Australia
History of the Old English
The Old English Game Fowl is one of the oldest breeds of poultry in the world.
A purpose-bred fighting fowl, fighting cocks were used to incite Roman soldiers as they went into battle. Later English nobility developed a wide range of colours and patterns to identify their particular strain of fighting bird.
Cockfighting is a serious offence in all Australia states and territories with people involved being liable for prosecution under the cruelty to animals act. In some states even possessing cockfighting spurs is an offence.
Cock fighting became illegal in England in 1849 and in Australia in 1850. The Old English Game Fowl Club of Australia Inc in no way condones cock fighting and is a club purely focused on retaining the historic attributes and characteristics of the breed as a show fowl, and breeding fowls and bantams that are replicas of Herbert Atkinson's illustrations and conform to the Australian Poultry Standards 2nd edition.
Photo above
Herbert Atkinson's illustration of a trio of
Ginger-Reds.