Old English Game

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Old English Game
Origin Category Egg Colour Sitter
Britain Hardfeather Light Tinted Yes
The old English game fowl; its history, description, management, breeding and feeding by Atkinson, Herbert, d. 1936
The old English game fowl; its history, description, management, breeding and feeding by Atkinson, Herbert, d. 1936
The old English game fowl; its history, description, management, breeding and feeding by Atkinson, Herbert, d. 1936
The old English game fowl; its history, description, management, breeding and feeding by Atkinson, Herbert, d. 1936
From Wright’s Book of Poultry
From Wright’s Book of Poultry

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

OXFORD STANDARD

THE COCK

Head — Small, and taper, skin of face and throat flexible and loose. A loose skin to the throat to enable the cock to breathe freely when distressed in a long battle

Beak — Big, boxing, crooked or hawk-like, pointed, strong at the setting on. Boxing means, the upper mandible shutting tightly and closely over the lower one, a long under-beak lacks holding power.

Eyes — Large, bold, fiery and fearless.

Comb, Wattles and Ear-lobes-—Of fine texture, small, and thin, in undubbed chickens and hens.

Neck — Large boned, round, strong, and of fair length, neck hackle covering the shoulders.

Back—Short, flat, board at the shoulders, tapering to the tail.

Breast — Broad, full, prominent, with large pectoral muscles, breast bone not deep or pointed. An important point. Strong, big, pectoral muscles give to the cock the power to fly with strength and force and furnishes the maximum amount of breast meat for the table.

Wings — Large, long and powerful, with large strong quills, amply protecting the thighs. Long and strong wings impart additional force to the blow when the cock strikes.

Tail — Large, up, and spread, main feathers and quills large and strong. In the hen inclined to fan shape, and carried well up. A high, strong tail acts as a rudder, supports and balances the cock when striking, or springing backwards, and indicates courage, the first act of a coward is to lower his tail.

Belly — Small and tight.

Thighs — Short, round and muscular, following the line of the body, or slightly curved.

Legs — Strong, clean boned, sinuey, close scaled, not fat and gummy like other fowls, not stiffly upright or too wide apart, and having a good bend or angle at the hock. Legs, the bend of the hock, or rather the juncture of the metatarsal bone with the tibia, may be compared to the bent hocks and muscular thighs of the hare and kangaroo, in furnishing them with such wonderful propelling power. In cocks of this perfect conformation there is nothing wasted in these bones, which are constructed to enable him to move with force and velocity commensurate with their distance from the centre of action, this is the reason the storked-legged bird has no force in his blow; and the cock with legs set wide apart and straight thigh bones is dry-heeled, his blows do not wound or kill his adversary.

Feet — Toes thin, long, straight and tapering, terminating in long, strong curved nails, hind toe of good length and strength, extending backwards in almost a straight line.

Spurs — Hard, fine, set low on the leg.

Plumage — Hard, sound, resilient, smooth, glossy, and sufficient without much fluff.

Carriage — Proud, defiant, sprightly, active on his feet, ready for any emergency, alert, agile, quick in his movements.

In Hand — Clever, well balanced, hard, yet light fleshed, corky, mellow and warm, with strong contraction of wings and thighs to the body.

THE HEN

The general characteristics of the hen are similar to those of the cock, allowing for the natural sexual differences.

COLOURS

It is desirable that the toe-nails should match the legs and beak in colour in all game fowl.

1. BLACK BREASTED BLACK RED

Black breasted black-red cock. Hackle, shoulders and saddle feathers rich dark red (the colour of the shoulders of a black breasted red), all the rest of the plumage, with the eyes, beak, legs and nails, black; the face gipsy (purple).

Hen. Body brown mixed with umber brown, hackle striped red, breast red-brown, tail and primary wing feathers black, down or fluff black in both sexes, legs, eyes, beak and face to match cock in all game hens.

2. BLACK BREASTED RED

Black breasted red cock. Breast, thighs, belly and tail, black ; wing bars steel blue, secondaries (when closed) bay; hackle and saddle feathers orange-red; shoulders deep crimson-scarlet; face scarlet-red; legs willow, yellow, white carp or olive.

Hen. Hackle, golden lightly striped with black; robin breast; belly ash-grey; back, shoulders and wings a good even partridge colour, primaries dark, also tail ; in both sexes the dark legged birds should have grey fluff, the white and yellow legged, white fluff.

(Fluff is the down at the roots of the feathers next the skin. White or yellow legged birds may have white feathers in wings and tail.)

3. SHADY OR STREAKY BREASTED LIGHT RED

Shady or streaky breasted light reds have hackle and back a shade lighter and sometimes red wing bars; legs white or yellow.

Hen. Wheaten, a pale cream colour (like wheat) with clear red hackle; tail and primaries nearly black. The red wheaten (the colour of red wheat), or light brick red in body and wings; hackle dark red; tail dark; fluff in both sexes white.

4. BLACK BREASTED SILVER DUCKWING

Black breasted silver duckwing cock. Resembles the black breasted red in his black markings and blue wing bars, the rest of the plumage a clear silvery white, face red, eyes pearl, legs and beak white; or eyes red and legs dark.

Hen. A white hackle lightly striped black; body and wings an even silvery grey; breast pale salmon; primaries and tail nearly black; fluff in both sexes light grey.

5. BLACK BREASTED YELLOW DUCKWING

Black breasted yellow duckwing cock. Face red; hackle yellow straw colour; saddle also; shoulders deep golden; steel blue wing bars; secondaries white when closed; the rest of the plumage black; legs yellow, willow or dark.

Hen. Deeper, richer colour in breast, and body a slightly browner tinge than the silver hen; legs, etc., to match cock; fluff light grey in both sexes.

6. BLACK BREASTED BIRCHEN DUCKWING

Black breasted birchen duckwing cock. Hackle a deep rich straw, may be lightly striped; shoulders maroon colour; otherwise same as preceding; face slightly darker; legs yellow or dark. Hen. A shade darker in colour than the yellow duckwing hen; the hackle more heavily striped with black, and often foxy on the shoulders.

7. GREYS

Greys. All differ from duckwings, in having the secondaries, when closed, black; or, if grey, wanting the steel blue bar across them.

8. BLACK BREASTED DARK GREY

Black breasted dark grey. Like the black breasted red cock, except hackle, saddle and shoulders are a dark silvery grey, often striped with black; eyes, beak and legs black ; gipsy or purple face.

Hen. Nearly black, with grey striped hackle, or body a very dark grey ; fluff black in cock and hen. Other greys may have laced, streaked or mottled grey or throstle breasts ; hackle, saddle and shoulders more or less striped with black ; legs and eyes dark ; the hens dark grey to match ; fluff in both sexes light or dark grey.

9. CLEAR MEALY BREASTED MEALY GREY

Clear mealy breasted mealy grey. Nearly white breasted, with hackle and saddle the same lightly striped; the plumage and most of the tail grey; eyes and legs dark; their hens light grey and light grey fluff in both cock and hen.

10. BROWN BREASTED BROWN-RED

Brown breasted brown-red cock. Breast, thighs, belly and closed wing mahogany brown; hackle and saddle almost similar; shoulders crimson; primaries and tail black or dark bronze-brown; face deep crimson or purple; eyes and legs dark.

Hen. Dark mottled brown with light shafts to the feathers; fluff black.

11. STREAKY BREASTED ORANGE-RED

Streaky breasted orange-red cock. Face, eyes and legs dark; breast streaked, laced, or pheasant ; black, marked with brown or copper colour; hackle and saddle a brassy or coppery orange colour; shoulders crimson; the rest of the wings and the tail black.

Hen. Black or nearly black body, with tinsel hackle striped with black, or dark mottled brown and gold striped hackle, fluff black or nearly so.

(These are erroneously called "birchens" by the ignorant fancier, although they have no birchen colour in them.)

12. GINGER BREASTED GINGER-RED

Ginger breasted ginger-red cock. Legs, beak and eyes dark or yellow; face crimson or purple; breast and thighs deep yellow ochre colour, either clear or slightly pencilled or spotted; hackle and saddle red golden; shoulders crimson-red; tail bronzy and flight feathers also.

Hen. A golden yellow throughout, pencilled or spangled, particularly on back and wings with bronze ; tail pencilled bronze or dark; fluff dark.

13. DUN BREASTED BLUE DUN

Dun breasted blue dun cock. Breast, belly, thighs, tail and closed secondaries the colour of a new slate, sometimes the breast marked with the same colour two shades darker; the hackle, saddle and shoulders, and sometimes the tail coverts and the primaries two shades darker( like a slate colour after being wetted); eyes, face and legs dark.

Hen. Blue slate colour, with dark hackle like the cock, often marked or laced all over with the darker shade ; fluff slate blue.

14. STREAKY BREASTED RED DUN

Streaky breasted red dun cock. Breast slate, streaked with copper red ; hackle and saddle striped with slate or dark striped; shoulders crimson; wing bars and closed secondaries slate, or marked a little with brown; tail slatey or dark blue ; legs dark or yellow.

Hen. Slatey body all over, or laced in a darker shade ; golden striped hackle, and sometimes marked with gold on the breast; fluff dark slate.

(The fancier, when he speaks of a brown-red, ignorantly means the streaky-breasted orange-red; and when talking of black reds, intends one to infer a black breasted light red.)

15. YELLOW, SILVER AND HONEY DUNS

Yellow, silver and honey duns are coloured re spectively with these colours; the colour of new honey comb is intended to describe the honey dun. They may have yellow or dark legs as they are of lighter shades, and white legs are permissible in the silver dun, as well as other coloured legs.

The hens are blue bodied, with hackles to match their cocks. Smoky duns are of a dull smoke colour throughout; their legs and eyes should be dark.

16. PILES

Smock breasted blood wing pile cock. Marked exactly like the black breasted light red, except that the black and the blue wing bars are exchanged for a clear creamy white; face and eyes red; legs white, yellow or willow. The breast may be streaked with red in red pile cocks.

Hen. White, with salmon breast and golden striped hackle, or streaked all over lightly with red. Other varieties of piles may be streaky, marbled or robin breasted; and light lemon or custard in top colour; or dun piles having slate blue markings in place of red. All piles have white fluff.

SPANGLES

17. Spangles have white tips to their feathers. The more of these spots and the more regularly they are dis tributed the better. The cock should shew white ends to the feathers on hackle and saddle also. The ground colour may be red, black or brown, or a mixture of all three. Eyes and face red, legs any colour or mottled to match plumage; under fluff white.

18. WHITE

White should be free from any coloured feathers ; red face ; white beak and legs ; pearl eyes ; or yellow legs and red eyes. Fluff pure white in all piles and whites.

19. BLACK

Blacks should be free from any white or coloured feathers and should possess dark legs, beaks, faces and black eyes ; though red faces and red eyes are allowed at present. Fluff black.

20. FURNESSES, BRASSY BACKS AND POLECATS

Furnesses, brassy backs and polecats are blacks with brass colour on their wings or back, and occasionally have yellow legs, which are allowed.

The hens are chiefly black, but often much streaked with greyish brown on breast and wing. Polecats are streaked with dark tan colour on hackles and saddle in the cocks; legs dark.

21. CUCKOO

Cuckoo breasted cuckoo resembles the "Ply mouth rock fowl" in markings of a blue-grey barred plumage, both cock and hen; red faces and eyes; legs various. Variations of this colour are yellow cuckoos, also creels, Creoles, cirches, mackerels in different pro vincial dialects, having some mixture of gold or red in the plumage, often extremely pretty; legs white or yellow; fluff white.

22. BROWN BREASTED YELLOW BIRCHEN

Brown breasted yellow birchen cock. Breast Reddish brown; hackles and saddle straw colour striped birchen brown; shoulders old gold colour or birchen; brown wing bar and closed secondaries; beak, legs and eyes yellow; tail brown or bronze black. Hen, a yellow brown, with grey hackle and robin breast; fluff light grey.

23. HENNIES

Hennies. Hencocks should in their plumage re semble hens as closely as possible. They should have their hackle and saddle feathers as rounded and the tail coverts as henlike as possible, and not have much sheen on their feathers. This breed often runs large and reachy, which is one of its characteristics. The two centre tail feathers should be straight.

24. MUFFS AND TASSELS

Both muffs and tassels, or topins, are recognised by the Club, there being famous strains of both, though now scarce. Tassels vary from a few long feathers (or lark tops) behind the comb to a'good sized bunch. They also occur in some strains of hennies. Muffs of the old breed are stronger, heavier boned birds than the cocks bred to-day, and are rather loose in feather. It is desirable that the toe-nails should match the legs and beak in colour in all game fowl.

OTHER COLOURS

Many other colours are known in Old English Game and may be exhibited.

MORE INFORMATION

For further information on the Old English Game and its varieties read 'The old English game fowl; its history, description, management, breeding and feeding' by Atkinson, Herbert, ed. 1936. This text is freely available online at: https://archive.org/details/cu31924003689167/page/n8

STANDARD WEIGHTS

Cock weight from 5 lb (2.27kg) to 6 lb (2.72kg).

Hen weight from 4 lb (1.81kg) to 5 lb (2.27kg).

It is not considered desirable to breed males over 2.72 kg (6 lb) or females over 2.27 kg (5 lb).

Bantam weights to be approximately one third that of the large fowl.

SCALE OF POINTS

THE OLD ENGLISH GAME FOWL
Scale Points
Head including beak and eyes 10
Neck 6
Body (including breast, back and belly) 20
Wings 7
Tail 6
Thighs 6
Shanks, spurs and feet 10
Plumage and colour 9
Handling (symmetry, cleverness, hardness of

flesh and feathers, condition and constitution)

15
Carriage, action and activity 9
100

SERIOUS DEFECTS

Defects as per Oxford Standard

  • Thin thighs or neck;
  • Flat sided;
  • Deep keel, pointed, crooked or indented breast bone;
  • Thick insteps or toes, duck feet;
  • Straight or stork legs, in-knees;
  • Soft flesh;
  • Broken, soft or rotten plumage;
  • Bad carriage or action;
  • Any indication of weakness of constitution.

Extra Defects Listed by Poultry Club Standard

  • Crooked or humped back;
  • Wry tail;
  • Flat shins;
  • In-kneed or bow-legged;
  • Any unsoundness.

SOURCES

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