 Dark Indian Game | |
| Conservation status | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Distribution | world-wide |
| Use |
|
| Traits | |
| Weight | |
| Egg colour | light brown[4]: 80 |
| Classification | |
| APA | English[5]: 13 |
| EE | yes[6] |
| PCGB | heavy: hard feather[7] |
| |
TheIndian Game is a Britishbreed ofgame chicken, now reared either formeat orexhibition. It originated in the early nineteenth century in thecounties ofCornwall andDevon in south-west England.[8][9] It is a heavy, muscular bird with an unusually broad breast;[10]: 158 the eggs are light brown.[4]: 80
In the United States the name was changed in the early twentieth century toCornish. A white variant, theWhite Cornish, was developed there at about the same time, and is much used in modern industrial chicken meat production in many parts of the world, either forcross-breeding to produce hybridbroilers, or to produce fast-growing "game hens".[11]
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The Indian Game was developed bySir Walter Gilbert, ofBodmin inCornwall, in about 1820. It was intended to be agame-cock, but had no aptitude for cockfighting.[11]
It is recognised as "Indian Game" in Australia,[12]: 196 by thePoultry Club of Great Britain in the United Kingdom,[13] and by theEntente Européenne in Europe.[6] In the United States the name was changed in 1905 to "Cornish Indian Game", and then in 1910 to "Cornish".[11] It was accepted by theAmerican Poultry Association in 1893.[11]
As for all native British poultry breeds, theconservation status of the Indian Game is listed on the watchlist of theRare Breeds Survival Trust as "priority".[2]
The Indian Game is a large and stocky bird, short in the legs and unusually broad and deep in the breast. Some cock birds may be so short-legged and broad-breasted that they are incapable ofreproducing.[4]: 80 [8]
Threecolour variants are recognised in the United Kingdom: the dark, the original colour; the Jubilee; and the double-laced blue, which is rare.[8] TheEntente Européenne d'Aviculture et de Cuniculture and some European countries recognise the white and buff variants in addition to these three.[6] In the United States, the Cornish is recognised in four colours: the original dark, added to theStandard of Perfection in 1893; the white, added in 1898; the white-laced red, added in 1909; and the buff, added in 1938.[5][11]
It is resistant to most commondiseases of poultry, but vulnerable toparasites.[8] The feathers are thin and hard, without down; this may render the birds susceptible to cold, which may delay breeding in early Spring.[8]
The Indian Game was bred as a game-cock, but was not successful as a fighting bird.[11] It was found to be a good meat breed, and was much used forcross-breeding with established meat breeds such as theDorking, theOrpington and theSussex.[10]: 158 [4]: 80 It is a poor layer: the eggs are small and light brown; hens may lay about 80 per year.[4]: 80 [14]
