# Feather shanks and type in longtails



## MurphysLaw (Jun 25, 2015)

so my first question if Shank feathers. i've known it to appear sometimes at random in long tail breeds but in some others this is supposedly a throw back to adding breeds in.

I imagine in the case of Ohiki that the cochin may be responsible for occasional shank feathers. However in the past i had Yokohama and ever so often one would have 2-3 little shank feathers that would disappear by the time they feathered out fully into juveniles. any thoughts on this?

Ok I have Ohikis when imported into the US they were crossed with Cochin, Wyandotte and English Orpingtons.

they are a short leg bantam
(they have short legs but not the creeper gene)

However they can also have long legs, well with this sometimes comes very..Phoenix type.

Some have crossed Ohiki with Phoenix I'm told to improve Phoenix type.

do you think this is beneficial to both breeds?

more about Ohiki:
http://ohikibantam.webs.com/legs-and-ear-lobs

three Ohiki roosters. (my starter flock i intend to work on)







This is a young roo under 1 year old.








1 year old roo.

this rooster is my biggest question mark . my starter flock came from someone that ordered eggs from BBB but didnt cull and bred them instead results are some leg color issues and in this case this roo was one produced by some of the birds he bred that were considered culls. Blue legs and feathers.









2 more pics for better ideas
















i am strongly considering culling the feather leg what are your thoughts? I am hatching phoenix and was told i might consider using him with them but i worry about the legs. what are your thoughts?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I have to check on their type but that boy with the specked chest is my favorite. Not for his color, but his stance. Being a former Silkie breeder it's probably that shorter back. Although I do see his wings are not as tight as the others. I really need to check out the link.

What you want to build on at this point is type, the hardest part of all. Once that is where you want it start removing those from the breeding program that don't meet your needs. Color of feathers or skin. 

Chances are the shank feathers are showing up when two still carrying the gene are bred together.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Well, after nearly an hour of exploring Ohikis, I have come to the conclusion you have your work cut out for you. I think you mentioned there not being a standard, well there is but not one that means much. Nothing about type, nothing about wing position some of the hardest and most important part of the bird to pay attention to. The type is all over the map. Some have that elongated back and low tail, some are like your boy that I like so much. 

That is going to take the breeders getting together and seriously discussing what they want the end results to be. And I can see two problems with that, not enough breeders and exclusivism. Not willing to share with others their birds or even any information on the breeding. Sure a couple in the UK discuss it but that doesn't help those in the US. 

The one piece of advice I will give, is don't cull that female you don't like the attitude of. If she's got what you want in looks then use her. See what happens with the attitude of her offspring. 

If you have the space and the time, keep what you have. Give them a chance to at least reach a year old. I've seen my birds not look their best until they hit two. I had one that didn't grow a tail until she was five. They can really blossom in maturity.


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## MurphysLaw (Jun 25, 2015)

robin416 said:


> Well, after nearly an hour of exploring Ohikis, I have come to the conclusion you have your work cut out for you. I think you mentioned there not being a standard, well there is but not one that means much. Nothing about type, nothing about wing position some of the hardest and most important part of the bird to pay attention to. The type is all over the map. Some have that elongated back and low tail, some are like your boy that I like so much.
> 
> That is going to take the breeders getting together and seriously discussing what they want the end results to be. And I can see two problems with that, not enough breeders and exclusivism. Not willing to share with others their birds or even any information on the breeding. Sure a couple in the UK discuss it but that doesn't help those in the US.
> 
> ...


oh yeah sorry no didnt say there wasnt just didnt think to post any info on it my bad =/ there is a standard the Japanese Standard
i agree i have my work cut out for me lol but i wanted a project I will be aiming for more like my older male who is actually related to the boy you love.

Green legs
white ear lobes
red-brown eyes
single combs
30 degree angle tail

to cut this list short lol really what i am aiming for is the type seen in the japanese



























the articles i have been researching on :
http://www.longtail-fowl.com/ohiki_2.html
http://ohikibantam.webs.com/japanese-standard
http://ohiki.eu/ohiki.php

you are right thanks =] i think i'm keeping golden girl she's built nicely and towards what i want her temperament is the only down side.
when i have enough birds i will start thinking about culling.

I have about 22 chicks arriving in a week (7 already here) or so which may help me widen what i am working with . then my next step is to try and get as close to what i want.

yeah there seems to be a lot of type difference i see some that look like cochin bantams and some that look like phoenix lol


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I saw that Japanese Standard but it leaves a lot out. It doesn't address color, it doesn't address wing set. A 30 degree tail set is all well and good but if the wings are wrong you really don't have much because wings are tough to get right. Do you have any idea what the wings are supposed to look like? I did do a quick look and didn't come up with anything. 

You're right, they do run the gambit on appearance and now I know what that one look is, the phoenix you mentioned. And I did see the Cochin like appearance in others. 

I will be following how your project goes. You might just stumble into the right combination right away.


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