Modern Game

Modern Game chickens were developed in Britain in the nineteenth century as gamefowl breeding moved from the fighting pit to the exhibition pen. They descend from Old English Game and tall Asian game types such as the Malay, but selection produced a very different outline: long legs, an upright stance, tight feathering, a short body, and a slim, almost angular profile. Large fowl exist, though bantams are far more common in many show communities. Varieties include black, birchen, brown red, duckwing, pile, and other recognized colors depending on the standard.

These are ornamental and exhibition chickens, not practical meat or egg birds. Their short, close plumage and high station call for dry, draft-free housing, especially in cold weather, and pens should protect legs and toes from injury. Modern Games often become calm when handled regularly, but they are active birds and males may need separate housing. Breeding for show means balancing stance, leg length, body shape, feather quality, and color; extreme birds still need to be able to move freely, mate, and live comfortably.

Colors: Barred, Birchen, Black, Blue, Brown, Brown Red, Buff, Columbian, Crele, Cuckoo, Duckwing, Gold, Golden Duckwing, Gold Laced, Laced, Lavender, Mille Fleur, Mottled, Partridge, Penciled, Porcelain, Red, Silver, Silver Laced, Spangled, Splash, Wheaten, White