Modern Game

I purchased two pair of BB Reds and wondered about there traits. They are only 8 weeks old and they are a blast to watch. Your article was very helpful. Thanks

i got 4 modern game bantams last month. the Wisconsin winter has only just started, it has been on average 30-40 over the past month and they already have very bad frostbite and will likely lose some toes already. aside from not being able to handle the cold at all, i LOVE these birds. they are so fun to have around. they will follow me all over the place and will let me pick them up no problem.

I am a huge Modern Game fan! I have 12 standard size BB Red moderns, 6 bantam Birchens, 5 bantam Brown Reds, 1 bantam Black, and 1 bantam Blue. I raise them for showing, breeding, and pets.

My friendliest chicken is a Brown Red Modern bantam. Whenever I come out to see my chickens, she is right next to the door waiting to be handled! She is great with children, too.

I would highly recommend the Modern Game to anyone who is looking for a pet or show bird.

I wasn't going to get modern game bantams but I had done a 3000km round drive to pick up 80 birds from the centre of Australia from a breeder who was meeting me half way from South Australia to drop them off. All the birds were pre-paid for by people, as I had this trip organized for over 8 months prior to heading down there except one trio of modern game. I tried contacting the lady who wanted them but she never picked up the phone or answered my emails so I ended up with them in the end.

Do I regret them? Oh heavens no!! I adore these little guys to bits and I have over 30 chickens already in my suburban home, mostly all different breeds ranging from blue/black copper/wheaton marans, araucanas, australorps, faverolles, plymouth rocks, wyandottes, silkies, OEG and so on. These have so far been the most friendly out of all the breeds, and they were an adult pair when I got them. Even my blind dad, who really dislikes roosters AND bantams with a passion, has fallen in love with these little guys on the first day of me bringing them home.



The rooster loves him especially. He likes my dad the most out of all of the family. The first day I had him a goshawk was harrassing the modern trio just as my dad stepped outside and he run underneith my dad's legs and made chatty noises. He squatted and put his arms out and he just jumped into his arms terrified. Since then my dad has turned his hate for roosters around. I am worried however due to their size, especially the hens, that the goshawk may eventually kill them while I have them out to graze the grass. They may need slight supervision unfortuently. They would be fantastic for children to raise but only if handled with care!!

But it gets better.

The whole day not once did he crow. The next morning he did crow and we didn't even really register it was a rooster at first. It is very light, has the "err-err-errrrr" going on but the wild birds muffle him completely. Neighbours don't mind at all so we can keep him which is fantastic. He barely crows like previous roosters that I've owned have, only going off in the morning a dozen or so times and then nothing until the next morning. Far better than OEG to which I found just crowed all day long, and twice as loudly, and I owned them for over 5 years and loved them to bits. Less aggressive too which is a bonus but tend to be at the bottom of the pecking order, the hens anyway.

As for eggs barely any but I do enjoy the broodiness. Since I have other breeds of chooks for the sake of laying I honestly do not mind lack of eggs though others would disagree of course. The eggs are a nice size too, I prefer the bantam sized eggs boiled to the big ones and kids love them tiny. I like the small broodies, like OEG because they hatch and raise my quail eggs for me so I don't have to incubate them. They take well to quail chicks which is what I want in a bantam as large chooks are too big to sit on the tiny eggs.

So far very little feed is used and they do quite a bit of foraging which is great. They don't mess up the garden like every other chook will and the mulch heap is practically untouched when they try to rake it out, since they are so tiny. They don't require a big run either, I have them in 1mX1m by 1.5m high and they could easily fit a few more hens, though I do let them out for most of the day anyway.

And they don't leave big poops all over my verandah.

Girly Girl was given to me by a breeder at a show because I admired her. Nice! She has never given me one problem. I thought she was the world's worst layer until I switched feed this year and at 4 she produced three times as many eggs as before. Breeders have warned me about their delicate legs, so I'm careful. I can imagine young children might accidentally hurt them.

Very pretty birds very sweet and tame. They are the funniest to watch with their long skinny legs. I read in many articles a pro for having this breed is they are small and they do not eat much. They eat all day, little meals and forage all day. These little lovelies have tiny personalities, not like other chickens. Don't let those long legs fool you though as they are very delicate and can break easily, please take great care and be gentle. When hatched they have long legs but don't truly grow into them until later.

I have 3 hens, 1 birchen and 2 brown reds. They are definitely the most entertaining out of the 6 chickens I have. They're also definitely the most adventerous out of the flock. I have some pretty nice birds, from SQ stock and they are absolutely gorgeous. I would recommend this breed to anyone.

Modern game are a breed of poultry that were developed following the outlaw of cock fighting in 1849. They are used mainly for exhibition purposes and make wonderful birds for both children and adults to show and raise.

I personally was introduced to the breed (in it's bantam variety) by an impulse purchase at an auction and since then I haven't looked back. Out of the many breeds of poultry that I keep and have kept, I find the Modern Game to be the most entertaining and rewarding of the lot.

They don't take much to feed, don't take much space and are always more than willing to come up to you for a chat. My husband often has to lock them in his shed at night after they come in for a chat and then refuse to leave when he does!

I don't find them flighty at all and with a only a little bit of handling you will have yourself a new best friend. Sure, they won't produce you eggs like an Isa Brown will but they will make up for this shortcoming in many many ways. They have attitude plus! I always find some of mine in the strangest of places, beating up the cats or just generally getting under my feet when I am out in the yard.

I have actually made the decision to focus on breeding these delightful little birds and hope to have them and show them for many years to come!

They look awesome! Someone at my county fair had a pair and they were so nice! I would kill for one!

I have kept pure modern game and currently have three modern game/black bearded Belgian crosses, but I have found that they are a lot less tame than any of my other small breed chickens. I have one that no matter what I do is terrified of me, despite the fact I raised her from a chick, her brother and mother both being a lot easier to handle (though never being picked up out of choice). Still, I loved my grandad's modern game as a small child, I would recommend them as a good breed if you have small children and/or not a great deal of space.

I was obsessed with this breed throughout my entire childhood. I loved their colors, their stance, and their efficient and lean appearance. I drew pictures of them everywhere, and they were my definition of what a "real" chicken should look like.

I joined BYC back in 2003 (give or take a year) and was very active in the chat rooms (I used to use the name Pocketpooch6, but I lost the password since it was so long ago). I learned as much as I could about chickens so one day I could own my own. I finally ordered my first batch of BBR Modern Games back in 2010, and boy has it been a great experience!

Now they are so beautiful to see in my flock, and always remind me of my childhood. My girls are two years old now and still laying up a storm. They are well mannered, gentle, and very hardy. They've weathered the freezing cold winters exceptionally well, even though they originate from the warmer climates. I actually lost one of my Rosecomb Leghorns to frostbite, and another supposed "cold weather breed" actually froze to the ground outside because he didn't want to go into the coop on that particular night. My Modern Game hens and roos did just fine in the cold, with their single combs and sleek feathers. They are very smart, but not the "you can't catch me" kind of smart, or the "escape artist" kind of smart (thank goodness). They just have that intelligence in their eye when you look at them.

My girls have the pink breasts and the tan wings/back, while my roos have the most beautiful golden necks with every color of the rainbow on their bodies. They are docile and trusting even though I don't handle them much.

This year we hatched four adorable Modern Game chicks in our new incubator (two of them were sired by a Rosecomb Brown Leghorn and the other two were sired by a Black Jersey Giant). The Rosecomb x Modern Game chicks are full of personality and very, very curious. They hop out of their box and run around the livingroom like they are the stars of an action and adventure movie. The Jersey x Modern Games are very quiet and sweet. They fall asleep in my hand when I pick them up. None of our other chicks are as fun or as colorful as our half Modern Game chicks! I'm looking forward to many more years with my girls, and next year I plan to hatch out full BBR Modern Game chicks to start my next generation of purebreds!

They sound so like the American game .....I want some plz tell me more

I currently own two, and have always found them very impressive and are great for contests and have great tail feathers.

These guys are tiny and so friendly. Since there are a lot of children around during the holidays, these bantam modern games are rock stars at the party.

I love Moderns in almost every way; their looks, personality, ease of care, etc. The hens talk to you almost constantly and with just a little handling will be tame as puppies. They are beautiful little birds and so fun to watch as they bounce around on their ridiculously long legs.