The following text and standard are courtesy of Julia Keeling, Secretary - Asian Hardfeather Club.

The Tomaru 唐丸 is a breed of long crowing chicken said to have originated in China during the T'ang Dynasty, 618-907 AD. The first kanji character in its name, 唐 Tou, is the Japanese term for the Chinese T'ang Dynasty. It was refined in Japan and today is accepted as a Japanese breed. It appears in a single variety with black plumage and is best known for its exceptionally long, musical crow, which can be sustained for up to 25 seconds. This is the baritone of the Japanese Long Crowers.

British TOMARU Standard

(taken from the Japanese)

Origin: Japan

Classification: Light Rare

Egg Colour: Tinted

General characteristics: male

Carriage: Upright, bold and active

Type: Body large, deep and compact, full breast but rather cut away at front, back long slopping down to tail, wings rather long carried close to the body, tail large moderately long, carried low but above horizontal, with the main and lesser sickles sometimes touching the ground.

Head: Medium size, beak short, stout and slightly curved, eyes large, bright and prominent, comb single medium size and straight, face smooth sometimes with black markings, ear-lobes and wattles of medium size.

Neck: Moderately long and furnished with full hackle.

Leg and feet: Legs medium to long, shanks fine and free of feathers, toes four, well spread.

General characteristics: female

The general characteristics are similar to that of the male, allowing for the natural sexual differences.

Colour
Male/Female plumage: Pure black with green sheen. In both sexes: beak black or horn, eyes orange/red, face, comb and earlobes red with some black shading. All black face allowable in hens. Legs and feet very dark slate.

Weights

Male: 3 – 3.2kg

Female: 2 – 2.7kg

The Tomaru is very likely the ancestorial parent or a part of the ancestory of the Kurogashiwa and the similarities are evident. Where the line of demarkation begins is in the voice and then in the form. The Tomaru' may have a few long main sickles, but is not a pronounced long-tailed breed. It's voice, however, is one of the most beautiful amoung the Longcrowers. Click on the .wav file below to hear for yourself. This particular rooster has both the two tone call and the "Schnork" at the end of his song - two factors of high value in the Tomaru's song. At the bottom of the page is also a .mov file from an unknown author from Japan. Please have a look!

This shot shown at right is of my own birds just before they accompanied me back from the German birthplace, and what a proud owner I was / am!! This line not only hase a beautiful voice, but also a magnificent form with a full and proud tail held in a squirrel-like position.

The photo above is courtesy of Toni-Marie Astin of Onagadori South Feather Farm. This rooster descends from the 2002 exports I sent to America.

At right is another pair decsnding from the same exports. This photo courtesy of David Rogers, Megumi Aviary 恵みの鶏舎

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