Modern Game Bantam: The Exhibition Elegance Breed
The short version
Egg-color genetics
Modern Game are a hard-feathered exhibition breed, not an egg breed, so shell color is an afterthought in selection: hens lay small white to lightly tinted eggs. There is no blue or dark-brown genetics at play here — the breed was refined for silhouette on the show bench, not for the egg basket, and annual output is low.
What makes a Modern Game Bantam different
Where most bantams are compact and round, the Modern Game is built for length and lift. The breed descends from gamecock stock but was refined purely as an exhibition bird in Britain after cockfighting was banned in the mid-1800s — breeders channelled the competitive drive into the show hall, and the show world rewarded ever taller, harder-feathered birds. The result is a bantam that stands tall on very long legs, holds an upright 'on tiptoe' station, carries a long slender neck and a fine whip tail, and wears tight, minimal hard feather. It is one of the most instantly recognizable shapes in poultry.
None of this serves any utility purpose. Modern Game are not egg birds — they lay only a few small white-to-tinted eggs — and they are not meat birds. They are ornamental through and through, kept and bred for the elegance of their silhouette on the show bench.
What color eggs do Modern Game lay?
Small white to lightly tinted eggs, and not many of them — this is a show breed, not a layer, so annual egg numbers are low. If you want a Modern Game for the coop, keep it for its looks and expect only the occasional small egg rather than a steady supply.
Breeding notes
- Breed for the signature silhouette above all else: exceptional leg length, a tall and firm upright station (the bird carries itself 'on tiptoe'), a long slender neck, and a fine whip tail. This elongated, reachy outline is the whole point of the breed, so it drives every mating decision.
- Select hard for tight, minimal hard feather. Modern Game carry very little plumage held close and glossy to the body — a sleek, almost sculpted look — so cull loose, soft, or abundant feathering that blurs the outline.
- This is exhibition elegance, full stop: the breed was refined purely as a show bird after its gamecock ancestry, and modern breeding is entirely ornamental. Select for grace, reach, and station — a striking show shape — not for utility.
- Set single-variety pens to keep color and pattern clean: the Duckwings, Birchen, Brown Red, Black Breasted Red and Pyle each breed most predictably when kept separate rather than crossed.
- Blue-based varieties (Blue, Lemon Blue, Silver Blue) rely on the blue dilution gene, which does not breed 100% true — expect a mix of blue, black, and splash offspring from blue-to-blue pairings, and plan matings accordingly.
- Condition and hard-feather quality matter as much as color: a bird with perfect markings but soft feather or a short, low station will not compete, so weight your selection toward type and reach first.
Showing notes
- Modern Game are judged in the APA's Modern Game Bantam class and shown by variety (e.g. 'Black Breasted Red Modern Game Bantam'). Judges look first at reach and station — leg length, an upright bearing, and a firm, confident stand on the coop floor.
- Presentation and condition are decisive on such a lightly feathered bird: plumage should be tight, glossy, and immaculate, with clean, well-scaled legs and no broken or soiled feather to break the sleek line.
- Males are sometimes dubbed (comb and wattles trimmed) for exhibition, which emphasizes the clean, elongated head-and-neck line the breed is judged on. Follow your show's and region's rules on dubbing before entering.
- Train birds to pose and 'show themselves' in the coop — a Modern Game that stands tall and reaches on request will beat an equal bird that crouches or sulks.
Hatching & incubation
- No breed-specific incubation requirements: treat Modern Game Bantam eggs like any small bantam egg — roughly 99.5–100°F forced-air, lockdown around day 18, and a 21-day hatch.
- Eggs are small, so handle and set them carefully and don't overcrowd the incubator; fertility can dip in the very typiest, longest-legged birds, so keep breeders fit and don't rely on a single pair.
Recognized varieties
Frequently asked questions
- What color eggs do Modern Game lay?
- Small white to lightly tinted eggs. Modern Game are an ornamental exhibition breed rather than a layer, so egg numbers are low — expect only a few small eggs.
- Are Modern Game good for showing?
- Yes — showing is the entire point of the breed. They're judged in the APA's Modern Game Bantam class on their reach and station: very long legs, an upright 'on tiptoe' stand, a whip tail, and tight, glossy hard feather. Condition and presentation are decisive.
- How hard are Modern Game to hatch?
- No harder than any bantam — 99.5–100°F, lockdown around day 18, 21-day hatch. The eggs are small, so avoid overcrowding, and keep your longest-legged show birds fit to hold fertility up.
- Why are Modern Game legs so long?
- Because breeders selected for it. After the breed's gamecock origins, the show hall rewarded taller, reachier, harder-feathered birds, so generations of exhibition breeding produced the long legs and upright station that define the Modern Game today. It is a deliberately sculpted, ornamental silhouette.
- Are Modern Game good egg layers or good for meat?
- Neither. They lay only a few small white-to-tinted eggs a year and carry very little meat. Modern Game are kept purely as ornamental exhibition and pet birds — their value is in their striking show shape, not utility.
- Do you have to dub a Modern Game to show it?
- Males are sometimes dubbed (comb and wattles trimmed) to sharpen the clean head-and-neck line the breed is judged on, but requirements vary by show and region. Check your show's and local rules before entering.
Sources
- About the MGBCA (breed club overview & varieties) — Modern Game Bantam Club of America (Breed club)
- Modern Game Chicken (history, egg color, type & conservation) — The Livestock Conservancy (Reference)
- Modern Game Chickens (breed characteristics) — Oklahoma State University — Breeds of Livestock (University extension)
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