Onagadori - Long Tail Fowl and Long Crowing Fowl Discussion Forums

Hi,

I have recieved several different opinions, on housing, this will be my first time with Onagadori,they will be of Cy's line's, Some say that the Tomebaku Isn't necessary as the tails will not grow that long, so what kind of structure should I keep the rooster's in? Also I was told that they need to be let off the perch twice per day, but I wasn't told for how long, or anything of the sort.

Help much appreciated-
Mark

Hi Mark,

Cy's birds are great! While there are no known pure or true Onagadori in the US, his birds will grow long coverts if kept up. Of course, as with anything, nothing is 100%. So some will and some won't. Pures are the same way in that respect.

I aim for 1 hr off perch time per day. In the winter time this often gets cut a little short due to climate and time issues. I either split the time up into a couple periods, or one long one. It depends on the time I have on a given day.

You can use tomebako and get the maximum size tail that a bird can grow, or you can use individual 6'x6' stalls with one bird per where the birds can exercise on their own and the tail will grow very long, just not the longest possible. In both cases, the birds should be fed at roost - flat perches only, round ones are entanglements.

Though in the latter example, the bird is free to come and go from the perch as it pleases, they often prefer to stay perched anyway.

I have done both methods. Personally, I prefer the tomebako and it seems to make the bird no difference. They are quite lazy for the most part anyway.

No matter which method you go with, hens must be kept out of sight. Even just the sight of a hen can cause a rooster's hormones to fluctuate enough to induce a molt.

There are a lot of factors that enter into keeping the tail and saddles growing for long periods; years at a time. Diet, housing, care, environment, and of course genetics all play a role. The key is to get all of those factors working together.

Basically, just keep him calm, don't make any sudden changes in diet or temperature, and handle him often.

Being in FL you have the climate on your side with these fowl.
Bye for now,


David

Thanks very much Indiana, How Should I go about Constructing a tomebaku? And should the flat perch be slim enough for him clasp around it,or big enough for his feet to spread?

Thanks again-
Mark


(PS: Isent you a PM,on Daves garden ,Please disregard as it was before I found this site)

Their feet need to spread. I use a 1"x4" turned wide surface up, and carpeted with astroturf.

You can see inside some tomebako here: http://4travel.travel.msn.co.jp/e/msn/t ... /10190184/

I just built mine from photos like that online. I made mine slightly larger than those in Japan. Both for easier working height and to give the bird a bit more room to help against remige and retrice fraying.

If you need plans they can be found in Appendix 1 of the book by Toni-Marie and I.

I do believe that Jull and Juhn really hit on something with the cabbage thing as well. I've gotten the longest saddles I have yet using cabbage with this generation. Could be coincidence, but feather type has changed as well.

I hadn't even realized yet that anyone pm'd me on the garden site.

David

I see that the pictures show the bird's tail, hanging over the ledge how do you keep it's poop out of it's tail?

There's supposed to be enough space behind the perch and between that vertical board for the droppings to fall down to the dropping area.


David

Ah,! so the perch is between a board , so it's tail is suspended ? Lol, I'm still unsure of how it works, look's like ill be needing a copy of that book.

The food/water tray slide, perch, and tail partition are kind of fixed around an upside down L arrangement in the front 2/3 of the box. Then the tail hangs in the back 1/3 of the box and is supended on the back wall when it becomes long enough.

I'm thinking of a new cage design in an 8' X 8' circular pavilion with perching areas in the center, and a deep litter of oak leaves in the bottom.(10")the litter bed will be dug down, so it sits flush with the bottom of the cage.So he can access the ground,and not rough his tail up. as well as a small attached roosting coop to put him/them up at night. Now can more than one rooster be kept in the same cage without hostility, and hormonal issues?

You won't have tails longer than 3 ft. if you keep more than one cock to a pen. Even if there weren't social issues, the birds are really good at pulling out feathers just by walking on each others tails.