Long-crowing chicken breeds are characterised by the unusually long-drawn-out crow of the cocks, which may in some cases last for up to 60 seconds. The oldest references to long-crowing cocks are from China. Long-crowing breeds are found in the Far East, in Turkey, in the Balkans and in western Germany.

History

The earliest reference to long-crowing cocks is in the writings of Li Ji, dating from the reign of Emperor Xuan of Han (75–49 BC). In Japan the first references are from the early eighth century, in the

Kojiki The , also sometimes read as or , is an early Japanese chronicle of myths, legends, hymns, genealogies, oral traditions, and semi-historical accounts down to 641 concerning the origin of the Japanese archipelago, the , and the Japanese imperia ...

and Nihon Shoki chronicles. The

Bergische Kräher The is a German breed of domestic chicken from the Bergisches Land, in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia in western Germany. It is named for its unusually long crow, up to five times as long as that of other breeds, and belongs to the gro ...

breed of Germany was imported from the Balkans in

Mediaeval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

times. In Russia the Jurlower or

Yurlov Crower The Yurlov Crower is an old Russian breed of chicken primarily selected and used for long crowing cock contests in Russia. Breed names * Russian: юрловская голосистая * English: Yurlovo Crower, Yurlov Vociferous * German: Ju ...

was bred in the nineteenth century.

Characteristics

Chicken breed There are hundreds of chicken breeds in existence. Domesticated for thousands of years, distinguishable breeds of chicken have been present since the combined factors of geographical isolation and selection for desired characteristics created reg ...

s which to a greater or lesser extent display long-crowing behaviour include the Berat,

, Jurlower and Kosova Long Crower and breeds of eastern Europe, the

Denizli Denizli is an industrial city in the southwestern part of Turkey and the eastern end of the alluvial valley formed by the river Büyük Menderes, where the plain reaches an elevation of about . Denizli is located in the country's Aegean Region. ...

of Turkey, and the Koeyoshi, Kurokashiwa, Tomaru and Tôtenko breeds of Japan. In general, long-crowing breeds are tall, with long legs and neck.

Cock crowing contests

In Germany, Indonesia and

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, there is an old tradition of cock crowing contests with local longcrowers. The length of a crow is measured, but also the number of crowing calls, the tone and melody can be judged. More recently, longcrower contests with nonlocal breeds are being organised in Germany and the Netherlands.

List of Longcrower breeds

* American Long Crower * Achal Tekkinski * Ayam Ketawa ("Laughing Chicken", also named "Ayam gaga") * Ayam Pelung * Bekisar * Bergische Crower and Bergische Bantam Crower * Brazilian Crower (Galo musico) * Bosnian Crower (Berat Crower) * Changkuo Crower * Denizli Crower (Denizli horozu) *

(Jurlovskie golosistie) * Kokok Balenggek (Ayam Kokok Balenggek) * Komotini Crower *

Kosovo Longcrower The Kosovo Longcrower or Kosovo Long Crowing Rooster is a breed of chicken originating in Kosovo. It developed as a landrace in the area of the Drenica in Kosovo, and thus in the Albanian language it is commonly called ''Rooster of Drenica'' ...

* Palama Crower * Shôkoku * Tômaru * Tôtenkô * Koeyoshi * Kurokashiwa

References

{{Long-crowing chickens Chickens Poultry breeding