Phoenix
OrnamentalGermany
The Phoenix was created in 19th-century Germany from Japanese long-tailed stock, and a good rooster trails tail feathers two to five feet behind him like a comet. It's a bird you keep for beauty, giving it high perches and dry ground to protect that spectacular train.
Eggs per year
60–120
Egg color
Cream
Egg size
Small
Hen weight
3.5–4.5 lbs
Temperament
Alert and reserved
Broodiness
Sometimes broody
Did you know?
Its ancestor, Japan's Onagadori, can grow tail feathers over 20 feet long because the birds molt those feathers rarely, if ever.
Phoenix egg production
Expect roughly 60–120 cream eggs a year from a Phoenix in her prime — about 1–2 a week, or 5–10 dozen over the course of a year. These are occasional layers — kept more for looks or character than for a full egg basket. Production naturally dips during the annual molt and the short days of winter, and eases off as a hen ages past her second or third year. Most pullets lay their first egg somewhere between five and eight months old.
Temperament & handling
The Phoenix is generally described as alert and reserved. They tend to be active, alert foragers that would rather be busy in the run than sitting in your lap, so give them space and things to do.
Climate & care
The Phoenix isn't especially cold-hardy, so in cold-winter regions give it a well-insulated, draft-free coop and take extra care to prevent frostbite. It handles summer heat comfortably too, given shade, cool water, and good airflow.
Broodiness & raising chicks
A Phoenixhen may go broody now and then, but it isn't something to count on — if hatching chicks matters to you, plan on an incubator and our incubation calculator.
Space & feeding
A Phoenix hen is a small bird at 3.5–4.5 lbs. As a rule of thumb, a small flock of 6 would want around 24 sq ft of coop and 60 sq ft of run, with about 2 nest boxes and 5 ft of roost. Size it to your own flock with the coop size calculator, and estimate the monthly feed bill — and your real cost per egg — with the feed cost calculator.
Is the Phoenix right for you?
A great fit if…
- You'd like cream eggs in the basket
- You want a striking bird kept for looks and personality
- You keep chickens in a hot climate
Think twice if…
- You want the most low-maintenance possible first bird
- You face long, hard winters
- You want the absolute maximum egg output
- You want a lap chicken that loves being handled
Phoenix FAQ
- How many eggs do Phoenix chickens lay?
- A healthy Phoenix hen lays about 60–120 cream eggs a year — roughly 1–2 a week, or 5–10 dozen over a year. Output drops during winter and the annual molt, and eases as a hen ages.
- What color eggs do Phoenixs lay?
- Phoenixs lay cream eggs, small in size.
- How big do Phoenix chickens get?
- A Phoenix hen weighs roughly 3.5–4.5 lbs — a small bird — with roosters running a little heavier.
- Are Phoenixs cold-hardy?
- Not especially. The Phoenix does best in mild or warm climates; in cold-winter regions it needs an insulated, draft-free coop and extra care against frostbite.
- Are Phoenixs good for beginners?
- The Phoenix is alert and reserved and tends to suit keepers with a little experience more than absolute beginners.
- Do Phoenix hens go broody?
- Sometimes. A Phoenix hen may go broody now and then, but it isn't guaranteed — plan on an incubator if hatching matters to you.
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