Would love to know what breed this little girl is-

[upstatechicken]

She's around 4 months old, and her feathers are iridescent, but pretty matte, black...

 

[BantamLover21]

Is she bantam sized? If so, she is probably a Black Old English Game Bantam.

 

[Wyandottes7]

Is she a bantam? May be an Old English Game.

 

[Michael OShay]

Is she bantam sized? If so, she is probably a Black Old English Game Bantam.

X2 on Black Old English Bantam.

 

[mrsfluff100]

she isn't an old english game because any game bird has feathers that are very tight to their bodies, unlike her. She is a Japanese.

 

[BantamLover21]

she isn't an old english game because any game bird has feathers that are very tight to their bodies, unlike her. She is a Japanese.

Not all OEG have really tight feathers. They are supposed to be tight feathered, but unless they are show quality (not average hatchery birds), that isn't usually the case. The bird in question doesn't have the tightest feathers in the world, but nor is she overly loose and fluffy.

However, I agree with you that Black Japanese is a possibility. The only thing is, I'm not sure whether she has the right body type for a Jap (short and rather u-shaped)--the photos don't highlight that very well. If upstatechicken could get a complete side-profile photo, that would help determine her breed.

 

[Wyandottes7]

she isn't an old english game because any game bird has feathers that are very tight to their bodies, unlike her. She is a Japanese.

Game birds or game bird mixes don't necessarily have tight feathers. Only the show strains or birds bred to the American Poultry Association Standard of Perfection tend to have really tight feathers. This bird, at least judging from the photo, seems to have fairly close feathering, anyways. Black is a relatively common color in Old English Game, probably more common than in Japanese.

Japanese bantams also differ in body type. Their legs are shorter and their tails tend to be larger. Also, their heads often are slightly larger in comparison to the body size.

It's possible, but just not likely, in my opinion.

 

[Michael OShay]

Not all OEG have really tight feathers. They are supposed to be tight feathered, but unless they are show quality (not average hatchery birds), that isn't usually the case. The bird in question doesn't have the tightest feathers in the world, but nor is she overly loose and fluffy.

However, I agree with you that Black Japanese is a possibility. The only thing is, I'm not sure whether she has the right body type for a Jap (short and rather u-shaped)--the photos don't highlight that very well. If upstatechicken could get a complete side-profile photo, that would help determine her breed.

Game birds or game bird mixes don't necessarily have tight feathers. Only the show strains or birds bred to the American Poultry Association Standard of Perfection tend to have really tight feathers. This bird, at least judging from the photo, seems to have fairly close feathering, anyways. Black is a relatively common color in Old English Game, probably more common than in Japanese.

Japanese bantams also differ in body type. Their legs are shorter and their tails tend to be larger. Also, their heads often are slightly larger in comparison to the body size.

It's possible, but just not likely, in my opinion.

X2 on the above posts. It's possible that the bird is a hatchery grade Black Japanese bantam, but I agree that it's unlikely.

 

[upstatechicken]

Hi guys, thanks for your responses!
She is a Bantam.
And she is quite a bit fluffier than my other OEG, the mottled one.
I'll try and get more pictures, with a good side profile...

 

[upstatechicken]

I hope these help!