Trait Selection Standard for Breeding Onagadori Traits
This is the standard I developed to breed my own fowl by until a friend translated the full Japanese standard for me.

(There are currently no known Onagadori in the US)

Shape of Male

Comb: Single, medium in size, red in color, 5 even points, set firmly upon the head, blade clear of neck and upright without lop

Beak: Moderate in length, strong, curving nicely

Face: Full, smooth, free of wrinkles, and light red to near white in color

Eyes: Red-brown in color and well round

Wattles: Medium, well rounded at lower edges, free from wrinkles and folds

Ear Lobes: Large, white in color, elongated oval, smooth, free from wrinkles or folds

Head: Moderate in length and depth, Moderately convex, wild jungle fowl - like appearance

Neck: Moderately long, carried upright

Hackle: Abundant, soft and fine textured, falling gracefully over and past the shoulders

Back: Moderate in length and breadth, straight, rounding at the shoulders, sloping downward slightly towards the end to the tail

Wings: Large in size, held close to the body near horizontal drooping only slightly, held slightly below the rump. Bows - smooth, well rounded. Covers - broad feathers. Primaries - broad, convex and tapering towards the rear, completely hidden by secondaries. Secondaries - moderate in breadth and strong

Breast: Full and soft feathered

Body & Stern: Moderate in length and depth

Legs & Toes: Legs - Set well apart when viewed from the front, placed midways on body when viewed from the side. Strong and medium in length. Toes- Long, straight, four on each foot, and evenly spread. Color - yellow in white birds, willow in all other colored birds.

Lower Thighs: Moderate in length

Shanks: Moderate in length

Spurs: Strong and hard, and set low on the leg

Coverts: 12 ft or more long, growing at least 32in per year, the more the better. Not molting for at least 4 years, ideally 5. Not counting first molt loosing juvenile feathering. Top Coverts - Multiple, thin, soft in texture, following the contour of part of the tail then limp and falling downward. Under-tail Coverts (Crissum) - Multiple, six inches in length or longer, medium in width, soft in texture, slightly rounded at the ends.

Tail: Somewhat wide and near flat width ways, but not excessively spread. Multiple feathered i.e. more than 6 feathers on each side. Main tail - thin feathers but wider than coverts, subtle, moderately limp, and full. Sloping downward from the back and well below horizontal. 1/3 to 1/2 the length of the coverts. Main tail should molt regularly.

Main Sickles and Lesser (Mutant) Sickles: Fine and soft textured. Lesser (Mutant) sickles
not molting for at least 4 years, ideally 5. Not counting first molt loosing juvenile feathering.

Saddles: Covering the ends of the wings, at least 1/3 to 1/2 the length of the coverts, not molting for 4 years, ideally 5. Not counting first molt loosing juvenile feathering.

Shape of Female

Comb: Single, small, red in color, 5 even points, blade having no conformity to the curve of the head

Beak: Moderate in length, strong, curving nicely

Face: Moderately sized and smooth

Eyes: Red-brown in color and well round

Wattles: Small, well rounded at lower edges, free from wrinkles and folds

Ear Lobes: Moderately sized, white in color, elongated oval, smooth, free from wrinkles or folds, and firm textured

Head: Moderate in length and depth, Moderately convex, wild jungle fowl - like appearance

Neck: Moderately long, well arched

Hackle: Abundant, soft and fine textured, falling gracefully over the shoulders, joining closely in the front of the neck

Back: Moderate in length and breadth, straight, rounding at the shoulders, sloping downward slightly towards the end to the tail

Wings: Large in size, held close to the body near horizontal, held slightly below the rump. Bows - smooth, well rounded. Covers - broad feathers. Primaries - broad, convex and tapering towards the rear, completely hidd en by secondaries. Secondaries - moderate in breadth and strong

Breast: Full and soft feathered

Body & Stern: Moderate in length and depth

Legs & Toes: Legs - Set well apart when viewed from the front, placed midways on body when viewed from the side. Strong and medium in length. Toes- Long, straight, four on each foot, and evenly spread. Color - yellow in white birds, willow in all other colored birds.

Lower Thighs: Moderate in length

Shanks: Moderate in length

Spurs: Present and strong, but not overly large

Coverts: Top Coverts - Multiple, moderately thin, soft in texture, following the contour of the tail. Lower Coverts - Multiple, thin, soft in texture, rounded at the ends

Tail: Somewhat wide and near flat width ways, but not excessively spread. Multiple feathered i.e. more than 6 feathers on each side, moderately long, slightly convex to near flat in shape, molting normally unlike the male. Main tail - thin feathers, subtle, and full. Sloping downward from the back and well below horizontal

APPEARANCE: The most prominent characteristic of the breed is the multiple feathering in the tails of both sexes and the non-molting of the male's tail. The body of both sexes should have a game or jungle-fowl type build that is held high and well balanced on legs of moderate length. The hens should also have long tails such that the coverts extend beyond the main tail feathers. The male's tail should be extreme and excessive in length, 12 ft or longer. Special attention and care must be given the male's tail that it remains in good, clean, unbroken condition.

Standard weights: cock 64 oz., hen 48 oz.