Australian Pit Game

Origin:  Australia

Category:  Hardfeather Heavy

Egg Colour:  Tinted

Sitter:  Yes

Australian Pit Game have been standardised since 1936, when the original standard was drawn up by the Big Game Club of Australia. A bantam variety was standardised in 1981 by the Bantam Club of New South Wales and the Pit Game Club of Australia, founded the same year. They were included in the inaugural Australian Poultry Standards in 1998.

The Australian Poultry Standards suggest they were developed from crosses of English Pit Fowl (or Old English Game), Malay Game and Asil,[2] while the Pit Game Club of Australia lists the possible addition of Sumatra blood.

Australian Pit Game are one of the most loosely standardised breeds in Australia. The 2012 edition of the Australian Poultry Standards states "Pit Game may be big or small, single or pea combed, any colour whatever, cock feathered, hen feathered, muffled or tasselled."

Due to their ancestry as fighting birds, the standard does not regard colour as important (stating it is "immaterial") and instead focuses on health and vigour. It states carriage should be proud and aggressive-looking, with movements quick and "ready for any emergency". They should have a heart-shaped body, a short and flat back with well-developed deltoid muscles, a broad and prominent chest with well-defined pectoral muscles. The belly should be free from fluffy feathers, and compact and tight; wings should be powerful and long; and the tail is to be of medium length, and not drooping but to be governed by the character of the fowl. It lists many disqualifications, including flat-sidedness, thin thighs or neck, soft flesh, fluffy plumage, clumsy carriage, or white lobes. Standardised weights are broken into three categories instead of the usual two, stating "over 2.7 kg" for heavy males, and "over 2 kg" for heavy females. Under 2.7 kg and 2.0 kg, respectively, for light males and females, and under 1.36 kg and 1.135 kg for bantam males and females, respectively.  (Wikipedia retrieved 6 September 2019).

The following standard endorsed by the Poultry Club of N.S.W. in 1935.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

THE COCK

Head: Medium and taper; skin of face and throat flexible and loose.

Comb: Single: small to medium; straight erect (regards female). Dubbing allowed in male birds.

Beak: Strong boxing and hawklike. Strong at base and slightly curved at the point.

Eyes: Large, bold, fiery and fearless.

Neck: Large-boned, round, strong and of fair length; neck hackle to be close fitting and of moderate length.

Body: Back short; flat, broad at the shoulders, tapering to the tail like the shape of a bullock's heart.

Breast: Broad, full, prominent, with large pectoral muscles, broad bone, not deep or pointed.

Wings: Long and powerful, with strong quills and prominent wing butts amply protecting the thigh. Wing butts and shoulders well set and prominent.

Tail: Medium length, partly whipped, carriage moderately elevated, main feathers and quills, large and strong, abdomen feathers small and tight. In the female it is closer and more whippy. In the case of henfeather cock, tail devoid of sickle feather. 

Belly: Small and tight.

Thighs: Medium length, well developed and muscular, not leggy, following the line of the body or slightly curved.

Legs: Strong, clean boned, sinewy, close scaled, not flat and gummy. Thighs medium length, well developed and muscular, following the line of the body or slightly curved. The bend of the hock or rather the juncture at the metatarsal bone with the tibia may be compared to the bent hocks and muscular thighs of the hare and the kangaroo. In a cock of this conformation there is nothing wasted in bones which are constructed to enable him to move with force and velocity commensurate with the distance from centre of action. Leg colour, yellow preferred.

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

Spurs: Hard, fine, set low on leg.

Plumage: Hard, sound, resilient, smooth, glossy, and sufficient without any fluff, tight feathered, saddle hack close-fitting and of moderate length. Wing flights to be like whalebone.

General shape and Carriage: Proud, defiant, the movemenet quick and graceful, ready for emergency, alert, agile.

Handling: Well balanced, hard, yet light fleshed, corky, mellow and warm, with strong contraction of wings and thighs to body.

Weight: 5 lb to 10 lb.

The Female

The standard with the exception of tail, comb, weight (female 3.1 lb to 7 lb are similar to those of the male, allowing for the natural sex differences. 

Defects

Serious defects which may lead to disqualification: Thin thighs or neck, flat sided, deep keel pointed, crooked or indented breastbone, thick instep or toes, duck heel, straight or stork legs. In knees, soft flesh, broken, soft or rotten plumage. Bad carriage or action, soft and heavy in hand, legs low, dangling wrytail, flat shinned.

Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Pit_Game_fowl

• https://australianpitgameclub.webs.com/history.htm

• https://www.theland.com.au/story/4976815/all-about-shape-for-aussie-pit-game/

• http://qldpitgamefowlclubinc.yolasite.com/history-of-the-breed.php

• https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/117195646?