Phoenix hens
lay medium size, cream-colored eggs.
Phoenix chickens are known for their long tails. The breed was developed in Europe and the United States from the Japanese long-tailed chicken breed. The roosters' tails are 2 to 5 feet in length. To maintain extremely long tails, high perches and special housing are required. The pheasant-like chickens weigh 4 to 5 pounds. Much smaller bantam Phoenix are also available.
Instructions
1. Purchase healthy Phoenix chickens with desirable conformation. The American Standard of Perfection developed by the American Poultry Association lists the preferred conformation for Phoenix chickens. The American Poultry Association recognizes three Phoenix varieties: silver, golden and black-breasted red. They have a single comb, yellow skin and yellow or slate shanks.
2. Buy one Phoenix rooster for every 12 to 20 Phoenix hens to produce fertile eggs. Phoenix hens are not heavy egg producers. The hens average one egg per week. Some Phoenix hens become broody and will sit on eggs. Otherwise the eggs must be hatched in an incubator.
3. Collect the fertile eggs several times per day. Provide one nest box for every four hens. Because the Phoenix hens do not lay many eggs, store the eggs, if necessary. Store the eggs at 50 to 60 degrees for up to 10 days prior to placing in the incubator. Select normal-size, clean eggs for hatching.
4. Follow the incubator instructions to determine the property temperature and humidity. An average temperature is 100 degrees with a humidity of 50 to 55 percent. Turn the eggs three times per day while in the incubator. Turning is not necessary the last three days of incubation. The incubation length is 21 days. Phoenix chicks are gray and yellow with black stripes down the back.
5. Place the newly hatched chicks in a chick brooder. There are many styles and sizes of brooders but all provide a temperature of 90 to 95 degrees. Feed the young birds chick starter and provide fresh water. Reduce the brooder temperature by 5 degrees each week until the chicks are 6-weeks old. After 6 weeks of age, Phoenix chicks usually do not require a brooder.
6. Switch to an egg layer ration when the Phoenix chickens are 4 to 5 months of age. Extra protein in the diet may be required when the tail feathers are growing. Phoenix chickens are rather slow to mature. Phoenix hens begin laying eggs by 6 months of age.
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