The Satsumadori is a Japanese breed of chicken. It originated in Kagoshima Prefecture, in the southernmost part of the island of Kyushu in southern Japan, and was originally bred for cockfighting.[7] The name derives from that of the former province of Satsuma, now the western part of Kagoshima Prefecture.[8]
History
The Satsumadori originated in Kagoshima Prefecture, in the southernmost part of the island of Kyushu in southern Japan, and was originally bred for cockfighting with steel spurs.[6] It was designated a Natural Monument of Japan in 1943, one of seventeen breeds which have this status.[9] In 1999 the total number of breeding stock was 305 birds;[1]: 101 the conservation status was assessed as "not at risk".[1]: 82
Characteristics
The Satsumadori is bred in many colour variants. The traditional Japanese colours are: akasasa, roughly "red-hackled"; kinsasa, "golden-hackled"; kisasa, "yellow-hackled"; shirosasa, "white-hackled"; soukoku, black; and taihaku, white.[8] In the United Kingdom it may be white, silver duckwing, gold duckwing, black or black-red;[5]: 260 the first three of these are recognised by the Entente Européenne, while the last is not listed.[4]
Standard weights are 3.375 kg (7.4 lb) for cock birds and 2.625 kg (5.8 lb) for hens.[2]: 99 The comb is triple in cocks, and small or non-existent in hens.[5]: 260 Comb, face, ear-lobes and wattles are vivid red, and the eyes are gold or silver; wattles and ear-lobes may be small or entirely absent. The beak and legs are yellow, but may be darker in the black variant. Cock birds have an upright stance; the tail fans out laterally, and is held above the horizontal.[5]: 260
Use
The Satsumadori was bred as a game bird for steel-spur cock-fighting, in which blades were attached to the legs in the area of the spur. This type of cock-fighting is no longer legal in Japan. The Satsumadori is kept for fancy.[2]: 99
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Satsumadori.
^ abcdMasaoki Tsudzuki (2003). Japanese native chickens. In: Hsiu-Luan Chang, Yu-chia Huang (editors) (2003). The Relationship between Indigenous Animals and Humans in APEC Region. Taipei: Chinese Society of Animal Science. Pages 91-116.
These are the chicken breeds considered in Japan to be wholly or partly of Japanese origin. Inclusion here does not necessarily imply that a breed is predominantly or exclusively Japanese.