Old-fashioned English chicken farming is popular in the area. As its name suggests, the Old English game chicken is one of the oldest varieties of poultry and is bred primarily for show or ornamental purposes.
The Old English game chicken breed originated from ancient cockfighting birds (known as pit game) brought to Britain in the first century by the Romans.
The breed has been around in Britain since the 19th century and hasn’t changed much in over a thousand years.
The Old English chicken breed is very popular among poultry farmers and its price is very high. And today, poultry farmers kept the breed for poultry competitions and bred cattle. But previously, the standard Old English game roosters were originally bred for cockfighting.
But cockfighting became illegal in the 1850s in Australia and Britain, and now only poultry enthusiasts raise chickens from Old English game.
The Old English Game chicken is probably the first breed of chicken ever kept in Britain. And they were also used in the breeding of many other breeds of domestic chickens.
There are many colorful varieties of Old English game chickens. And today the breed is grown mainly for display or decorative purposes. There is also a slimmed down version of this breed.
However, if you can easily sell ornamental or display birds in your area, you can start an Old English game chicken business. The business will be very profitable if you can easily sell the birds. Because Old English game chickens are usually sold at a very high price in the market.
How to start the game Old English Chicken Farm
Starting an Old English chicken farming business is relatively simple and straightforward. Because these birds are naturally very strong and hardy. Even beginners can also start a commercial chicken farming business on old English game.
Here we try to describe more information about starting and running a successful Old English Game chicken farming business, from buying birds to caring for and marketing them.
Buy chickens
First of all, you need to acquire very good quality, healthy and disease-free birds to start your Old English Game chicken business. Because good quality, healthy poultry is the key to the success of an old English game chicken business.
You can purchase day old chicks or adult birds depending on price and availability in your area. Adult birds are usually sold at very high prices in the market. But day-old chicks are much cheaper. Therefore, we recommend starting with day-old chicks.
Old English hens are very common and popular. So you can probably find these birds easily. You can buy it at any chicken breeding center near you, from a chicken supplier or at any existing game farm. You can also search your local online classified sites. Just make sure the chicks are healthy, active and very hardy.
Houses
Providing a good, comfortable and safe housing system is essential for the Old English game-based poultry industry. Because a good, safe coop not only helps birds stay healthy, but also protects them from all kinds of predators and adverse weather conditions.
The type of house can be anything depending on your budget. It can be made entirely of concrete or you can build your house from readily available and inexpensive materials such as wood or bamboo. Just make sure the house is safe enough for the birds.
When building a house, install a good ventilation system. Because a good ventilation system helps remove harmful gases from the house and keep your birds healthy.
Try to build the house in such a way that it can be easily cleaned. And also to ensure the influx of a sufficient amount of fresh air and light into the house.
Old English game chickens are large breeds. And since these are show or toy breeds, it’s a good idea to arrange about 7 to 8 square feet of living space per bird.
some products
Feeding birds very high quality, nutritious food is the most important part of keeping chickens on Old English game. Because good nutrition not only keeps birds healthy, but also helps them grow better and produce more.
You can feed your chicks ready-made/commercial poultry feed or prepare your own feed. Just make sure the food is good and nutritious for your birds. If you are a beginner, you can seek help from a specialist.
Never feed contaminated feed to chicks. And always try to provide them with enough clean and fresh water according to their needs.
Old English chickens generally do not do well in captivity. So the free range system is good for them. And raising them in an outdoor system will help keep your feeding costs down. And at the same time, it will help produce better quality products.
reproduction
Like many other domestic chicken breeds, Old English game chickens are also good breeders. They will breed easily and produce enough fertilized eggs to hatch if your flock has a good hen to rooster ratio. Usually one healthy rooster is enough to raise up to 10 hens.
Care
Old English hens tend to be very strong and hardy birds. Thus, they generally require less care and different management. Although careful care, along with good housing and quality food, will ensure good growth as well as good health for the birds.
So try to take good care of your birds. Regularly monitor their health for any signs of illness or ailment and take appropriate action as soon as possible. Get them vaccinated in a timely manner and always try to maintain good contact with the veterinarian in your area.
Marketing
The marketing of chicken products (like meat and eggs) is not a problem. But the market for show or decorative birds is different. Therefore, before starting this business, try to find out whether you can easily sell your birds in your area or not. If you can’t easily sell birds in your area, you should start with any other breed.
These are the general steps and ways to successfully start and run an old English game chicken business. These birds are very strong and hardy, so it is relatively easy to breed them. I hope this guide has helped you! Good luck and God bless you!
video
