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

Copied from

http://www.longtail-fowl.com/tomaru.html

 

The Tomaru 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. 

Five Hills Farm aquired 2 pullets and a cockerel from Cliff SImmons, from 2 different lines in 2013 then in 2015, a pair from Black Sun Farm that has a history of 30 yrs of breeding.  This is a very ancient and very rare breed of poultry that few have had the pleasure of hearing crow.  Because of how scarce this breed is, they are fairly inbred so having 3 totally separate lines is very exciting. Still, Tomaru chicks are quite difficult to get started from hatching to maturity.  There will be a very limited number of Tomaru's available to serious breeders only.  This breed has also had some outcrossing due to the very poor health of the original birds imported to the US so there are some differences noted in type and this breed is not an APA accepted "breed".