All my crazy projet ideas!

[Yard Farmer]

@Yard Farmer have and pics of your new birds and chicks?

I was looking through the poultrykeeper website (not a very good place to look for
SOP but has some help full breeding tips) anyway there is this cool looking OEGB on there that must be very uncommon and not in the US called Oxford OEGBView attachment 3935735
These guys might be cool to recreate sometime.

Hey, sorry I have been so busy doing an engine swap with my dad.
I'll be posting pics very soon, I'd like it to be this week. I'll do my best.
I'm going to get pics of all the breeders here in the next week or two.

Wow, I'd love to recreate that! Talk about being a big seller here in the states.
Do you have any idea on how that could be done? I'm wondering if it would be similar to making brown red, but be selective for the dark skin and fire red hackles/saddles/shoulders...?

 

[Egg Snatcher]

Hey, sorry I have been so busy doing an engine swap with my dad.

Good luck!

Wow, I'd love to recreate that! Talk about being a big seller here in the states.
Do you have any idea on how that could be done? I'm wondering if it would be similar to making brown red, but be selective for the dark skin and fire red hackles/saddles/shoulders...?

Idk. I may have to do some more research and ask NatJ or nicalandia if they have any ideas.

 

[Egg Snatcher]

Looks like Oxfords also come is Red Plye, Silver Penciled, Ginger Red, and Lemon Blue?.

Greenfire Farms has standard Ginger Reds and those look to be the only color in the US. Here is some info from their website.

Spoiler

The Oxford Old English Game remained the pit bird with its diagonal back and lighter weight. Today, Oxfords exist in sort of a chickenista netherworld where people are reluctant to talk about their birds for fear of confiscation. Despite the secrecy shrouding this breed, Greenfire Farms was able to locate some excellent breeding stock and import the birds.
They are a medium-sized game fowl with the roosters normally weighing in at about 5 to 6 pounds and the hens slightly less at 3 to 4 pounds. Their plumage is breathtakingly beautiful, with orange and red feathers shimmering in the sunlight. The hens tend to be a mix of orange and black feathers whereas the roosters will typically display the fiery reds and oranges that I am sure will captivate your attention. The hens are BROODY. Every spring and summer, you should expect hens of this breed to guard her eggs and try to hatch out a clutch or two of chicks. They are a good choice if you want to hatch chicks without using an incubator. Roosters of this breed can sometimes be aggressive toward people but not always. It's difficult to integrate birds of this breed into existing flocks, but it is doable. It may take a few attempts but we've successfully integrated both hens and roosters into our flock.

They are an active breed that will spend time foraging and exploring their surroundings. They can fly pretty well, so roosting in trees is something you will find that they do if they are allowed to do so. They do well in a small coop or a large enclosure. They are flighty and are spooked easily. We recommend a rooster-to-hen ratio of 1:10, any more hens than that per rooster, and the viability can be inconsistent. The roosters are attentive to the hens and will protect them.

Some more Info on the breed

Spoiler

When the Romans invaded Britain, Julius Caesar wrote in his commentaries that the Britons kept fowls for pleasure and diversion but not for table purposes. Many well-known authorities have considered that cock fighting was the diversion. In 1849 an Act of Parliament was passed making cock fighting illegal in this country, and, with poultry exhibitions then taking root, many breeders began to exhibit Game Fowls.

The Old English Game Club split in about 1930 as there was already a divergence of birds being shown with larger breasted, horizontally backed, exhibition-type birds tending to win, and breeders of these formed the Carlisle Club, developing only some of the original colours. Breeders of the original type, wherein the back is at 45° to the ground, maintained the well-balanced, close-heeled, athletic fighting fowl, and formed the Oxford Club, retaining over 30 colours. The judge of Oxfords does so with the bird facing away from him to assess the correct balance. It is usually agreed that a good Game Fowl cannot be a bad colour.

SOP

Spoiler

OXFORD STANDARD

THE COCK

Head — Small, and taper, skin of face and throat flexible and loose. A loose skin to the throat to enable the cock to breathe freely when distressed in a long battle

Beak — Big, boxing, crooked or hawk-like, pointed, strong at the setting on. Boxing means, the upper mandible shutting tightly and closely over the lower one, a long under-beak lacks holding power.

Eyes — Large, bold, fiery and fearless.

Comb, Wattles and Ear-lobes-—Of fine texture, small, and thin, in undubbed chickens and hens.

Neck — Large boned, round, strong, and of fair length, neck hackle covering the shoulders.

Back—Short, flat, board at the shoulders, tapering to the tail.

Breast — Broad, full, prominent, with large pectoral muscles, breast bone not deep or pointed. An important point. Strong, big, pectoral muscles give to the cock the power to fly with strength and force and furnishes the maximum amount of breast meat for the table.

Wings — Large, long and powerful, with large strong quills, amply protecting the thighs. Long and strong wings impart additional force to the blow when the cock strikes.

Tail — Large, up, and spread, main feathers and quills large and strong. In the hen inclined to fan shape, and carried well up. A high, strong tail acts as a rudder, supports and balances the cock when striking, or springing backwards, and indicates courage, the first act of a coward is to lower his tail.

Belly — Small and tight.

Thighs — Short, round and muscular, following the line of the body, or slightly curved.

Legs — Strong, clean boned, sinuey, close scaled, not fat and gummy like other fowls, not stiffly upright or too wide apart, and having a good bend or angle at the hock. Legs, the bend of the hock, or rather the juncture of the metatarsal bone with the tibia, may be compared to the bent hocks and muscular thighs of the hare and kangaroo, in furnishing them with such wonderful propelling power. In cocks of this perfect conformation there is nothing wasted in these bones, which are constructed to enable him to move with force and velocity commensurate with their distance from the centre of action, this is the reason the storked-legged bird has no force in his blow; and the cock with legs set wide apart and straight thigh bones is dry-heeled, his blows do not wound or kill his adversary.

Feet — Toes thin, long, straight and tapering, terminating in long, strong curved nails, hind toe of good length and strength, extending backwards in almost a straight line.

Spurs — Hard, fine, set low on the leg.

Plumage — Hard, sound, resilient, smooth, glossy, and sufficient without much fluff.

Carriage — Proud, defiant, sprightly, active on his feet, ready for any emergency, alert, agile, quick in his movements.

In Hand — Clever, well balanced, hard, yet light fleshed, corky, mellow and warm, with strong contraction of wings and thighs to the body.

THE HEN

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

COLOURS​

It is desirable that the toe-nails should match the legs and beak in colour in all game fowl.

1. BLACK BREASTED BLACK RED​

Black breasted black-red cock. Hackle, shoulders and saddle feathers rich dark red (the colour of the shoulders of a black breasted red), all the rest of the plumage, with the eyes, beak, legs and nails, black; the face gipsy (purple).

Hen. Body brown mixed with umber brown, hackle striped red, breast red-brown, tail and primary wing feathers black, down or fluff black in both sexes, legs, eyes, beak and face to match cock in all game hens.

2. BLACK BREASTED RED​

Black breasted red cock. Breast, thighs, belly and tail, black ; wing bars steel blue, secondaries (when closed) bay; hackle and saddle feathers orange-red; shoulders deep crimson-scarlet; face scarlet-red; legs willow, yellow, white carp or olive.

Hen. Hackle, golden lightly striped with black; robin breast; belly ash-grey; back, shoulders and wings a good even partridge colour, primaries dark, also tail ; in both sexes the dark legged birds should have grey fluff, the white and yellow legged, white fluff.

(Fluff is the down at the roots of the feathers next the skin. White or yellow legged birds may have white feathers in wings and tail.)

3. SHADY OR STREAKY BREASTED LIGHT RED​

Shady or streaky breasted light reds have hackle and back a shade lighter and sometimes red wing bars; legs white or yellow.

Hen. Wheaten, a pale cream colour (like wheat) with clear red hackle; tail and primaries nearly black. The red wheaten (the colour of red wheat), or light brick red in body and wings; hackle dark red; tail dark; fluff in both sexes white.

4. BLACK BREASTED SILVER DUCKWING​

Black breasted silver duckwing cock. Resembles the black breasted red in his black markings and blue wing bars, the rest of the plumage a clear silvery white, face red, eyes pearl, legs and beak white; or eyes red and legs dark.

Hen. A white hackle lightly striped black; body and wings an even silvery grey; breast pale salmon; primaries and tail nearly black; fluff in both sexes light grey.

5. BLACK BREASTED YELLOW DUCKWING​

Black breasted yellow duckwing cock. Face red; hackle yellow straw colour; saddle also; shoulders deep golden; steel blue wing bars; secondaries white when closed; the rest of the plumage black; legs yellow, willow or dark.

Hen. Deeper, richer colour in breast, and body a slightly browner tinge than the silver hen; legs, etc., to match cock; fluff light grey in both sexes.

6. BLACK BREASTED BIRCHEN DUCKWING​

Black breasted birchen duckwing cock. Hackle a deep rich straw, may be lightly striped; shoulders maroon colour; otherwise same as preceding; face slightly darker; legs yellow or dark. Hen. A shade darker in colour than the yellow duckwing hen; the hackle more heavily striped with black, and often foxy on the shoulders.

7. GREYS​

Greys. All differ from duckwings, in having the secondaries, when closed, black; or, if grey, wanting the steel blue bar across them.

8. BLACK BREASTED DARK GREY​

Black breasted dark grey. Like the black breasted red cock, except hackle, saddle and shoulders are a dark silvery grey, often striped with black; eyes, beak and legs black ; gipsy or purple face.

Hen. Nearly black, with grey striped hackle, or body a very dark grey ; fluff black in cock and hen. Other greys may have laced, streaked or mottled grey or throstle breasts ; hackle, saddle and shoulders more or less striped with black ; legs and eyes dark ; the hens dark grey to match ; fluff in both sexes light or dark grey.

9. CLEAR MEALY BREASTED MEALY GREY​

Clear mealy breasted mealy grey. Nearly white breasted, with hackle and saddle the same lightly striped; the plumage and most of the tail grey; eyes and legs dark; their hens light grey and light grey fluff in both cock and hen.

10. BROWN BREASTED BROWN-RED​

Brown breasted brown-red cock. Breast, thighs, belly and closed wing mahogany brown; hackle and saddle almost similar; shoulders crimson; primaries and tail black or dark bronze-brown; face deep crimson or purple; eyes and legs dark.

Hen. Dark mottled brown with light shafts to the feathers; fluff black.

11. STREAKY BREASTED ORANGE-RED​

Streaky breasted orange-red cock. Face, eyes and legs dark; breast streaked, laced, or pheasant ; black, marked with brown or copper colour; hackle and saddle a brassy or coppery orange colour; shoulders crimson; the rest of the wings and the tail black.

Hen. Black or nearly black body, with tinsel hackle striped with black, or dark mottled brown and gold striped hackle, fluff black or nearly so.

(These are erroneously called "birchens" by the ignorant fancier, although they have no birchen colour in them.)

12. GINGER BREASTED GINGER-RED​

Ginger breasted ginger-red cock. Legs, beak and eyes dark or yellow; face crimson or purple; breast and thighs deep yellow ochre colour, either clear or slightly pencilled or spotted; hackle and saddle red golden; shoulders crimson-red; tail bronzy and flight feathers also.

Hen. A golden yellow throughout, pencilled or spangled, particularly on back and wings with bronze ; tail pencilled bronze or dark; fluff dark.

13. DUN BREASTED BLUE DUN​

Dun breasted blue dun cock. Breast, belly, thighs, tail and closed secondaries the colour of a new slate, sometimes the breast marked with the same colour two shades darker; the hackle, saddle and shoulders, and sometimes the tail coverts and the primaries two shades darker( like a slate colour after being wetted); eyes, face and legs dark.

Hen. Blue slate colour, with dark hackle like the cock, often marked or laced all over with the darker shade ; fluff slate blue.

14. STREAKY BREASTED RED DUN​

Streaky breasted red dun cock. Breast slate, streaked with copper red ; hackle and saddle striped with slate or dark striped; shoulders crimson; wing bars and closed secondaries slate, or marked a little with brown; tail slatey or dark blue ; legs dark or yellow.

Hen. Slatey body all over, or laced in a darker shade ; golden striped hackle, and sometimes marked with gold on the breast; fluff dark slate.

(The fancier, when he speaks of a brown-red, ignorantly means the streaky-breasted orange-red; and when talking of black reds, intends one to infer a black breasted light red.)

15. YELLOW, SILVER AND HONEY DUNS​

Yellow, silver and honey duns are coloured re spectively with these colours; the colour of new honey comb is intended to describe the honey dun. They may have yellow or dark legs as they are of lighter shades, and white legs are permissible in the silver dun, as well as other coloured legs.

The hens are blue bodied, with hackles to match their cocks. Smoky duns are of a dull smoke colour throughout; their legs and eyes should be dark.

16. PILES​

Smock breasted blood wing pile cock. Marked exactly like the black breasted light red, except that the black and the blue wing bars are exchanged for a clear creamy white; face and eyes red; legs white, yellow or willow. The breast may be streaked with red in red pile cocks.

Hen. White, with salmon breast and golden striped hackle, or streaked all over lightly with red. Other varieties of piles may be streaky, marbled or robin breasted; and light lemon or custard in top colour; or dun piles having slate blue markings in place of red. All piles have white fluff.

SPANGLES​

17. Spangles have white tips to their feathers. The more of these spots and the more regularly they are dis tributed the better. The cock should shew white ends to the feathers on hackle and saddle also. The ground colour may be red, black or brown, or a mixture of all three. Eyes and face red, legs any colour or mottled to match plumage; under fluff white.

18. WHITE​

White should be free from any coloured feathers ; red face ; white beak and legs ; pearl eyes ; or yellow legs and red eyes. Fluff pure white in all piles and whites.

19. BLACK​

Blacks should be free from any white or coloured feathers and should possess dark legs, beaks, faces and black eyes ; though red faces and red eyes are allowed at present. Fluff black.

20. FURNESSES, BRASSY BACKS AND POLECATS​

Furnesses, brassy backs and polecats are blacks with brass colour on their wings or back, and occasionally have yellow legs, which are allowed.

The hens are chiefly black, but often much streaked with greyish brown on breast and wing. Polecats are streaked with dark tan colour on hackles and saddle in the cocks; legs dark.

21. CUCKOO​

Cuckoo breasted cuckoo resembles the "Ply mouth rock fowl" in markings of a blue-grey barred plumage, both cock and hen; red faces and eyes; legs various. Variations of this colour are yellow cuckoos, also creels, Creoles, cirches, mackerels in different pro vincial dialects, having some mixture of gold or red in the plumage, often extremely pretty; legs white or yellow; fluff white.

22. BROWN BREASTED YELLOW BIRCHEN​

Brown breasted yellow birchen cock. Breast Reddish brown; hackles and saddle straw colour striped birchen brown; shoulders old gold colour or birchen; brown wing bar and closed secondaries; beak, legs and eyes yellow; tail brown or bronze black. Hen, a yellow brown, with grey hackle and robin breast; fluff light grey.

23. HENNIES​

Hennies. Hencocks should in their plumage re semble hens as closely as possible. They should have their hackle and saddle feathers as rounded and the tail coverts as henlike as possible, and not have much sheen on their feathers. This breed often runs large and reachy, which is one of its characteristics. The two centre tail feathers should be straight.

24. MUFFS AND TASSELS​

Both muffs and tassels, or topins, are recognised by the Club, there being famous strains of both, though now scarce. Tassels vary from a few long feathers (or lark tops) behind the comb to a'good sized bunch. They also occur in some strains of hennies. Muffs of the old breed are stronger, heavier boned birds than the cocks bred to-day, and are rather loose in feather. It is desirable that the toe-nails should match the legs and beak in colour in all game fowl.

OTHER COLOURS​

Many other colours are known in Old English Game and may be exhibited.

MORE INFORMATION​

For further information on the Old English Game and its varieties read 'The old English game fowl; its history, description, management, breeding and feeding' by Atkinson, Herbert, ed. 1936. This text is freely available online at: https://archive.org/details/cu31924003689167/page/n8

STANDARD WEIGHTS​

Cock weight from 5 lb (2.27kg) to 6 lb (2.72kg).

Hen weight from 4 lb (1.81kg) to 5 lb (2.27kg).

It is not considered desirable to breed males over 2.72 kg (6 lb) or females over 2.27 kg (5 lb).

Bantam weights to be approximately one third that of the large fowl.

SCALE OF POINTS​

THE OLD ENGLISH GAME FOWL

	Scale Points
Head including beak and eyes	10
Neck	6
Body (including breast, back and belly)	20
Wings	7
Tail	6
Thighs	6
Shanks, spurs and feet	10
Plumage and colour	9
Handling (symmetry, cleverness, hardness of flesh and feathers, condition and constitution)	15
Carriage, action and activity	9
	100

SERIOUS DEFECTS​

Defects as per Oxford Standard​

• Thin thighs or neck;
• Flat sided;
• Deep keel, pointed, crooked or indented breast bone;
• Thick insteps or toes, duck feet;
• Straight or stork legs, in-knees;
• Soft flesh;
• Broken, soft or rotten plumage;
• Bad carriage or action;
• Any indication of weakness of constitution.

Extra Defects Listed by Poultry Club Standard​

• Crooked or humped back;
• Wry tail;
• Flat shins;
• In-kneed or bow-legged;
• Any unsoundness.

http://www.openpoultrystandards.com/Old_English_Game

Amor said “Take brown red (red birchen) OEG and select for dark skin, deep red necks, and no breast lacing. This color already exists in Old English and I think it just comes down to selection.” And that he’s the same brown red as a brown red modern

 

[Yard Farmer]

Looks like Oxfords also come is Red Plye, Silver Penciled, Ginger Red, and Lemon Blue?.View attachment 3941960View attachment 3941961

Greenfire Farms has standard Ginger Reds and those look to be the only color in the US. Here is some info from their website.

Spoiler

The Oxford Old English Game remained the pit bird with its diagonal back and lighter weight. Today, Oxfords exist in sort of a chickenista netherworld where people are reluctant to talk about their birds for fear of confiscation. Despite the secrecy shrouding this breed, Greenfire Farms was able to locate some excellent breeding stock and import the birds.
They are a medium-sized game fowl with the roosters normally weighing in at about 5 to 6 pounds and the hens slightly less at 3 to 4 pounds. Their plumage is breathtakingly beautiful, with orange and red feathers shimmering in the sunlight. The hens tend to be a mix of orange and black feathers whereas the roosters will typically display the fiery reds and oranges that I am sure will captivate your attention. The hens are BROODY. Every spring and summer, you should expect hens of this breed to guard her eggs and try to hatch out a clutch or two of chicks. They are a good choice if you want to hatch chicks without using an incubator. Roosters of this breed can sometimes be aggressive toward people but not always. It's difficult to integrate birds of this breed into existing flocks, but it is doable. It may take a few attempts but we've successfully integrated both hens and roosters into our flock.

They are an active breed that will spend time foraging and exploring their surroundings. They can fly pretty well, so roosting in trees is something you will find that they do if they are allowed to do so. They do well in a small coop or a large enclosure. They are flighty and are spooked easily. We recommend a rooster-to-hen ratio of 1:10, any more hens than that per rooster, and the viability can be inconsistent. The roosters are attentive to the hens and will protect them.

Some more Info on the breed

Spoiler

When the Romans invaded Britain, Julius Caesar wrote in his commentaries that the Britons kept fowls for pleasure and diversion but not for table purposes. Many well-known authorities have considered that cock fighting was the diversion. In 1849 an Act of Parliament was passed making cock fighting illegal in this country, and, with poultry exhibitions then taking root, many breeders began to exhibit Game Fowls.

The Old English Game Club split in about 1930 as there was already a divergence of birds being shown with larger breasted, horizontally backed, exhibition-type birds tending to win, and breeders of these formed the Carlisle Club, developing only some of the original colours. Breeders of the original type, wherein the back is at 45° to the ground, maintained the well-balanced, close-heeled, athletic fighting fowl, and formed the Oxford Club, retaining over 30 colours. The judge of Oxfords does so with the bird facing away from him to assess the correct balance. It is usually agreed that a good Game Fowl cannot be a bad colour.

SOP

Spoiler

OXFORD STANDARD

THE COCK

Head — Small, and taper, skin of face and throat flexible and loose. A loose skin to the throat to enable the cock to breathe freely when distressed in a long battle

Beak — Big, boxing, crooked or hawk-like, pointed, strong at the setting on. Boxing means, the upper mandible shutting tightly and closely over the lower one, a long under-beak lacks holding power.

Eyes — Large, bold, fiery and fearless.

Comb, Wattles and Ear-lobes-—Of fine texture, small, and thin, in undubbed chickens and hens.

Neck — Large boned, round, strong, and of fair length, neck hackle covering the shoulders.

Back—Short, flat, board at the shoulders, tapering to the tail.

Breast — Broad, full, prominent, with large pectoral muscles, breast bone not deep or pointed. An important point. Strong, big, pectoral muscles give to the cock the power to fly with strength and force and furnishes the maximum amount of breast meat for the table.

Wings — Large, long and powerful, with large strong quills, amply protecting the thighs. Long and strong wings impart additional force to the blow when the cock strikes.

Tail — Large, up, and spread, main feathers and quills large and strong. In the hen inclined to fan shape, and carried well up. A high, strong tail acts as a rudder, supports and balances the cock when striking, or springing backwards, and indicates courage, the first act of a coward is to lower his tail.

Belly — Small and tight.

Thighs — Short, round and muscular, following the line of the body, or slightly curved.

Legs — Strong, clean boned, sinuey, close scaled, not fat and gummy like other fowls, not stiffly upright or too wide apart, and having a good bend or angle at the hock. Legs, the bend of the hock, or rather the juncture of the metatarsal bone with the tibia, may be compared to the bent hocks and muscular thighs of the hare and kangaroo, in furnishing them with such wonderful propelling power. In cocks of this perfect conformation there is nothing wasted in these bones, which are constructed to enable him to move with force and velocity commensurate with their distance from the centre of action, this is the reason the storked-legged bird has no force in his blow; and the cock with legs set wide apart and straight thigh bones is dry-heeled, his blows do not wound or kill his adversary.

Feet — Toes thin, long, straight and tapering, terminating in long, strong curved nails, hind toe of good length and strength, extending backwards in almost a straight line.

Spurs — Hard, fine, set low on the leg.

Plumage — Hard, sound, resilient, smooth, glossy, and sufficient without much fluff.

Carriage — Proud, defiant, sprightly, active on his feet, ready for any emergency, alert, agile, quick in his movements.

In Hand — Clever, well balanced, hard, yet light fleshed, corky, mellow and warm, with strong contraction of wings and thighs to the body.

THE HEN

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

COLOURS​

It is desirable that the toe-nails should match the legs and beak in colour in all game fowl.

1. BLACK BREASTED BLACK RED​

Black breasted black-red cock. Hackle, shoulders and saddle feathers rich dark red (the colour of the shoulders of a black breasted red), all the rest of the plumage, with the eyes, beak, legs and nails, black; the face gipsy (purple).

Hen. Body brown mixed with umber brown, hackle striped red, breast red-brown, tail and primary wing feathers black, down or fluff black in both sexes, legs, eyes, beak and face to match cock in all game hens.

2. BLACK BREASTED RED​

Black breasted red cock. Breast, thighs, belly and tail, black ; wing bars steel blue, secondaries (when closed) bay; hackle and saddle feathers orange-red; shoulders deep crimson-scarlet; face scarlet-red; legs willow, yellow, white carp or olive.

Hen. Hackle, golden lightly striped with black; robin breast; belly ash-grey; back, shoulders and wings a good even partridge colour, primaries dark, also tail ; in both sexes the dark legged birds should have grey fluff, the white and yellow legged, white fluff.

(Fluff is the down at the roots of the feathers next the skin. White or yellow legged birds may have white feathers in wings and tail.)

3. SHADY OR STREAKY BREASTED LIGHT RED​

Shady or streaky breasted light reds have hackle and back a shade lighter and sometimes red wing bars; legs white or yellow.

Hen. Wheaten, a pale cream colour (like wheat) with clear red hackle; tail and primaries nearly black. The red wheaten (the colour of red wheat), or light brick red in body and wings; hackle dark red; tail dark; fluff in both sexes white.

4. BLACK BREASTED SILVER DUCKWING​

Black breasted silver duckwing cock. Resembles the black breasted red in his black markings and blue wing bars, the rest of the plumage a clear silvery white, face red, eyes pearl, legs and beak white; or eyes red and legs dark.

Hen. A white hackle lightly striped black; body and wings an even silvery grey; breast pale salmon; primaries and tail nearly black; fluff in both sexes light grey.

5. BLACK BREASTED YELLOW DUCKWING​

Black breasted yellow duckwing cock. Face red; hackle yellow straw colour; saddle also; shoulders deep golden; steel blue wing bars; secondaries white when closed; the rest of the plumage black; legs yellow, willow or dark.

Hen. Deeper, richer colour in breast, and body a slightly browner tinge than the silver hen; legs, etc., to match cock; fluff light grey in both sexes.

6. BLACK BREASTED BIRCHEN DUCKWING​

Black breasted birchen duckwing cock. Hackle a deep rich straw, may be lightly striped; shoulders maroon colour; otherwise same as preceding; face slightly darker; legs yellow or dark. Hen. A shade darker in colour than the yellow duckwing hen; the hackle more heavily striped with black, and often foxy on the shoulders.

7. GREYS​

Greys. All differ from duckwings, in having the secondaries, when closed, black; or, if grey, wanting the steel blue bar across them.

8. BLACK BREASTED DARK GREY​

Black breasted dark grey. Like the black breasted red cock, except hackle, saddle and shoulders are a dark silvery grey, often striped with black; eyes, beak and legs black ; gipsy or purple face.

Hen. Nearly black, with grey striped hackle, or body a very dark grey ; fluff black in cock and hen. Other greys may have laced, streaked or mottled grey or throstle breasts ; hackle, saddle and shoulders more or less striped with black ; legs and eyes dark ; the hens dark grey to match ; fluff in both sexes light or dark grey.

9. CLEAR MEALY BREASTED MEALY GREY​

Clear mealy breasted mealy grey. Nearly white breasted, with hackle and saddle the same lightly striped; the plumage and most of the tail grey; eyes and legs dark; their hens light grey and light grey fluff in both cock and hen.

10. BROWN BREASTED BROWN-RED​

Brown breasted brown-red cock. Breast, thighs, belly and closed wing mahogany brown; hackle and saddle almost similar; shoulders crimson; primaries and tail black or dark bronze-brown; face deep crimson or purple; eyes and legs dark.

Hen. Dark mottled brown with light shafts to the feathers; fluff black.

11. STREAKY BREASTED ORANGE-RED​

Streaky breasted orange-red cock. Face, eyes and legs dark; breast streaked, laced, or pheasant ; black, marked with brown or copper colour; hackle and saddle a brassy or coppery orange colour; shoulders crimson; the rest of the wings and the tail black.

Hen. Black or nearly black body, with tinsel hackle striped with black, or dark mottled brown and gold striped hackle, fluff black or nearly so.

(These are erroneously called "birchens" by the ignorant fancier, although they have no birchen colour in them.)

12. GINGER BREASTED GINGER-RED​

Ginger breasted ginger-red cock. Legs, beak and eyes dark or yellow; face crimson or purple; breast and thighs deep yellow ochre colour, either clear or slightly pencilled or spotted; hackle and saddle red golden; shoulders crimson-red; tail bronzy and flight feathers also.

Hen. A golden yellow throughout, pencilled or spangled, particularly on back and wings with bronze ; tail pencilled bronze or dark; fluff dark.

13. DUN BREASTED BLUE DUN​

Dun breasted blue dun cock. Breast, belly, thighs, tail and closed secondaries the colour of a new slate, sometimes the breast marked with the same colour two shades darker; the hackle, saddle and shoulders, and sometimes the tail coverts and the primaries two shades darker( like a slate colour after being wetted); eyes, face and legs dark.

Hen. Blue slate colour, with dark hackle like the cock, often marked or laced all over with the darker shade ; fluff slate blue.

14. STREAKY BREASTED RED DUN​

Streaky breasted red dun cock. Breast slate, streaked with copper red ; hackle and saddle striped with slate or dark striped; shoulders crimson; wing bars and closed secondaries slate, or marked a little with brown; tail slatey or dark blue ; legs dark or yellow.

Hen. Slatey body all over, or laced in a darker shade ; golden striped hackle, and sometimes marked with gold on the breast; fluff dark slate.

(The fancier, when he speaks of a brown-red, ignorantly means the streaky-breasted orange-red; and when talking of black reds, intends one to infer a black breasted light red.)

15. YELLOW, SILVER AND HONEY DUNS​

Yellow, silver and honey duns are coloured re spectively with these colours; the colour of new honey comb is intended to describe the honey dun. They may have yellow or dark legs as they are of lighter shades, and white legs are permissible in the silver dun, as well as other coloured legs.

The hens are blue bodied, with hackles to match their cocks. Smoky duns are of a dull smoke colour throughout; their legs and eyes should be dark.

16. PILES​

Smock breasted blood wing pile cock. Marked exactly like the black breasted light red, except that the black and the blue wing bars are exchanged for a clear creamy white; face and eyes red; legs white, yellow or willow. The breast may be streaked with red in red pile cocks.

Hen. White, with salmon breast and golden striped hackle, or streaked all over lightly with red. Other varieties of piles may be streaky, marbled or robin breasted; and light lemon or custard in top colour; or dun piles having slate blue markings in place of red. All piles have white fluff.

SPANGLES​

17. Spangles have white tips to their feathers. The more of these spots and the more regularly they are dis tributed the better. The cock should shew white ends to the feathers on hackle and saddle also. The ground colour may be red, black or brown, or a mixture of all three. Eyes and face red, legs any colour or mottled to match plumage; under fluff white.

18. WHITE​

White should be free from any coloured feathers ; red face ; white beak and legs ; pearl eyes ; or yellow legs and red eyes. Fluff pure white in all piles and whites.

19. BLACK​

Blacks should be free from any white or coloured feathers and should possess dark legs, beaks, faces and black eyes ; though red faces and red eyes are allowed at present. Fluff black.

20. FURNESSES, BRASSY BACKS AND POLECATS​

Furnesses, brassy backs and polecats are blacks with brass colour on their wings or back, and occasionally have yellow legs, which are allowed.

The hens are chiefly black, but often much streaked with greyish brown on breast and wing. Polecats are streaked with dark tan colour on hackles and saddle in the cocks; legs dark.

21. CUCKOO​

Cuckoo breasted cuckoo resembles the "Ply mouth rock fowl" in markings of a blue-grey barred plumage, both cock and hen; red faces and eyes; legs various. Variations of this colour are yellow cuckoos, also creels, Creoles, cirches, mackerels in different pro vincial dialects, having some mixture of gold or red in the plumage, often extremely pretty; legs white or yellow; fluff white.

22. BROWN BREASTED YELLOW BIRCHEN​

Brown breasted yellow birchen cock. Breast Reddish brown; hackles and saddle straw colour striped birchen brown; shoulders old gold colour or birchen; brown wing bar and closed secondaries; beak, legs and eyes yellow; tail brown or bronze black. Hen, a yellow brown, with grey hackle and robin breast; fluff light grey.

23. HENNIES​

Hennies. Hencocks should in their plumage re semble hens as closely as possible. They should have their hackle and saddle feathers as rounded and the tail coverts as henlike as possible, and not have much sheen on their feathers. This breed often runs large and reachy, which is one of its characteristics. The two centre tail feathers should be straight.

24. MUFFS AND TASSELS​

Both muffs and tassels, or topins, are recognised by the Club, there being famous strains of both, though now scarce. Tassels vary from a few long feathers (or lark tops) behind the comb to a'good sized bunch. They also occur in some strains of hennies. Muffs of the old breed are stronger, heavier boned birds than the cocks bred to-day, and are rather loose in feather. It is desirable that the toe-nails should match the legs and beak in colour in all game fowl.

OTHER COLOURS​

Many other colours are known in Old English Game and may be exhibited.

MORE INFORMATION​

For further information on the Old English Game and its varieties read 'The old English game fowl; its history, description, management, breeding and feeding' by Atkinson, Herbert, ed. 1936. This text is freely available online at: https://archive.org/details/cu31924003689167/page/n8

STANDARD WEIGHTS​

Cock weight from 5 lb (2.27kg) to 6 lb (2.72kg).

Hen weight from 4 lb (1.81kg) to 5 lb (2.27kg).

It is not considered desirable to breed males over 2.72 kg (6 lb) or females over 2.27 kg (5 lb).

Bantam weights to be approximately one third that of the large fowl.

SCALE OF POINTS​

THE OLD ENGLISH GAME FOWL

	Scale Points
Head including beak and eyes	10
Neck	6
Body (including breast, back and belly)	20
Wings	7
Tail	6
Thighs	6
Shanks, spurs and feet	10
Plumage and colour	9
Handling (symmetry, cleverness, hardness of flesh and feathers, condition and constitution)	15
Carriage, action and activity	9
	100

SERIOUS DEFECTS​

Defects as per Oxford Standard​

• Thin thighs or neck;
• Flat sided;
• Deep keel, pointed, crooked or indented breast bone;
• Thick insteps or toes, duck feet;
• Straight or stork legs, in-knees;
• Soft flesh;
• Broken, soft or rotten plumage;
• Bad carriage or action;
• Any indication of weakness of constitution.

Extra Defects Listed by Poultry Club Standard​

• Crooked or humped back;
• Wry tail;
• Flat shins;
• In-kneed or bow-legged;
• Any unsoundness.

http://www.openpoultrystandards.com/Old_English_Game

Amor said “Take brown red (red birchen) OEG and select for dark skin, deep red necks, and no breast lacing. This color already exists in Old English and I think it just comes down to selection.” And that he’s the same brown red as a brown red modern

Thank you for that, Snatcher.
A very interesting read, and a lot of very useful information on how to start developing the breed.
Thank you again!

 

[Yard Farmer]

Okay, I am very behind on my updates everyone. My apologies for that, life has been crazy.
BUT, I'M BACK. With a lot of fun updates I hope y'all enjoy.

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

Okay, I am very behind on my updates everyone. My apologies for that, life has been crazy.
BUT, I'M BACK. With a lot of fun updates I hope y'all enjoy.

 

[Yard Farmer]

So tonight I took pictures of all but 3 of my breeding flocks tonight, I'll work on getting pictures of the other three tomorrow or some other time this week, but never-the-less, here's the pictures I got tonight.

Flock #1, my BB red's I brought in from NC. Cody Coopers line.

Flock #2, my silver duckwings I brought in from KY. GC Bantams line.

Flock #3, my Pinto Aztecas. Imported from Northern Cali. (Breeder unknown)

Flock #4, my Brown Red/Lemon Blue(?) Aztecas. Hens were bred here in my home state, male in imported from a Mexican breeder.

Okay, now for my grow out males.
#1: BB Red - Grow out I kept from early spring hatch, he's okay quality, but I think his younger brother with pass him up. Only time will tell.
#2: Outside line Silver Duckwing - He's looking amazing so far, I think he's going to be a perfect candidate for single pairing with the 1st SDW Hen pictured above.
#3: Golden Duckwing - I got him for free, he looks like an F1, so nothing super special about him. Though, I do plan on working with golden duckwings and essentially making my own line.

 

[Tookie]

So tonight I took pictures of all but 3 of my breeding flocks tonight, I'll work on getting pictures of the other three tomorrow or some other time this week, but never-the-less, here's the pictures I got tonight.

Flock #1, my BB red's I brought in from NC. Cody Coopers line.
View attachment 3946967View attachment 3946968

Flock #2, my silver duckwings I brought in from KY. GC Bantams line.
View attachment 3946971View attachment 3946972View attachment 3946973

Flock #3, my Pinto Aztecas. Imported from Northern Cali. (Breeder unknown)
View attachment 3946974View attachment 3946975

Flock #4, my Brown Red/Lemon Blue(?) Aztecas. Hens were bred here in my home state, male in imported from a Mexican breeder.
View attachment 3946976View attachment 3946977View attachment 3946978View attachment 3946979


Okay, now for my grow out males.
#1: BB Red - Grow out I kept from early spring hatch, he's okay quality, but I think his younger brother with pass him up. Only time will tell.
#2: Outside line Silver Duckwing - He's looking amazing so far, I think he's going to be a perfect candidate for single pairing with the 1st SDW Hen pictured above.
#3: Golden Duckwing - I got him for free, he looks like an F1, so nothing super special about him. Though, I do plan on working with golden duckwings and essentially making my own line.

View attachment 3946980View attachment 3946981View attachment 3946982

Absolutely gorgeous birds!

 

[Somewhere_In_The_Clouds]

So tonight I took pictures of all but 3 of my breeding flocks tonight, I'll work on getting pictures of the other three tomorrow or some other time this week, but never-the-less, here's the pictures I got tonight.

Flock #1, my BB red's I brought in from NC. Cody Coopers line.
View attachment 3946967View attachment 3946968

Flock #2, my silver duckwings I brought in from KY. GC Bantams line.
View attachment 3946971View attachment 3946972View attachment 3946973

Flock #3, my Pinto Aztecas. Imported from Northern Cali. (Breeder unknown)
View attachment 3946974View attachment 3946975

Flock #4, my Brown Red/Lemon Blue(?) Aztecas. Hens were bred here in my home state, male in imported from a Mexican breeder.
View attachment 3946976View attachment 3946977View attachment 3946978View attachment 3946979


Okay, now for my grow out males.
#1: BB Red - Grow out I kept from early spring hatch, he's okay quality, but I think his younger brother with pass him up. Only time will tell.
#2: Outside line Silver Duckwing - He's looking amazing so far, I think he's going to be a perfect candidate for single pairing with the 1st SDW Hen pictured above.
#3: Golden Duckwing - I got him for free, he looks like an F1, so nothing super special about him. Though, I do plan on working with golden duckwings and essentially making my own line.

View attachment 3946980View attachment 3946981View attachment 3946982

So pretty!

 

[Yard Farmer]

I was finally able to get a new, bigger incubator for myself!
I did end up getting the Nature Right 360 with a quail egg turner I'll be able to put in 56 eggs in at a time, which is going to be huge for me being on a small scale for so long. Really excited to see how far this takes me.
I set 50 eggs in it tonight. Praying for a good hatch rate.