The Yokohama Chicken is a small bird with a very unique look; in fact, some people even mistake them for other birds. They are known for their small builds and long tails. This gives them a strikingly different appearance from your more common chicken breeds. They are typically show chickens, though, and aren’t the best food producers.
Yokohama chickens are unique as they are poor at providing meat and eggs. You should only expect to get around 52 eggs a year from the bird, and they are small in size. This isn’t surprising as the Yokohama is a tiny breed.
They are living their best life as a pet or a show bird. If you are looking for a food-providing chicken, then you should look into another breed to add to your flock like the Leghorn chicken breed. If you want to keep a unique breed but have minimal space, the Yokohama chicken can be a great choice.
The breed typically lives for around 5 years to 7 years with proper care. This breed is happy to hang out in their coop all day, making them relatively easy to manage. Keep in mind that this is a breed that isn’t a huge fan of the cold, so you will need to have a well insulated coop.
If you are interested in the Yokohama chicken, then keep reading below to learn more about the breed.
Yokohama Chickens
| Size | 4.5 Pounds (Rooster) 3.5 Pounds (Hen) |
| Class | Fancy |
| Color | Red Saddled, White |
| Temperament | Docile |
| Hardiness | Not Cold Hardy |
| Eggs/Yr | 52 |
| Egg Size | Small |
| Egg Color | Cream |
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History & Origin
Despite the naming of the Yokohama, they are actually a German breed of chicken and not Japanese. They get the Yokohama name from the port that they were originally shipped out of. You will want to vigilant when trying to find the Yokohama due to it also including the Phoenix chicken as part of the breed in some countries. This breed is a creation by Hugo du Roi and has a distinctive red coloring along their bodies.
What do they look like?
The Yokohama chicken is an extremely small breed. The roosters usually only weighing in at 4.5 pounds and hens only growing to be around 3.5 pounds. The Yokohama is known for the red section of feathers that runs through the middle of their body. There is also a white variety, and both are recognized by the APA.
The breed has a pea-shaped comb that is red in color and yellow legs. They have orangish-red eyes, and depending on the chicken; they may not have a wattle at all. If a wattle is present, it will be a red color and small.
You will also notice that this breed has sickle feathers and an extremely long tail. While each bird will have a different tail length, some tail feathers can grow to be a foot or more in size. Generally, the roosters tend to have longer tails than the hens.
There are also some unrecognized varieties of the Yokohama, they are; golden duckwing, silver duckwing, black-red, blue-red, spangled, and black-tailed. The Yokohama chicks are usually yellow in color with red stripes on their back. This makes them a little bit easier to identify from other breeds.
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Temperament
The Yokohama chicken is a docile breed that makes an excellent choice as a pet. The breed won’t go around causing fights in the coop and as long as you know how to introduce new chickens, then can easily blend in with other docile flocks. Just make sure that no other chickens are trying to peck at the Yokohamas long tail feathers.
They also don’t mind being held and even seem to enjoy being carried around by their owners. That is a rarity in chickens. While this can vary between individuals, the Yokohama is a safe bet for owners who want a cuddly bird.
While you will still need to oversee interactions, this is a breed that is good with children and can tolerate a lot of attention. Make sure to handle the Yokohama chicken as they grow to ensure that they are comfortable with handling.
Raising them from a young age is one of the best ways to make sure they are comfortable with you and your family. You should be cautious if you plan to house multiple roosters together. Male chickens tend to be more aggressive towards each other.
Yokohama chickens love to stay in a roomy coop all day, but they also enjoy going out to wander as well. The breed does tend to be curious, so it can be hard to keep them in one place. They are a very small breed of bird, making them an easy target for predators. You will want to build a run to ensure they are safe. Yokohama can fly, so make sure you make the fence of the run high enough to contain them.
What is their purpose?
The Yokohama chicken isn’t going to keep you or your family fed during the year for several reasons. This bird lays around 52 small eggs a year, making them one of the worst layers you could choose.
They are also small in size, and even the roosters aren’t going to provide you with a decent serving of meat. Even having a full flock of Yokohama chicken wouldn’t be good enough to provide you with a substantial amount of food.
Even though they are not a breed of chicken that lays eggs often, as mentioned above in the temperament section, the Yokohama chicken is a perfect choice for a pet. They like being picked up, they get along with children, and can be stay inside of their coop with little issue.
They are also a great choice for a show bird, and there are currently two recognized varieties by the APA. Just remember, it can be difficult to purchase show birds as you will need to be extra careful with the chicks you are buying.
The Yokohama isn’t a common bird as it isn’t regularly available around the US. You will need to get your Yokohama chick from a specialty breeder. Before buying your chick, thoroughly research the place you are getting them from to verify that they are purebred, as this is extremely important for competitions.
Alternatively, you could visit some chicken shows and look for Yokohama chickens. You are likely to find someone who is selling chicks, and this gives you a chance to look at the hen and rooster they are breeding to get their chicks.
The Yokohama hens are broody and will gladly hatch fertile eggs. While it may take a while to get chicks since they don’t lay often, when left with a Rooster, you are sure to get chicks sooner or later. Just be sure to keep watch on the young roosters as they grow to prevent any potential fights from happening.
Care and Health
The Yokohama chicken isn’t going to cause you too much trouble in the care department. They need pretty standard care, in general.
You will want to provide a roomy coop for these chickens to live in, especially if you are planning to keep them confined. The chicken coop plans will need plenty of insulation and be draft free as these birds don’t do well in the cold. However, keeping a draft free coop is one of the main ways to keep chickens warm in the winter.
Luckily, this won’t be as much of a problem for those who live in places with cold winters as the Yokohama will happily live in their warm coop through colder months of the year.
Yokohama chickens should always have access to water, but you may want to look for an option under cover to keep their long tails from getting too wet. You can find the perfect waterer by using one of these best chicken waterers.
You will also want to provide plenty of food with high protein, they may be small, but it takes a lot of nutrition to grow those long beautiful tails. Make sure that you know how much food a chicken needs so you can provide an adequate amount.
If you are planning to let the Yokohama outside, then you are going to need to make some preparations in advance.
The breed is curious and will wander far away from the coop if left unattended. You will need to build a chicken run with high fences so they can’t escape. Yokohama chickens are horrible at foraging, so never assume that they are catching a lot of food while left to wander around in the run. The breed isn’t any more prone to health problems than the average chicken. As always, be sure to look out for any strange or lethargic behavior and check your flock regularly as parasites like mites spread quickly.
FAQ
How much is a Yokohama chicken worth?
Male Yokohama chicks usually go for around $4, while the females tend to cost slightly more at around $6. Since they are more of a rare breed you may have to have a breeder ship chicks to you.
How big do Yokohama chickens get?
Yokohama chickens are small birds, with the roosters only growing to 4.5 pounds and the hens only reaching 3.5 pounds.
How long can Yokohama chickens live?
Yokohama chickens, when cared for properly, can live between 5 and 7 years; possibly longer if the conditions are right.
Are Yokohama chickens cold-hardy?
No, the Yokohama chicken isn’t cold hardy. Since they don't mind confinement, it's easy to keep them safe and comfortable in the winter with a warm coop.
What color eggs do Yokohama chickens lay?
The color of the Yokohama chicken’s eggs is cream.
What can you use Yokohama chickens for?
The Yokohama chicken is a bad food provider. They are usually kept strictly as pets are to be entered into shows. You can also make money with your chickens by incubating your chicken eggs and selling the chicks if you have good breeding line.
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