Phoenix Chickens are another unique-looking breed of chicken that you can easily recognize just from looking at their tails. This is an excellent choice for the aspiring chicken enthusiast to add to their flock who is looking to make their way into the show world especially if you’re interested in caring for unique chicken breeds.
The Phoenix Chicken may not be a great choice if you are looking for meat or eggs as they are rather poor at providing both. The bird usually lays 45 eggs a year, which isn’t going to keep your family fed, and they are a rather small breed. Depending on where you live, you may also find that it may be hard to keep a Phoenix Chicken without doing some extra work to your coop first.
The Phoenix Chicken breed usually lives for around seven years with proper care and is an accepted show breed in the US. If you are getting a Phoenix chicken for shows, you will want to pay special attention to the birds that your chick’s parent stock.
As you may have guessed, the tail of the Phoenix Chickens is going to be a big part of scoring your bird against others. The breed is a bit harder to find than some, so make sure you research the breeder thoroughly. If you are still interested in owning one of these beautiful birds, then keep reading below to learn more.
Phoenix Chickens
| Size | 5.5 Pounds (Rooster) 4 Pounds (Hen) |
| Class | Oriental |
| Color | White, Brown, Black, Black-breasted, Silver, Red, Gold |
| Temperament | Docile (Hen) Aggressive (Rooster) |
| Hardiness | Not Cold Hardy |
| Eggs/Yr | 45 |
| Egg Size | Medium |
| Egg Color | Silver or Gold |
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History and Origin
The Phoenix Breed comes from Germany and was created by a man named Hugo du Roi. The breeding process to create the breed was quite strenuous as several different breeds, including Yokohama fowl, had to be used in order to create the long tail that the Phoenix is known for. The most notable breeding creating the Phoenix is the long-tailed Onagadori. The bird was formally accepted into the APA in 1965, and there are currently three colorations of the Phoenix chickens accepted into shows.
What do they look like?
The Phoenix chickens really do look a bit like the depiction of the mythical Phoenix. The bird’s most notable feature is their long flowing tails. The tail of each Phoenix can differ a bit, and while some will have tails with feathers that are several feet long, while others will have shorter tails that they can easily hold off the ground. The tail feathers usually hang at a downward angle.
They have dark eyes, usually with a reddish tint and clean blue legs. Similar to a Rhode Island Red, they also have a single comb that is recognizable by its five spikes. Both the comb and the wattle of the Phoenix are red, and the bird's earlobes are white. The wattle is medium in rooster and small in hens, but both sexes have a round or oval shape. You will also note that this breed has long nails.
These aren’t one of the largest chicken breeds as the rooster weighs around 5.5 pounds while hens only weigh around 4 pounds. The breed comes in a large assortment of colors; White, Brown, Black, Black-breasted, Silver, Red, Gold. Out of these, gold, black-breasted, and silver are accepted by the APA as show birds. There is also a Bantam version that weighs in at around 1.5 pounds.
The chicks aren’t going to stick out or have incredibly long tail feathers. Despite their parents striking appearance, Phoenix chicks still look pretty normal. The chicks aren’t completely yellow, though, and usually have brownish-black markings on their bodies.
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Temperament
The temperament of the Phoenix chicken can vary depending on if you have a hen or a rooster. The Phoenix roosters are aggressive and won’t take well to other roosters. The hens, on the other hand, are docile and won’t make much of a fuss when housed with other chickens. If you are planning to put your Phoenix in a mixed coop, watch to ensure no one is picking at their tails. The long feathers may draw the curiosity of other chickens in your coop.
You should note that this is a breed that isn’t very social, and they are perfectly happy being only chickens. This is great news if you don’t like the thought of having a large flock of chickens. They also aren’t fond of being pets, as they don’t like too much handling by people.
If you are looking for a pet chicken that you can interact with, the Phoenix may not be the best breed. To try and encourage them to be friendlier, you can raise them from a young age with handling, but there are no guarantees that this will allow you to pet them or pick them up in the future. You should also avoid leaving your Phoenix chicken around children.
Phoenix chickens can also tend to be a bit shy and aren’t fans of busy or noisy environments. To keep your Phoenix stress-free, try to place them in a quieter area of your yard. If you are looking to make these birds free-range, then you may need to take some extra precautions as well.
The long tails can easily drag mud, and the birds won’t be happy with the extra weight that comes with a wet tail. The breed can also fly, so you may want to consider building a run where they can safely forage without escaping. Luckily, these birds are happy being in their coop, but you will have to do quite a bit of work to ensure that they are happy.
What is their purpose?
The Phoenix Chicken is a show breed or a breed that should be kept by those who enjoy caring for oriental (like Shamo Chickens and Sultan Chickens) chickens. Phoenix chickens are extremely poor layers as they lay around 45 eggs a year. That means that these chickens lay eggs less often than average. While they can lay more, you shouldn’t expect them to be a good food supplier.
These chickens are also tiny, so getting good portions of meat from them isn’t possible. If you are looking for a food-providing breed, you should check out another breed like the Serama chicken or a dual purpose breed like the Sussex or Australorp.
This chicken also doesn’t make a good pet as they don’t like to be touched or handled. With all that in mind, the Phoenix Chicken is still a brilliant breed that can be fascinating to keep. There are three varieties allowed in shows, and with the right care, you birds are sure to wow the judges.
When choosing to buy a Phoenix chicken, you will want to be extra careful. This isn’t the most common breed in the US, so finding chicks may give you a bit of trouble. You also will want to consider the quality of the chick's parent hen and rooster as the quality of the tail is going to be a huge part of scoring in shows. While the bird with the longest tail isn’t always going to win, you do want to make sure that the bird has healthy feathers with the correct coloring.
A show itself can be a great place to learn about Phoenix chicken breeding programs. If you run into the right breeder, you can even get a look at the hen and rooster pair that are making your eggs. Some chicks will cost more than others, as chicks bred from competition winning birds will have a premium price.
Care and Health
If you are thinking of trying to breed the Phoenix chicken yourself, then you may be in luck. This is a bird that goes broody, but getting chicks may take a while as they don’t lay that many eggs a year.
Roosters are also a bit aggressive, so they may not take well to you checking on your hens for eggs. Try to raise your rooster from a young age to ensure that they are used to you by adulthood. Be sure to separate males at a young age to keep any aggressive tendencies from popping up in your flock.
In terms of general health and care, this bird is a bit different from others that you have kept or read about as it has some special needs. For starters, your coop needs to be able to properly accommodate the Phoenix chicken.
These birds have long tails, meaning that they will need high sitting perches to lounge on. You will likely have to adjust these as your chicks grow, as there is no way to know how long or short their tails will be when they reach adulthood. Large branches are an excellent choice for your coop; just make sure to secure them so that they won’t fall down when your chicken is using them.
Next, you will need to make sure that the coop is well insulated. Phoenix chickens don’t do well in cold environments. This may make it harder to keep these birds in colder states as they are more prone to getting frostbite. But as long as you know how to keep chickens warm in the winter, you should be OK.
Along with a roomy coop, you need to ensure that they always have access to fresh water and food. It may be best to go with a mostly covered water bowl as long tails, and open water generally doesn’t mix well. Outside of this, these chickens don’t face any special health problems. Be vigilant of any strange behavior and always check for parasites as mites can spread quickly through a coop.
These birds don’t really have any special grooming needs unless they get covered in mud. If you are planning to let your Phoenix chicken outside, keep in mind that they can fly. If there are areas, like an open pool, that you need to keep your bird out of, try to make a run to contain them.
These birds aren't huge fans of noise, so try to keep them in a quiet part of your yard. A cover for them to go under when it’s raining should also be provided unless you want to spend time helping them clean their muddy tails.
FAQ
Are Phoenix Chickens good layers?
No, these chickens don’t lay well, and many only lay around 45 eggs per year.
Are Phoenix Roosters aggressive?
Yes, the roosters are aggressive, and you shouldn’t keep them together.
How big does a Phoenix chicken get?
Phoenix chickens are rather small, with hens only weighing in at 4 pounds and roosters only weighing in at 5.5 pounds.
Are Phoenix chickens broody?
They are broody, but they don’t lay many eggs, which may make breeding a little complicated.
What colors do they come in?
Phoenix chickens come in White, Brown, Black, Black-breasted, Silver, Red, Gold. Out of these colors, only black-breasted, silver, and gold are accepted by the APA.
What colors are their eggs?
The eggs of the Phoenix chickens have a silver or gold coloring.
If you need more help with taking care of your chickens, check out The Organized Chicken Keeper for a complete system for managing their health through keeping their supplies stocked and coop clean.
If you need more help with taking care of your chickens, check out The Organized Chicken Keeper for a complete system for managing their health through keeping their supplies stocked and coop clean.
