Show off your Old English Game Bantams!!

[Ravynscroft]

Are these Silver Duckwing OEGBs? Picked up this sweet pair -- love the gentle temperaments. My grandkids carry them around everywhere

Absolutely gorgeous pair! The hen looks to be SDW, but the roo looks more like a Fawn Duckwing... Fawn is the OEGB version of Chocolate... His tail feathers, wing feathers and chest are not pure black with green sheen, right?

 

[jophus]

Well, unfortunately, he was DQ'd for being a "mixed breed". I know for sure that he isn't, I bred him and own his parents, but that just tells me he is poor quality.

I have been thinking lately that I should probably stop raising OEGB's. They require a lot of work and skill and space to breed, and dubbing is just something that I could not do on my own.

This is a very tough decision for me, and I will probably be very slow to do it, but I will be keeping a choice few that mean a lot to me.

I think no matter how long you've had chickens, every day is a learning experience.

I don't think it means he was poor quality, just that he didn't fit into any of the varieties that are eligible to be shown as OEGB. I just started breeding OEGB about 2 years ago, this year is the first year I've had any success doing it. My first year I couldn't get an egg to hatch to save my life. It was very discouraging, but I kept on trying (I'm kind of stubborn that way). This year I've produced about 50 chicks, although it was because of the sheer number of eggs I've incubated. I'm hoping to have something worth showing in the fall.

They do require a lot of work and space. You have to produce a lot of chicks for just a few that will turn out to be show quality. You have to be heartless in your culling, because sick, weak, or birds that don't fit the standard have no place in a breeding program. I don't try to save the little sick or weak ones any more. It's better to remove them so they don't bring down the flock. Dubbing is something not everyone can do, but I promise you can learn to do it. I learned as a boy, as I grew up the son of a cockfighter (I know that is a taboo subject around here, but that is where I gained my love for the fowl. Trust me, those guys really did love their birds). It's bloody, and it's hard on these smaller boys to keep from removing too much sometimes.

Follow your heart. I know that if I never produce a bird that wins anything, I'll still continue, because I love these little guys. You don't have to show em to keep em.

 

[jophus]

Are these Silver Duckwing OEGBs? Picked up this sweet pair -- love the gentle temperaments. My grandkids carry them around everywhere

Your hen is a SDW, but the roo is definitely a fawn SDW, and very pretty one at that. A fawn SDW roo over a SDW hen will produce 50% of each color.

 

[RFR of CA]

Just got nine from them this morning

 

[jophus]

Just got nine from them this morning

I had some fawns for a while. Now I have 2 pairs of SDW's I hatched from a blue SDW hen x SDW roo. One of the little pullets is a blue. They are beautiful birds.

 

[jeremy]

Checking in again to see if anyone who breeds Chocolates might have eggs/chicks/birds available...

 

[jophus]

Checking in again to see if anyone who breeds Chocolates might have eggs/chicks/birds available...

Not a very common variety in my area, although I did see some on CL the other day. Sorry. You could breed fawn over black and produce your own?

 

[SilkiesForEver]

Quote: Thanks for the encouragement.

I know I'll always have a few OEGB's even if I sell my breeding pens. They have the best personalities.

 

[Karenbear]

I was told these might be Old English Game bantams can someone confirm for me thanks

 

[jophus]

They are silver duckwings, 2 roos and a hen, but are they bantams? The pics make them look really tall.