The Modern Game Promotional Society Inc.
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Australian Standards Edition 2 Section Modern Game
ORIGIN Britain
CLASSIFICATION Heavy-Breed Hard Feather
EGG Colour Tinted
Modern Game fowls and bantams are a fancier’s creation. With the outlawing of public cockfighting in 1849, Game -Fowls came onto the show-bench. Within 30 years, fashion had transformed the English pit fowl into a very tall, fine, reachy, scantily feathered show bird.
A little Malay blood was used to hasten this transformation. Known simply as game and finally as Modern Game, these birds were very fashionable and commanded fantastic prices. Modern Game bantams developed over exactly the same period and their popularity, unlike that of the fowls, has never diminished.
In Australia, Modern Game fowls and bantams are kept in a wide array of colours.
Male Characteristics
Carriage: Upstanding, active and alert. In the show-pen the bird should stand with a proud posing posture, the back sloping downwards toward the tail, showing plenty of “lift” as if reaching to its fullest height with the eye directly above the feet when posing.
Type:
Body short.
Back flat, wide front and tapering to the tail, shaped like a flat-iron.
Breast: well developed, evenly curved, broad and full. Belly, small and tight. Shoulders prominent and carried well up.
Wings: short and strong carried well up. Tail short, fine, closely whipped together and carried slightly above the level of the body, the sickles narrow, well pointed and only slightly curved.
Head:
Head: Long, snaky and narrow between the eyes.
Comb: single, small upright, of fine texture, evenly serrated.
Beak: long, gracefully curved and strong at the base. Eyes well rounded, prominent, bold, bright and clear.
Face: smooth.
Ear-lobes and wattles: fine and small to match the comb. It is customary to dub Modern Game males, leaving the head and lower jaw smooth and free from ridges.
Neck: Long, lean and slightly arched, fitted with short narrow feathers, but thin at the junction of body.
Legs and Feet; Legs: long and well rounded.
Thighs: long, fine and muscular.
Shanks: long, straight, well rounded and free of feathers.
Spurs: fine, set low and firmly attached in adult males.
Toes: four, long, fine and straight, the fourth (or hind) of good length and strength, extending backwards in almost a straight line, not downwards against the ball of the foot(duck footed) which is a disqualification. When in a relaxed position the hind toe should remain on the ground
Plumage; Short, hard and glossy with a minimum of fluff.
Handling; Hard and firm.
Female Characteristics
The general characteristics are similar to that of the male, allowing for the natural sexual differences.
COLOURS
Birchen;
Male; Plumage: cap: silver-white. Neck and saddle hackles, back and wing bows, lustrous black laced with silver-white. Front of neck and breast narrow laced with silver-white as low as the top of the thighs. Remainder of plumage lustrous black.
Female: Plumage: Cap silver-white. Neck hackle black lace with silver-white. Front of neck and breast: laced as in the male. Remainder lustrous black.
In both sexes: Beak: dark horn or black. Eyes, shanks and feet black. Comb, face, wattles and ear lobes, dark purple, mulberry or black.
Black-red
Male; Cap orange-red. Neck and saddle hackle light orange, free from black stripe. Back rich crimson. Wing bow orange-red, wing bar green-black. Primaries black. Secondaries rich bay on the outer web, black on the
inner web and tips. The rich bay alone showing when the wing is closed. Remainder lustrous green-black.
Female: Cap clear gold. Neck hackle gold, slightly striped with black. Breast rich salmon, shading off to ash on the thighs. Main tail black, except the top feathers, which should match the body colour. Remainder light partridge-brown, very finely pencilled, and a slight golden tinge pervading the whole, which should be even throughout, free from any ruddiness whatever and with no trace of pencilling on the flight feathers.
In both sexes: Beak dark green. Eyes, comb, face, ear-lobes and wattles bright red. Shanks and feet willow.
Black
Male and Female: Plumage: lustrous green-black throughout. Beak dark horn or black. Comb, face, ear-lobes and wattles: black, mulberry or red (black or mulberry preferred) Eyes black. Shanks and feet black.
Blue-red
Male Plumage: Cap golden. Neck and saddle hackle light orange - yellow, free from dark striping or markings. Back and wing bows bright orange-red. Wings Outer web of secondaries bay. The bay alone showing when the wing is closed. Remainder of wings blue. Remainder of plumage medium blue.
Female: Plumage Cap golden. Hackle light golden, with narrow blue stripe on centre of larger feathers. Front of neck and breast salmon, shading off to light Slate blue on the thighs. Tail is blue, except the top feathers, which should match the body colour which is medium blue finely and evenly stippled with golden brown. Primaries blue.
In both sexes: Beak horn or willow. Eyes, comb, face, ear-lobes and wattles red. Shanks and feet willow.
Brown Red
Male Plumage Cap bright lemon. Neck and saddle hackles, back and wing bows, lustrous black laced with Lemon. Remainder green-black.
Front of neck and breast narrowly laced with Lemon as low as the top of the thighs.
Female: Plumage Cap Lemon. Neck hackle lustrous black laced with lemon. Front of neck and breast laced as in the male. Remainder green black with front of neck and breast laced as in the male.
In both sexes: Beak dark horn or black. Eyes, shanks and feet black. Comb, face, wattles and ear lobes, dark purple, mulberry or black.
Golden Creel
Male Plumage Neck and saddle hackle indistinctly barred orange- gold. Back, shoulder coverts and wing bow indistinctly barred deep orange. Lower web of secondaries chestnut indistinctly barred with dark and light grey or white. Remainder cuckoo (alternating dark slate and almost white markings) throughout all sections.
Female: Hackle lemon indistinctly barred with light and dark grey. Breast and thighs indistinctly barred salmon. Back and wings cuckoo (alternating dark slate and almost white markings) with a slight golden tinge throughout. Flights and tail cuckoo.
In both sexes: Beak horn or yellow. Eyes, comb, face, ear-lobes and wattles are red. Shanks and feet yellow.
Silver Creel
Male resemble a Silver Duckwing with black everywhere replaced with cuckoo markings.
Female: is very similar to the golden creel hen except that Her hackle is silver, indistinctly barred with light and dark grey and there is a slight silver tinge throughout to her plumage.
In both sexes: Beak horn or yellow. Eyes, comb, face, ear-lobes and wattles are red. Shanks and feet yellow
Blue Creel
As for either the golden or silver creel with light and dark blue cuckoo markings instead of grey
Cuckoo
Male and Female: Plumage indistinctly barred throughout all sections with alternating dark slate and very light grey.
Beak yellow or horn. Eyes, comb, face, ear-lobes and wattles red. Shanks and feet yellow.
Golden Duckwing
Male Plumage Hackles creamy-white or straw, free from striping. Back, saddle and wingbow pale orange or rich yellow. Wing bars and primaries black with blue sheen. Secondaries white outer web, black on the inner web and tips, the white only to show when closed. Remaining plumage black with blue sheen.
Female: Plumage Hackle silvery-white, finely striped with black. Breast salmon, shading off to ash grey on thighs. Tail black, with top feathers matching body plumage. Remainder French or steel grey, very finely pencilled with black and of an even shade throughout.
In both sexes: Beak dark horn. Eyes, comb, face, ear-lobes and wattles red. Shanks and feet are willow
Silver Duckwing Male
Male Plumage: Hackles, back, saddle, shoulder coverts and wing bows silvery-white. Secondaries white on the outer web, black on tips and inner web. Only white to show when wing is closed. Remainder of plumage is lustrous blue black.
Female: Plumage Cap silver, Hackle silvery-white finely striped with black. Breast pale salmon shading off to a pale ash grey on thighs. Tail black, with top feathers matching the body plumage. Remainder is light French grey, very delicately pencilled with black with a silvery tinge to the whole. Body colour should be even throughout.
In both sexes: Beak dark horn. Eyes, comb, face, ear-lobes and wattles are red. Legs and feet willow.
Blue Duckwing
Male; Plumage The colour of either a silver or golden Duckwing male with the black replaced throughout by slate-blue.
Female: Plumage Cap silver. Hackle silver with larger feathers striped with light blue. Front of neck and breast light salmon shading off to light blue thighs. The remainder light blue, some very fine stippling showing on wings, back and coverts.
In both sexes: Beak dark horn. Eyes, comb, face, ear-lobes and wattles are red. Shanks and feet willow.
Ginger
Male Plumage Breast and thighs; deep yellow ochre, either clear or slightly pencilled or spotted. Hackle and Saddle; red golden. Shoulders; crimson red. Tail and flight feathers; bronzish.
Female: Plumage golden yellow throughout, pencilled or spangled, particularly on back and wings with bronze. Tail; pencilled, bronze or dark.
In both sexes:; Fluff dark. Beak horn. Eyes, comb, face, ear lobes and wattles bright red. Legs; willow.
Lemon Blue
Male and Female: Plumage Top colour and markings exactly the same as for the brown red with the black replaced everywhere by one even, shade of clear medium blue. Allowance is to be made for greater lustre and darker shade of blue on the top colour of the male.
In both sexes: Eyes, black. Comb, face, ear-lobes and wattles: mulberry or black. Beak, shanks and feet black or leaden blue.
Pile
Male Plumage Neck and saddle hackles bright orange-yellow (dark or washy hackles to be avoided). Back and saddle rich maroon. Wing bow maroon. Wing bar white and free from splashes. Primaries white. Secondaries, outer web dark chestnut, white on tips and inner web, the dark chestnut alone showing when the wing is closed. Remainder white.
Female: Plumage Hackle white tinged with gold. Breast salmon. Remainder white.
In both sexes: Beak yellow. Eyes, comb, face, ear-lobes and wattles red. Shanks and feet are orange-yellow.
Spangled
Male and Female: Plumage Closely resembles the black-red male and female in colour with the end of each feather in all sections finished with a small white tip or spangle. The more evenly distributed the better.
In both sexes: Eyes, comb, face, ear-lobes and wattles are red. Beak Shanks and feet either all yellow or all willow, the latter preferred.
Silver Blue
Male and Female: Plumage Top colour and markings exactly the same as for the birchen with the black replaced everywhere by one even, clear shade of clear medium blue. Allowance is to be made for greater lustre and darker shade of blue on the top colour of the male.
In both sexes:. Eyes black. Comb, face, ear-lobes and wattles are mulberry or black. Beak, Shanks and feet black or leaden blue.
Self Blue
Male and Female: Plumage an even, clear, rich, medium to pale blue, free from lacing. Darker blue top colour in males and hackles of females.
Beak black or blue. Eyes dark. Comb, face, ear-lobes, wattles, mulberry. Shanks and feet black or leaden blue
Wheaten
Wheaten-Bred Black Reds, Duckwings, Blue reds and Blue Duckwings are known with females as follows:
Wheaten: Plumage: Cap Gold. Neck: clear golden with some narrow black striping in centre lower feathers. Front of neck and breast light salmon shading off to ashy wheaten toward thighs. Back, shoulders, wing fronts, wing bows, coverts and secondaries: wheaten colour. Primaries: dark wheaten. Body: stern and lower thighs ashy wheaten. Tail black except for the top two feathers, which with the tail coverts, are wheaten colour. Eyes, comb, face, earlobes and wattles red. Beak: horn. Shanks and feet: willow, often showing yellowish soles.
Blue-tailed wheaten same as the black tailed wheaten, with black replaced everywhere by a clear, even shade of light blue.
Silver Wheaten Plumage: cap silver-white. Neck: silver-white, some narrow black striping in centre lower feathers. Front of neck and breast pale fawn, shading off to pale wheaten thighs. Remainder of the bird identical to the wheaten but a paler shade of wheaten throughout.
Blue-tailed silver wheaten Same as the silver wheaten with black replaced everywhere by a clear, even shade of light blue
White
Male and Female: Plumage: white. Eyes, comb, face, ear-lobes and wattles red. Beak Shanks and feet are yellow.
