The Shamo is a Japanese game breed developed from Thai fighting stock and one of the tallest chickens kept — a mature cock stands upright at roughly two feet, with a heavy brow, sparse hard feathering, and bare red skin showing at the breast and shoulders. Hens lay around 80 to 100 light brown eggs a year and are attentive mothers. The breed is designated a Japanese natural monument. As with all game fowl, males are intolerant of each other and need separate housing rather than a shared run.
Cold hardy
Heat tolerant
Egg colorLight Brown
Egg production80–100 / year
TemperamentAggressive
BroodinessRare
ClimateCold hardy, Heat tolerant
PurposeShow, Meat
Weight
Large fowl (Standard size)
Hen7 lb
Rooster11 lb
Bantam (Miniature size)
Hen2–2.3 lb
Rooster2.3–2.5 lb
How to spot it
CombPea
Small pea comb under a heavy overhanging brow
Carriage
Very upright, near-vertical, standing notably taller than other breeds
Feathering
Hard and sparse, with bare red skin showing at the breast and wing fronts
Look for
Sheer height and an upright stance no other breed matches
Pea
