Management of Game Chickens. " 305 



them up it is found that they are larger than they look, and that they feel almost " like lead " in 

 the hand. When, therefore, they can be allowed free range round the country house, with space 

 sufficient to prevent much fighting, they are sometimes an advantageous breed to keep, though, 

 as a rule, more adapted to the purposes of the genuine fancier or exhibitor. By these they will 

 always be prized ; though there is no doubt the great improvement during late years in the quality 

 of their chief rivals, the Game Bantams, has to some degree thinned the ranks of breeders of 

 the true Game. 



Game chickens are certainly very tiresome to manage. The quarrelsome disposition shows 

 itself at a very early age ; and we have known a bird fight till its windpipe was torn open, long 

 before it was fully fledged. Even the little pullets will often fight freely, but their quarrels 

 rarely produce much harm. As they will generally live peaceably enough after the mastery 

 is once thoroughly decided, many breeders get over the difficulty by buffeting with a bag or 

 handkerchief what seem to be the weaker birds, thus hastening the victory of the stronger 

 ones ; after which, for a time at least, the trouble is over. Temporary separation is not of 

 the slightest use, only making the fighting worse than ever when the little sinners are allowed 

 to meet again; once the quarrelling begins, it must be decided before peace can be re-established. 

 Later on, when the chicks are old enough to be separated and live apart from the hen, there is much 

 less difficulty ; as the cockerels may be put up together with a strong old cock, who will 

 keep order. It is very strange that this should be the case with so combative a breed ; but 

 it has been proved again and again that a good old Game cock will not allow young ones 

 to fight in his presence, but will walk up and stop them, administering severe punishment if 

 his commands be disregarded. In this way the walk may be preserved in peace for a considerable 

 time, so long as any sight of hen or pullet be sedulously guarded against : but this event is 

 invariably followed . by an obstinate fight, in which most of the birds will be killed ; and 

 harmony can never afterwards be re-established. It is also necessary to separate each stag 

 as he is dubbed ; otherwise he is always attacked, his companions not appearing to recognise 

 him when shorn of the appendages thus removed. 



With regard to the general breeding of Game, we need only remark upon the eccentricity of 

 colour in breeding, especially in Brown-reds. Mr. Douglas's notes have made this very evident, 

 and it is equally evident that the crossing of differently-coloured strains is the root of the mischief ; 

 experience has also proved that all the standard colours can be bred true with patience and care — 

 except, perhaps, the Yellow Duckwings, and even this might probably be bred true in time. With 

 regard to Brown-reds, our conviction is that the difficulty will disappear simultaneously with the 

 entire suppression or disuse of cock-fighting, having a strong opinion that the different shades 

 would not be so crossed, to the detriment of all certainty of colour, were it not that the "pit" 

 consumes so many of the badly-coloured birds thus produced, which otherwise would be valueless. 

 Even of late years we think there has been a much greater tendency to uniformity of colour ; and, as 

 the breed comes more and more entirely into the hands of genuine " fanciers," the evil will, we have 

 little doubt, wholly disappear. 



So with regard to the differences in "style " between the modern exhibition type and the old 

 fighting birds. These differences have already been alluded to, and are not only very perceptible 

 but have occasioned warm discussions in the various poultry journals ; the assertion being freely 

 made that modern birds are not " Game," and are to " the true Game fancier" inferior in every way 

 to the old. Mr. Douglas has already dealt with this matter, and we only mention it again for the 

 sake of pointing out that our judgment of it must obviously depend upon the answer given to the 

 question — Do any of us really want to bring back the old cock-fighting days >. If we do not — if 

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