Modern Game

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A Brown Red pair of Modern Games at a poultry show (undubbed male in foreground)

The Modern Game is a breed of a chicken originating in England. Purely an exhibition bird, Modern Games were developed to epitomize the visual appeal of the gamecock. Despite being classified as game chickens (i.e. of cockfighting derivation) in breed standards, Modern Games have never actually been used in fights. After the outlawing of cockfights in the U.K. in the mid 19th century, many cockfighting enthusiasts turned to breeding for shows as an alternative poultry hobby, and the Modern Game was developed from crosses of Old English Games and Malays. Today, it is a thin bird with hard feathering and a very upright carriage, appearing in more than a dozen color variations.

Like most breeds, Modern Games come in both a standard large size and a bantam version; large fowl weight 4.5-6 pounds (2-2.75 kilos) and bantams 20-22 ounces (570-625 grams). Today, the bantam version is the most popular among poultry fanciers. The color of their skin, comb, and wattles varies from red to almost black depending on variety, but all have a small single comb. Combs and wattles are required to be dubbed to compete in showing, which reflects their descent from fighting birds.

Modern Games are neither good egg layers nor valued for meat production. Admitted to the American Poultry Association's Standard of Perfection upon the first edition in 1874, they are almost exclusively kept by competitive breeders. In temperament, they may be friendly and curious towards people, but are often noisy, active birds that may be aggressive, especially with other chickens.

[edit] References

Ekarius, Carol (2007). Storey's Illustrated Guide to Poultry Breeds. 210 MAS MoCA Way, North Adams MA 01247: Storey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-58017-667-5.
Graham, Chris (2006). Choosing and Keeping Chickens. 2-4 Heron Quays London E14 4JP: Octopus Publishing. ISBN 9780793806010.