i cant wait. How many lines do you have now? just the one yet?

I have two lines that I merged into one main one with two family lines that I work back and forth.
Bye for now,


David

Yeah i was wondering. are you getting any green legs in the duckwings yet?

I did last yr from that breeding, but not this yr even though the mother was a green-legged duckwing.
Bye for now,


David