Old English Game fowl
 Bantam cock and hen | |
| Conservation status | Secure[1] |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | England |
| Traits | |
| Egg color | White |
| Comb type | Single |
| Classification | |
| APA | All Other Standard Breeds[2] |
| PCGB | Hard Feather[3] |
|
Chicken Gallus gallus domesticus | |
The Old English Game is a breed of chicken. Old English Game fowl are prized among poultry breeders and thus fetch a high sale price. Standard Old English Game cocks were originally bred for cockfighting.
History
The Old English Game fowl is one of the oldest strains of poultry. Through the Middle Ages the breed was developed by the English nobility into many varying colours, traits desirable for cockfighting were chosen by breeders. Cockfighting became illegal in Britain and Australia in the 1850s and English game fowl are usually kept just by poultry enthusiasts. Today the breeds are used at poultry exhibitions and breeders try to develop stock that will win prizes. Exhibition bred cocks can fetch amounts over US$600. Breeders aim to preserve the present strains of this species as well as trying to keep the colour and traits for poultry showing and exhibits.
Bantam version
It should be noted that the body styles of US- and UK-bred OEG bantams differ noticeably. The Old English Game bantam is the bantam version of this breed; it is one of the smallest chicken breeds, weighing about 650 grams when fully grown. The Old English Game Bantam is one of the most popular bantam breeds. This is especially the case in the United Kingdom, where it has its own specialist shows. The Old English Bantam is similar to the Old English Game in that it has long legs and it is fairly muscular. They are a great pet for children. The bantam was not developed from the larger sized old English but rather from other barnyard bantams of the same area. This explains their lack of length in the sickle feathers that is seen in the standard sized OEG. The American old English game bantams contain blood from Dutch, and Rosecombs plus other breeds to add feather length and more colours, such as the silver-laced varieties developed from Sebrights.
References
- ↑ Breed data sheet: Old English Game/United Kingdom. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed July 2014.
- ↑ APA Recognized Breeds and Varieties As of 1 January 2012. American Poultry Association. Accessed August 2014.
- ↑ Breed Classification. Poultry Club of Great Britain. Accessed August 2014.