Are Phoenix good for showing?

Yes — they're an exhibition breed. Shown in the APA's **All Other Standard Breeds** class in Silver, Golden, and Black-Breasted Red, judged above all on a long, abundant, gracefully flowing tail on a slender, upright, single-combed bird. Feather condition is critical to placing.

How hard are Phoenix to hatch?

No harder than any chicken — **99.5–100°F, lockdown day 18, 21-day hatch**. There are no breed-specific incubation quirks; bantam Phoenix eggs are just smaller.

Do Phoenix chickens have non-stop growing tails like the Onagadori?

No. The true Japanese **Onagadori** carries a non-molting gene that lets its tail grow for years. The Phoenix has largely lost that gene and **molts annually**, so its tail is long and flowing but does not grow indefinitely.

How do you care for a Phoenix's long tail?

Give cocks **high, clean roosts** so the tail hangs free, keep bedding dry to avoid soiling and breakage, provide extra protein during the molt, and protect the tail carefully in transport. Damaged feathers take a full year to regrow.

Somewhat — Phoenix hens are more inclined to go broody and mother chicks than many light Mediterranean breeds, though it varies by individual. Plan for an incubator or a reliable broody if you want dependable hatching.

Phoenix: The German Long-Tailed Breed

Q: What color eggs do Phoenix lay?

Small **white to tinted** (off-white to light tan) eggs. They're fair layers — roughly 50–125 eggs a year — and bantam Phoenix lay smaller eggs. This is an ornamental breed, not an egg breed.

Verified September 2026White eggs

The short version

The Phoenix is a German long-tailed ornamental breed created by crossing imported Japanese long-tailed fowl (Onagadori-type birds) with hardier European breeds. It carries a single comb and is shown in the APA's All Other Standard Breeds (AOSB) class in Silver, Golden, and Black-Breasted Red. Hens lay small white to tinted eggs and are fair layers. Unlike the true Onagadori, the Phoenix molts annually, so its tail is long and flowing but not the endlessly growing tail of its Japanese ancestor.

APA class: AOSB

Egg color: White–Tinted

Broodiness: Occasionally broody

Varieties: 3

Egg-color genetics

The Phoenix is a light, ornamental layer rather than an egg breed. Hens lay a small-to-medium egg that runs from off-white to a light tan tint depending on strain, and bantam Phoenix eggs are smaller still. Nothing exotic is going on with shell pigment here — the interest in this breed is the tail, not the egg basket.

Phoenix vs Onagadori vs Yokohama

The Onagadori is the historic Japanese long-tailed breed and the ancestor of the group — it carries a non-molting gene that lets the tail grow continuously for years, and it is rare and demanding to keep. The Phoenix is the German breed made by crossing Onagadori-type birds onto hardier European stock; it molts annually, so it is far easier to keep but has a shorter tail than a well-kept Onagadori. The Yokohama is a related long-tailed breed from the same importation history, differing mainly in comb and type. If you want a flowing tail on a bird you can realistically manage, the Phoenix is the practical choice.

What color eggs do Phoenix lay?

Small white to lightly tinted eggs. Phoenix are fair, seasonal layers rather than production hens — figures around 50 to 125 eggs a year are commonly reported — and bantam Phoenix lay a smaller egg again. Keep this breed for its ornamental tail and exhibition value, not for filling an egg carton.

Breeding notes

The Phoenix is a German long-tailed breed developed in the late 1800s (attributed to Hugo du Roi) by crossing delicate imported Japanese long-tailed fowl of the Onagadori type onto vigorous European breeds such as Leghorns, Game, and Dutch stock. The goal was to keep the flowing tail while building a bird hardy enough to thrive outside Japan.
Understand the key difference from a true Onagadori before you breed: the Onagadori carries a non-molting gene that lets the tail grow for years without being shed. The Phoenix has largely lost that gene, so it molts every year (or two) — its long tail is the product of long feathers plus selection, not a tail that never stops growing. Don't market or breed Phoenix as if they were non-molting Onagadori.
Select for tail length, width, and a smooth flowing carriage together with the correct single comb and variety color. Breed within a variety (Silver, Golden, or Black-Breasted Red) to keep color patterns clean and showable.
Long-tail husbandry is part of the breeding program: give cocks high, clean roosts so tails hang free, keep bedding dry, and provide extra protein during the molt to grow good feather. Poor housing shreds and soils a tail that took a full year to grow.

Showing notes

The Phoenix is exhibited in the APA's All Other Standard Breeds (AOSB) class; enter by variety (for example 'Silver Phoenix, large fowl'). Silver was recognized in 1965, Golden in 1983, and Black-Breasted Red in 2018, with bantam Silver and Golden also standardized.
The tail is the showpiece: judges look for long, abundant, well-flowing sickle and tail-covert feathering carried in a graceful sweep, on a slender, upright, pheasant-like bird with a single comb and clean legs. Condition matters as much as genetics — a torn or dirty tail loses regardless of length.
Present birds clean and unbroken: bathe well ahead of the show, protect the tail in transport, and keep white and silver feathering free of stains and brassiness.

Hatching & incubation

No breed-specific incubation trick — Phoenix eggs hatch on the standard chicken schedule (99.5–100°F forced-air, lockdown day 18, 21-day hatch). Bantam Phoenix eggs are simply smaller.
The long-tail feature is genetic and does not affect incubation or hatching; chicks hatch as ordinary chicks and grow their tails over the following seasons.

Recognized varieties

SilverGoldenBlack-Breasted Red

Frequently asked questions

What color eggs do Phoenix lay?: Small white to tinted (off-white to light tan) eggs. They're fair layers — roughly 50–125 eggs a year — and bantam Phoenix lay smaller eggs. This is an ornamental breed, not an egg breed.
Are Phoenix good for showing?: Yes — they're an exhibition breed. Shown in the APA's All Other Standard Breeds class in Silver, Golden, and Black-Breasted Red, judged above all on a long, abundant, gracefully flowing tail on a slender, upright, single-combed bird. Feather condition is critical to placing.
How hard are Phoenix to hatch?: No harder than any chicken — 99.5–100°F, lockdown day 18, 21-day hatch. There are no breed-specific incubation quirks; bantam Phoenix eggs are just smaller.
Do Phoenix chickens have non-stop growing tails like the Onagadori?: No. The true Japanese Onagadori carries a non-molting gene that lets its tail grow for years. The Phoenix has largely lost that gene and molts annually, so its tail is long and flowing but does not grow indefinitely.
How do you care for a Phoenix's long tail?: Give cocks high, clean roosts so the tail hangs free, keep bedding dry to avoid soiling and breakage, provide extra protein during the molt, and protect the tail carefully in transport. Damaged feathers take a full year to regrow.
Are Phoenix broody?: Somewhat — Phoenix hens are more inclined to go broody and mother chicks than many light Mediterranean breeds, though it varies by individual. Plan for an incubator or a reliable broody if you want dependable hatching.

Sources

Phoenix Chicken (breed history, tail genetics & conservation status) — The Livestock Conservancy (Reference)
Phoenix Chickens in the Heritage Breed Spotlight (varieties, egg color, husbandry) — Cackle Hatchery (Hatchery)

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