Game Bantam breeds

The Game Bantam class is a bantam grouping built around the old game-fowl types bred down to miniature size. Its principal members are the Old English Game Bantam and the American Game Bantam, small, hard-feathered birds with tight plumage, station, and a bold, confident carriage inherited from their large-fowl ancestors. They are among the most popular bantams on the show circuit because of their wide range of colors and their compact, showy presence.

These bantams are active, alert, and full of personality despite their tiny size. They come in a remarkable number of color varieties, from black-breasted red to spangled, blue, and self colors, which gives breeders enormous scope for selection. Hens lay small tinted or cream eggs and are often good, determined broodies that make attentive mothers for their size.

For keepers, game bantams are hardy and self-reliant, foraging keenly and handling cold reasonably well thanks to their tight feathering. Males can be spirited toward one another, so cockerels are often penned separately. On the show table, judges reward correct station, tight feather, and clean color; because these birds carry themselves proudly, exhibitors spend time training them to pose and show off their outline to advantage.

Because Old English and American Game bantams are shown in so many color varieties, they are a favorite of exhibitors who enjoy the challenge of perfecting a particular pattern across a breeding pen. Training begins early: many fanciers accustom young birds to a show coop and to gentle handling well before a competition, so the bird stands boldly and poses rather than crouching when a judge approaches. Conditioning focuses on keeping the hard, close feather bright and unbroken, since torn or soiled plumage detracts from the tight, muscular look the class prizes. Given their small size and modest feed needs, they are an economical breed for keepers who want the fun of showing without the space or cost that large fowl demand.