Indian Game

Indian Game
Origin	Category	Egg Colour	Sitter
Britain	Hardfeather Heavy	Tinted	Yes

From American Standard of Perfection 1942

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

THE COCK

Head - Skull rather broad, long and thick, not as keen as in the Old English Game nor as thick as in the Malay, somewhat beetle-browed but not giving such a cruel expression as that of the Malay. Beak short and well curved, stout where it is set on the head, and giving the bird a powerful appearance. Eyes full and bold, slightly beetlebrowed. Comb pea type, small, and closely fitting. Face smooth and of fine texture. Earlobes and Wattles small. Throat bare and dotted with small feathers.

Neck of medium length and slightly arched, the hackle feathers short and just covering the base of the neck.

Body very thick and compact, tapering towards the tail ; broad shoulders with prominent butts; short and flat back, but not flat-sided; deep, well-rounded breast ; short muscular wings, rather high in front, close to the body, and round at the points; medium length tail with a slight droop, short, hard secondary sickles and tail-coverts, close and hard.

Legs strong and thick. Thighs round and stout. Shanks short, well scaled, wide apart and free of feathers. Toes (four) straight, strong, and spreading, the fourth (back) low and nearly fiat on the ground. (Note. —The legs should be such as to give the bird a Game appearance, but in no way stilty like the Modern Game or the Malay.

Carriage upright and powerful, the back sloping downwards to the tail.

Plumage narrow, short, hard and close.

Handling firm and muscular.

Weight not less than 8 lb.

THE HEN

With the exception of the tail (rather short, venetianed but close, and not as low) the general characteristics are similar to those of the cock, allowing for the natural sexual differences. Weight not less than 6 lb.

COLOUR

DARK INDIAN

Beak horn, yellow, or horn striped with yellow.

Eyes varying from pale yellow to pale red. Comb, Face, Wattles and Earlobes brilliant red. Legs rich yellow or orange, the deeper the better.

Plumage of the Cock - Head, Neck, Breast, Under-fluff, Thighs and Tail black with a rich green sheen or lustre; the base of the neck and tail hackles a little broken with bay or chestnut, which should be almost hidden by the body of the feathers. Shoulders and Wing-bows glossy black or beetle-green, slightly broken with bay or chestnut in the centre of the feather or shaft. Tail coverts or furnishing glossy black or beetle-green, slightly broken with bay or chestnut in the base of the shaft. Back glossy blick or beetlegreen, touched on the fine frond; at the end of the feathers with bay or chestnut, which gives the sheen so much desired. When the wing is closed there is a triangular patch of bay or chest nut formed of the secondaries, which are glossy black or beetle-green on the inner, and bay or chestnut on the outer web. Primaries deep black, except for about 2 1/2 inches of a narrow lacing on the outer web of a light chestnut.

Plumage of the Hen - Ground colour chestnut brown, nut-brown, or mahogany-brown. Head, Hackle and Throat glossy black or beetle-green. The pointed hackle that lies under the neck feathers glossy black or beetle-green with a bay or chestnut centre mark. The Breast, commencing on the lower part of the throat and expanding into double lacing on the swell of the breast, rich bay or chestnut, the inner or double lacing being most distinct; the Under-parts and Thighs marked some what similarly and running into a mixture of in distinct markings under the vent and swell of the thighs. Feathers of the Shoulders and Back somewhat small, enlarging towards the tail coverts, similarly marked with the double lacing. The markings on the Wing-bows and Shoulders running down to the waist are the most distinct of all, with the same kind of double lacing; and often in the best specimens there is an additional mark enclosing the base of the shaft of the feather and running to a point in the second or inner lacing. The Tail-coverts are seldom as distinctly marked, but with the same style of marking. Primary or flight feathers black, except those on the inner frond or web, which are a little coloured or peppered with a light chestnut; secondaries black on the inner web, outer web in keeping with the general ground colour and edged with a delicate lacing of glossy green-black or beetle-green. Wing-coverts, which form the bar, laced like those of the body, and often a little peppered. The lacing mentioned should be metallic -black or beetle-green and appear as if embossed or raised.

Serious Defects : Crooked back, beak, legs (inkneed, bow, or bent); wry or squirrel-tail; flat sides ; single or Malay comb ; red hackles; and, in addition, in the hen too light, too dark, or mealy ground colour, and defective markings.

Defects: Crooked breast or toes; flat shins; bad shape; lack of size; long legs; twisted hackle; rusty hackle; white in hackle; heavy feathering.

JUBILEE INDIAN

Beak, Eyes, Comb, etc., as in Dark Indian Game.

Plumage of the Cock - Head, Neck, Breast, Under-fluff, Thighs and Tail white, but lacing is allowed on the breast. Shoulders and Wing-bows white, slightly broken with bay or chestnut in the centre of the feather or shaft. Tail-coverts white. Back white, touched on the fine fronds and the ends of the feathers with bay or chestnut. When the wing is closed there is a triangular patch of bay or chestnut formed of the secondaries, which are white on the inner and bay or chestnut on the outer web. Primaries pure white, except about 2 1/2 inches of a narrow lacing of light chestnut on the outer web.

Plumage of the Hen - Ground colour chestnut, brown, nut-brown, or mahogany-brown. Headhackle and Throat white. Breast, commencing on the lower part of the throat and expanding into double lacing on the swell of the breast, white, the inner or double lacing being most distinct, the underparts and thighs marked somewhat similarly and running into a mixture of indistinct markings under the vent and swell of the thighs. Feathers of the shoulders and back somewhat small, enlarging towards the tail coverts, similarly marked with the double lacing; often in the best specimens there is an additional mark enclosing the base of the shaft of the feather and running to a point in the second or inner lacing. The tail coverts are seldom as distinctly marked, but with the same style of marking. Primary or flight feathers white, except on the inner frond or web, which are a little coloured or peppered with a light chestnut; secondaries white on the inner web, outer web in keeping with the general ground colour and edged with a delicate lacing of white. Wing-coverts, which form the bar, laced like those of the body and often a little peppered. The white lacing mentioned should appear as if embossed or raised.

WHITE INDIAN

Beak, Eyes, Comb, etc., as in Dark Indian Game.

Plumage all white.

SCALE OF POINTS

INDIAN GAME

	SCALE POINTS
Type and colour (of body and thighs 10, back, breast, wings, tail and legs 8 each, neck 3)	53
Head (skull, eyes, and brows 3 each, beak, wattles, lobes and comb 2 each)	17
Carriage	12
Size	10
Condition	8
	100

SOURCES

• The American standard of perfection, illustrated. A complete description of all recognized varieties of fowls as revised by the American Poultry Association, inc., at its seventy-sixth convention in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, 1949; seventy-eight convention in Roanoke, Virginia, 1951; seventy-ninth convention in Fort Worth, Texas, 1952. https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009169010

• The Poultry club standards, containing a complete description of all the recognised varieties of fowls, ducks, geese and turkeys, ed. by William W. Broomhead. https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009202629