Old English Game Bantam      Club 

ORIGIN; England, recognized in first British Standard in 1865. 

 

Weight:

Cock -24 OZ./680 grams 

Cockerel -22 oz/625 grams 

Hen -22 oz/625 grams 

Pullet-20 OZ/57O grams 

 

Shape of Male 

COMB: Cock -smoothly dubbed in a man­er which gives the appearance of starting above the base of the beak, with a slight convex curve lo rear of comb, where it is neatly ,rounded off. 

Cockerel: -not dubbed -single, set firmly and evenly on head, straight and upright, evenly serrated in an arched  manner, with five distinct points, smooth, nicely rounded on lower edges.

BEAK:Powerful, strong at the setting-on, upper mandible held tightly over lower,  well curved, pointed. 

EYES: large, bold, fiery and fearless. 

WATTLES: Cock -dubbed In a smooth manner, completely removed. Cockerel-not dubbed-fine in quality, small, free from winkles or folds. 

EAR LOBES: Cock-dubbed in a smooth manner, completely removed. Cockerel-not dubbed -fine in quality, small, free from wrinkles or folds. 

HEAD: Medium size, somewhat tapered, carried back from front of breast, nicety proportioned. 

NECK: Strong, fairly long, well arched. 

HACKLE: Feathers abundant, long and resilient, flowing well over back and shoulders. 

THROAT: Skin pliant and loose. 

BACK: In profile, well defined slope, moderately short, wide at shoulders, carrying width well back, tapering convexly to base of tail.

SADDLE : Abundant, but not so full as to form a gradual concave curve between back and tail long lower saddle feathers filling space between stern and wing tips, partially concealing wing tips.

TAIL: Main Tall-feathers broad, quills strong, long, but not extending beyond sickles, shaft of top feath­ers carried at an angle of 45 degrees above horizontal. Sickles-broad, long, rurved in a semk:ircular manner. Lesser Sickles & Coverts -abundant, wide, long, well curved. 

WINGS: Large, long, powerful, with strong, hard quills, prominent in front view, carried high, aoove lower thighs, held compactly and close to body. 

   Shoulders & Fronts -prominent, carried back from front of breast. Bows-smooth, well rounded. Coverts -feathers broad, forming two distinct bars across wing. 

    Primaries -fairly long and wide with strong and tough quills, tapering convexly to stern, but not beyond, completely concealed by secondaries. 

   Secondaries -broad, strong, lips concealed by lower saddle. 

BREAST: Broad, full, prominent, with large pectoral muscles, breast bone· not deep or pointed. 

BODY & STERN: Body -solid. muscular, wide fronted, straight keel tapering to stem. Stern-firm, well tucked up; fluff, short, hard. 

LEGS & TOES: Legs -widely set, parallel to each other withhout bowing or knock knees. 

    Lower Thighs-medium length and, hard, muscular, stout at top and tapered to hocks

    Shanks -medium length, round, hard, muscular, stout at top and tapering neatly to hocks. 

    Shanks- medium length, strong, clean boned, scales fine and overlapping.

    Spurs-hard, fine, set low on leg.

Toes - four, long, strait, well and evenly spread, strong and well embedded toenails, hind toe of good length and strength, extending strait back, set low down with pad firmly on ground.

PLUMAGE:Hard, sound, resilient, smooth, brilliant and sufficient, without much fluff.  

APPEARANCE: Proud, defiant, sprightly, ready for any emergency, strong contraction of wings and thighs to body when in hand. 

 

Shape of Female 

COMB: Single-small, fine in quality, strait ad upright, set firmly and evenly on head, low at juncture with beak, slightly rising convex arch to rear, moderately and evenly serrated with five distinct points. 

BEAK: Strong at the setting-on, upper mandible held tightly over lower, well curved, pointed. 

FACE: Fine in quality, pliant, free from wrinkles  folds or bristles.

EYES: Large, bold, fiery and fearless. 

WATTLES: Very small, line in quality, free from wrinkles  or folds. 

EAR LOBES: Very small, fine in quality, free from wrinkles or folds. 

HEAD: Fairly small, somewhat tapered, nicety proportioned. 

NECK: Strong, fairly long, well arched, 

HACKLE: Feathers abundant, long and resilient. 

THROAT: Skin pliant and loose. 

BACK: Moderately short and sloping to base of tail, wide at shoulders, carrying width well back, tapering 

convexly to base of tail. 

TAIL: Main Tail -feathers broad, quills strong, long, top two feathers slightly curved in a convex manner tail carried at an angle of 45 degrees above the horizontal. 

Coverts -flowing well up tail. 

WINGS: Large, long, with strong, hard quills, prominent in front view, carried high, above lower thighs, held compactly and close to body. 

   Shoulders & Fronts -prominent, carried back from front of breast. Bows -smooth, welt roonded. Coverts-feathers broad, forming two distinct bars across wings.  

   Primaries -good length, strong and tough quills, tapering convexly to stern, completely concealed by secondaries. 

   Secondaries -broad, strong, forming a neatly overlapping appearance when wing is folded. 

BREAST: Broad, full, prominent, well developed pectoral muscles, breast bone not deep or pointed. 

BODY & STERN: Body-solid, muscular, wide fronted, straight keel. Stem-firm, wen tucked up;fuff, short, hard. 

LEGS & TOES: Legs -widely set, parallel with each other without bowing or knock knees. 

   Lower Thighs -medium length, round, hard, muscular, stout at top and tapering neatly to hocks. Shanks -medium length, strong, clean boned, scales fine and overlapping. 

   Toes -four, long, straight, well and evenly spread, strong and well embedded toe nails, hind toe of good length and strength, extending straight back, set low down with pad firmly on ground. 

PLUMAGE: Hard, sound, resilient, smooth and sufficient without much fluff. 

APPEARANCE: Proud, alert, active, with strong contraction of wings and thighs to body when in hand, 

 

DISQUALIFICATIONS:

Cock not dubbed -Cock dubbed in a manner that leaves no semblance of comb -Cock without spurs­-

Cockerel with no semblance ol spurs -Undubbed cockerel after November 1 of the year it is hatched.

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DEFECTS:

Ragged edges of wattles and ear lobes indicating poor dubbing technique-Highly dubbed comb-Thin neck and scanty hackle feathers  -Poorly developed sickles and coverts in male short and slightly curved - Short tail coverts in females- Low carriage of wings, extension far beyond stern - Pointed, crooked or indented breast bone -Keel too deep -Thin and poorly developed thighs - Open scaling on shanks at the approach of the toes, denoting coarse and heavy insteps which are not conducive to activity - Softness of flesh -Soft and rotted plumage -Stitiltiness in carriage - Undubbed cockerel before Nov 1 of year it is hatched.