Modern British Game. 
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silver hackle and silver lacing on the breast, and I obtained from this cross both cockerels and pullets, but 
no Fancier can tell in this colour what he is going to produce even from the best coloured birds. 
" There is another handsome variety, termed in Australia the Birchen, but this is not the bird spoken of 
in Wright's book. This latter is a Birchen Grey, or, rather, a true Silver Duckwing. The birds under 
description are more of the Brown-Red stamp, and come from the cross between a Duckwing cock and Brown- 
Red hen, and the result is a most attractive bird. He is silvery white where the Brown-Red is lemon, and 
the silver lacing on the breast in a well-marked bird is very striking, the silver and black forming a brilliant 
contrast. 
" The Birchen hen is marked exactly the same as the Brown-Red hen, substituting the silver for the 
gold or lemon on the latter. 
"This beautiful variety is very valuable if a fine reachy specimen, and is worth his weight in gold to a 
breeder of Brown-Reds. I have found that putting a bird of this colour to a rich Brown-Red hen will 
produce really good Lemon Brown-Red cockerels, and a good percentage of fair pullets. 
"The White (lame is also a beautiful variety if of the proper type, but all those I have seen exhibited 
here have been, to my mind, more like half-bred Colonial, being too thick in every way. 
" In penning my experiences on Modern British Game, I do not wish my readers to infer that I am 
conceited enough to imagine that I am infallible, but I do hope that the advice I have given will induce 
Fanciers of this beautiful Fowl, as well as the beginner, to use their brains and think matters out for 
themselves, because I find that birds will often produce good chickens with one hen, while with another will 
be a comparative failure ; and very often, in this latter case, after Fanciers have given a bird a trial and 
failed, will get rid of the bird, and often regret afterwards that they had done so, another breeder being 
successful with the same bird mated in a different manner. My remarks are based upon a lengthy and 
thoroughly practical experience, and given for the purpose of endeavouring to further increase and encourage 
the fostering and breeding of that noblest of all Fowls in the Poultry World, the Modern British Game 
Fowl." 
The thanks of beginners in the Modern Game Fancy are due to our valued contributors for the 
information given on the breed. The explicit, exhaustive, and valuable hints on the mating and breeding 
of this magnificent Show Fowl will be found of solid practical use, and should assist in encouraging and 
stimulating the already widespread interest in the breeding and exhibition of the Modern British Game Fowl. 
As neither of our esteemed authorities have, however, given any advice on the handling and rearing of the 
Modern Game chickens, and as their feeding and management is rather different to other varieties, we will 
now proceed to give a little information which may also be helpful in conjunction with that -given on their 
breediiig. To the latter we do not wish to add one word. 
Many beginners imagine that the Modern Game Fowl can be hatched and reared anywhere, and under 
any conditions, and much money is lost yearly by the deaths caused by not giving this serious consideration. 
If the ground on which it is desired to rear them is not of the very driest, and the site selected for the front 
of the house the north or north-east, do not attempt to rear Modern Game — Leghorns or Brahmas will do 
much better. For the breeding stock, if you have a piece of spare ground at your disposal, even if the soil 
is heavy, clayey, or damp, you may manage providing that the roosting-house is perfectly dry and free from 
draught, and large enough to accommodate them during the very wet weather. The larger the run outside 
the roosting-house the better, though a grass run 20 x 20 feet will do admirably for a cock and two or three 
hens ; if a still larger run can be provided they will do much better, or if two runs 20 x 20 feet are used 
alternately, the ground will keep sweet and clean. They will not do well if the ground becomes foul and 
tainted, so that it is better to have one pen well managed than a number neglected, the latter invariably 
resulting in loss, while the former will prove remunerative. A sandy floor to the house is quite the best 
bottom. This can be sifted, and the whole of the droppings cleared away. The sand is also excellent for 
the feet, preventing in a great measure the formation of corns on the feet and under-joints of the toes. 
