Modern Game

Origin:  Britain

Category:  Hardfeather Heavy

Egg Colour:  Tinted

Sitter:  Yes

THE COCK

Head - Skull long, snaky, and narrow between the eyes. Beak long, gracefully curved, and strong at the base. Eyes prominent. Comb single, small, upright, of fine texture, evenly serrated. Face smooth. Earlobes and Wattles fine and small to match the comb. (Note - It is customary to dub Game cocks, to remove comb, earlobes, and wattles, and thus leave the head and lower jaw smooth and free from ridges.)

Neck long and slightly arched, fitted with "wiry" feathers, but thin at the junction with the body. Body short, flat back, wide front and tapering to the tail, shaped like a smoothing iron; prominent shoulders carried well up; short and strong wings ; short and fine tail closely whipped together, carried slightly above the level of the body, the sickles narrow, well-pointed, and only slightly curved.

Legs long and well-rounded. Thighs muscular. Shanks free of feathers. Toes (four) long, fine, and straight, the fourth (or hind) toe straight out and flat on the ground, not downwards against the ball of the foot (or "duck-footed"), which is most objectionable.

Carriage upstanding and active.

Plumage short and hard.

Weight from 7 lb (3.2kg) to 9 lb (4.1kg)

THE HEN

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

Weight from 5 lb (2.28kg) to 7 lb (3.2kg)

COLOUR

THE BIRCHEN

Beak dark horn. Eyes black. Comb, Face, Wattles and Earlobes dark purple. Legs and Feet black.

Plumage of the Cock - Hackle, Back, Saddle, Shoulder-coverts and Wing-bows silver-white, the neck-hackle with narrow black striping. Remainder rich black, the breast having a narrow silver margin around each feather, giving it a regular laced appearance gradually diminishing to perfect black thighs.

Plumage of the Hen - Hackle similar to that of the cock. Remainder rich black, the breast very delicately laced as in the cock.

THE BLACK-RED

Beak dark green. Eyes, Comb, Face, Wattles and Earlobes bright red. Legs willow.

Plumage of the Cock - Cap orange-red. Neck-hackle light orange, free from black stripe. Back and Saddle rich crimson. Wings, bow, orange; bar, green - black ; secondaries, rich bay on the outer edge, black on the inner and tips, the rich bay alone showing when the wing is closed; primaries, black. Remainder green black.

Plumage of the Hen - Hackle gold, slightly striped with black, running to clear gold on the cap. Breast rich salmon, running to ash on thighs. Tail black, except the top feathers, which should match the body colour. Remainder light partridge-brown ground, very finely pencilled, and a slight golden tinge pervading the whole, which should be even throughout, free from any ruddiness whatever, and with no trace of pencilling on the flight feathers.

THE BROWN-RED

Beak very dark horn, black preferred. Eyes, Comb, Face, Wattles, Earlobes, Legs and Feet black.

Plumage of the Cock - Hackles, Back and Wing-bow bright lemon, the neck-hackle feathers striped down the centre with green-black, not brown. Remainder green - black, the breast feathers edged with pale lemon as low as the top of the thighs.

Plumage of the Hen - Neck-hackle light lemon to the top of the head, the lower feathers being striped with green-black. Remainder green-black, the breast laced as in the cock, the shoulders free from ticking and the back from lacing. (Note - There should be only two colours in Brown-Red Game — viz. lemon and black. In the cock the lemon should be very rich and bright, and in the hen light ; the black in both sexes should have a bright green gloss known as beetlegreen.)

THE GOLDEN DUCKWING

Beak dark horn. Eyes ruby red. Comb, Face, Wattles and Earlobes red. Legs and Feet willow.

Plumage of the Cock - Hackle cream. white, free from striping. Back and Saddle pale orange or rich yellow. Wings: bow, pale orange or rich yellow; bars and primaries, black with blue sheen; secondaries, pure white on the outer edge, black on the inner and tips, the pure white alone showing when the wing is closed. Remainder black with blue sheen.

Plumage of the Hen - Hackle silver-white, finely striped with black. Breast salmon, diminishing to ash-grey on thighs. Tail black, except top feathers, which should match the body colour. Remainder French or steel-grey, very lightly pencilled with black, and even throughout.

THE SILVER DUCKWING

Beak, Eyes, Comb, Face, Wattles, Earlobes, Legs and Feet as in the Golden variety.

Plumage of the Cock - Hackle, Back, Saddle, Shoulder-coverts and Wing-bows silver-white. Secondaries pure white on the outer edge and black on the inner, with tips of bay, the white alone showing when the wing is closed. Remainder lustrous blue-black.

Plumage of the Hen - Hackle silver-white finely striped with black. Breast pale salmon, diminishing to pale ash-grey on thighs. Tail black, except top feathers, which should match the body colour. Remainder light French grey with almost invisible black pencilling.

THE PYLE

Beak yellow. Eyes bright cherry-red. Comb, Face, Wattles and Earlobes red. Legs and Feet rich orange-yellow.

Plumage of the Cock - Hackles one shade of bright orange-yellow. (Note - Dark or washy hackles to be avoided.) Back and Saddle rich maroon. Wings : bow, maroon ; bar, white and free from splashes; primaries white; secondaries dark chestnut on the outer edge and white on the inner and tips, the dark chestnut alone showing when the wing is closed. Remainder pure white.

Plumage of the Hen - Hackle white tinged with gold. Breast rich salmon-red. Remainder pure white.

SERIOUS DEFECTS

• Eyes other than standard colour;

• Flat shins;

• Crooked breast;

• Twisted toes or "duck" feet;

• Wry tail;

• Crooked back.

SOURCES

• 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

• The American standard of perfection, illustrated. A complete description of recognized varieties of fowls, as revised by [the Association at its 62d-67th annual meetings, 1937-42.] Public Domain accessed from: https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009169004

• Standard Bred Poultry, Scranton, Pa. : International Textbook Co., c1912. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89068785245&view=1up&seq=9