Characteristics
The Yokohama is primarily ornamental for many but it is actually an excellent breed for suburban poultry enthusiasts because of its calm demeanor. Better strains of this important breed are also relatively quiet in voice. It lays cream or tinted eggs. If fed a typical lay pellet it will only produce on an average, one egg a week. Fed a higher quality ration with generous proportions of fish and animal protein and fat, it produces an egg a day and all through the winter. The Yokohama is a relatively small breed,only four to five pounds at the very largest. It comes both in the bantam and standard sizes. It has yellow skin, and can have either a walnut or a pea comb.
The most distinguished feature of this fowl is its unusual plumage, unique in pattern from all other domestic fowl. It is also celebrated for its long, elegant tail and tail coverts called saddle feathers. The primary of emphasis for breeders with Yokohama cocks is on the length of the tail feathers. Fanciers typically try to keep the birds in conditions that help prevent them from moulting in order to encourage tail growth. Under the right conditions the tail should increase one meter (three feet) every year.
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