THE MINOHIKI        <return to JAPANESE BREEDS index

A perfect blend of Gamefowl Attitude and Longtail Elegance!

The "Saddle Dragger", is perhaps my favourite of all the  long-tail fowl breeds that have come out of Japan. Believed to be the more elegant distant cousins of the SATSUMADORI, and descendants of crosses made in the Edo Period between Shamo and Shokuku, these birds have exceptional presence in the show cage as well as in the garden.

The important points and aspects of breeding the Minohiki are: the head, the comb, the carriage of chest, wing, back and tail, and especially the tail and the saddle feather region. All the illustrations of birds that I have seen from Master Breeders Mr. Terada and Mr. Mochizuki, and those that are already in Europe, have a well-closed tail feather arrangement (as opposed to the tail feather arrangement of the Satsumadori which is flat, wide and open - not unlike a peacock's tail). The tail feathers, when viewed from behind, are a well-closed curtain of moderately wide (not thin as required with the Onagadori and Ohiki), of firm substance (not subtle and limp as in the Onagadori) and together the sickle and coverts should form a completely closed curtain (see BREEDING OF LONGTAILS in the side menu) that drags the ground preferably a few centimetres behind the birds. The saddle feathers must touch the ground and drag. The Silver Duckwings (BBSilvers - USA) showed the best quality of saddle feathers that I had ever seen, with many inches of feathers joining the curtain of feathers of the tail, but like the Shojo line that Knut Roeder lost this line is now also (2009) extinct and has been from around ca. 2001.

PROPOSED STANDARD

MINOHIKI

MINOHIKI (Mino ­ saddle feather, Hiki ­ dragging)

MALE COMB: Triple or walnut comb of any particular

form, size may be large but small, tight and finely-

textured preferred. A form of walnut, called "Chalice

Comb" is prevalent in the province of origin in Japan:

a walnut comb with a distinct indention in the centre

of the comb, forming a cup or chalice.

FEMALE COMB: In those genetic lines in which the Chalice Comb is prevalent,

the hens may have a pronounced, medium-size comb.

BEAK: Medium in length, strong, nicely curved.

FACE: Full, smooth to fleshy. The fleshy types of Minohiki should not develop deep wrinkles as seen in Yamato, but may become distinctly furrowed and grooved with age.

EYES: Full, bright red brown

WATTLES: (if present) bright red. Wattles preferred small, regular, finely-textured if present.

HEAD: Medium in length and depth, skull of natural, moderate convexity.

NECK: Medium in length, well arched. Hackle -- long, abundant, flowing well over the shoulders.

BACK: Rather long, upright to gently sloping, broad at the shoulders, sloping distinctly downward to the end of the back where it sweeps upward to the tail. The length, substance, and abundance of plumage creating a well-filled appearance.

SADDLE - Extremely long and abundant with the saddle hackle of the mature cock dragging the ground behind the body. On the body they carry on the unbroken sweep to the tail, covering a portion of the ends of the wings, extending to the tail in a luxuriant drapery. Best saddle length

in 2 year old or older males.

TAIL: Main Tail - Long, broad, and overlapping, the

longer the better, well concealed by sickles and

coverts, continuing the concave sweep of the back.

Main Sickles - Multiple, broad, firm in texture, drag-

ging the ground at least 80 cm behind the body.

Firm structure, medium width. A full, dragging tail

is desired, but not an exaggerated length.

Lesser (Mutant) Sickles - Multiple stacking rows

concentrated around the glandular node at the base

of the tail, forming a very full appearance, broad,

moderate to firm in texture, very long and abundant,

merging with and carrying rearward the drapery of saddle hackles, growing to at least 80cm in length. A full, dragging tail is desired, but not an exaggerated length.

Coverts - moderately broad, moderate to firm in texture, at least reaching, but preferably dragging the ground. A full, dragging tail is desired, but not an exaggerated length.

WINGS: Large, well-folded, carried at an angle,

held closely to the body at an angle, continuing

toward the shanks. Bows - smooth, prominent,

and well rounded. Coverts - feathers broad,

forming 2 distinct bars across the wings.

Primaries - broad, tapering convexly to stern,

completely hidden by secondaries. Secondaries

1. -moderately broad and strong, ends concealed
   

2. -by saddle.
   

BREAST: Broad, full, carried high and slightly

forward

BODY AND FLUFF: Moderately long, medium

depth, firm, muscular, with good heart girth,

plumage carried closely and neatly. Fluff -

medium length, carried without drooping.

LEGS AND TOES: Yellow. Legs set well apart when viewed from the front, and middle of body to provide firm balance and poise for the great length of plumage. Lower shanks and thighs--moderate in length. Spurs - Hard and set low on the leg. Toes--four on each foot, rather long, straight, well spread.

WEIGHT: cock 2500g, hen 1800g (young birds 1350 - 2000 g)

COLOURS: Red Duckwing, Silver Duckwing, Golden Duckwing, 5-coloured (Goshiki), White, or Black-tailled Buff (Shojou)

The distinctive factors of the Minohiki are: red-faced, yellow-legged, cushion to pea-combed, upright body and arched tail stance, extremely long saddle hackle, extremely full and long main tail, medium size. Variations: comb form and size, body type from a moderate to a strongly gamefowl type, less importance is placed on colour