What's the Difference?

[wbruder17]

I thought I had 2 OEGB pullets, but I just saw an advertisement on Craigslist for a Serama that looks EXACTLY like my supposed OEGB girl.

I got my 2 girls from a mystery bantam crate at the local feed store.

This is Cleo as a very young chick.

Cleo iis on the left, the smaller chick.

I can post more recent pics of her and her "sister" tomorrow.

Both girls are tiny. Cleo is mostly gray with tan highlights on her wings and a honey colored belly.
Her "siister" is more of a very light gray, almost cream coloring with lots of variation in the wing pattern.

 

[Alicia G]

There is a very large difference between serama and Old english game bantams. If the supposed serama looked like an OEG then they are either a mix or poorly bred.
An OEGB weighs between 22-26 ounces where as a serama should weigh between 10 and 17 ounces (for a quality one at least).
OEGBs have a very distinct 'game' personality, which means that they are an aggressive breed. Don't get me wrong, I've handled many Old english games before and they were good, but they were origonally bred to fight, so the roosters, and even hens on rare occasions, will fight . Now serama were bred for temperament, so they are much more docile and easier to work with, as they were origonally bred to be pets and are shown often in groups, so birds are more tolerable of each other.
And of course the posture is much different. OEGBs hold there tails and wings at a 45 degree angle, where as the serama hold there wings verically with there tail straight up and there chest should be well muscled.
Here are two pages, each with information and many pictures of the breeds
Old English game Bantams
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/Games/GameBantams/BRKOEGBantams.html
Serama
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Sri/BRKSri.html

 

[wbruder17]

Quote:
Thank you very much for the info. I think the people advertising had OEGBs and not Seramas. I also know mine are also OEGBs, if not very well wellbred. The interesting thing about what you said about the OEs is that they are aggressiive, where my two girls are 2 of my most friendly birds. Cleo is an absolute DARLING. She will follow me around chirping to be picked up...not even for food. She also actually enjoys being carried around and pet.

Thank you very much for the info!

 

[Alicia G]

I appoigize, let me rephrase that comment about OEGBs temperament. This breed was origonally bred for fighting so it has essentially been bred into them to kill the other rooster, that doesn't mean there aggressive towards people (though I have met my share of nasty roosters!) just other roosters. I find the hens of OEGBs make amazing pets and some of the best broodies.

 

[OtterCreekRanch]

As I understand it OEGB are not bred down from fighting birds, rather bred from other bantam breeds to resemble standard Old English Games. My roosters get along with each other very easily and I do not have issues with them fighting each other nor being any more aggressive towards people than the next rooster of any breed.