Gamefowl chicken breeds have a long and complicated history. Some were once selected for animal fighting, while others developed from those old lines and later became exhibition, ornamental, meat, or preservation breeds.
Today, you can appreciate breeds such as Malay, Aseel, Modern Game, Shamo, Old English Game, Sumatra, and Cornish for their genetics, appearance, conservation value, or traditional poultry characteristics without using birds for fighting.
That distinction matters in the United States. Federal law prohibits knowingly sponsoring or exhibiting animals in an animal-fighting venture and also prohibits buying, selling, possessing, training, transporting, delivering, or receiving animals for the purpose of having them participate in animal fighting.
Owning a historic gamefowl breed for lawful poultry keeping is not the same thing as participating in cockfighting. If you keep one of these breeds, your focus should be safe flock management, humane care, breeding to a recognized standard where applicable, exhibition, preservation, or ordinary backyard husbandry.
Gamefowl Breeds at a Glance
| Breed | Typical adult weight | Egg color | Modern use | Current TLC status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malay | Male 9 lb / Female 7 lb | Brown | Meat, preservation | Critical |
| Aseel | About 5.5 lb / 4 lb in heritage references | White to tinted light brown | Meat, preservation | Critical |
| Modern Game | Varies by standard/type; large fowl are tall and lean | White to tinted | Exhibition, ornamental | Threatened |
| Shamo | Male 11 lb / Female 7 lb | Tinted to light brown | Meat, ornamental, preservation | Critical |
| Old English Game | Male 4 lb / Female 3.5 lb | White to tinted light brown | Exhibition | Watch |
| Sumatra | Male 5 lb / Female 4 lb | White to tinted | Ornamental | Threatened |
| Cornish | Male 10.5 lb / Female 8 lb | Tinted | Meat, heritage preservation | Watch |
Conservation status above follows The Livestock Conservancy’s current online Conservation Priority List. Breed-page figures and conservation documents can occasionally be updated on different schedules, so the main priority list is the best place to confirm current status.
What Does “Gamefowl” Mean?
The word gamefowl refers to chicken breeds or lines with historical connections to game birds and, in many cases, cockfighting. That history helps explain traits such as upright posture, hard feathering, strong legs, alertness, athleticism, and assertive behavior in some lines.
It does not mean every bird from a game-type breed is aggressive toward people, and it does not mean the breed should be used for fighting today.
Temperament can vary greatly by breed, sex, strain, age, housing, social structure, and individual bird. Some game-type hens are attentive mothers. Some roosters are manageable with experienced handling. Others may be incompatible with additional mature males or mixed flocks.
If you are considering one of these breeds, choose it for legitimate poultry reasons and plan your housing around the temperament of the actual birds you own.
1. Malay Chicken
The Malay is one of the tallest chicken breeds in the world. The Livestock Conservancy describes adult males around 9 pounds and females around 7 pounds, with some birds standing roughly 26 to 30 inches tall because of their long neck, long legs, and upright carriage.
Malays are ancient Asian chickens that were widely distributed from northern India through parts of Southeast Asia. Their dramatic shape makes them immediately recognizable.
For a backyard keeper, temperament is the bigger consideration. The Livestock Conservancy describes Malays as active and quarrelsome, especially in confinement. They need plenty of room, and they are not a good choice for a small mixed flock, first-time keeper, or household looking for a cuddly children’s pet.
Malay hens are seasonal rather than high-production layers and produce medium brown eggs. The breed is currently listed as Critical by The Livestock Conservancy, giving responsible preservation breeding real value.
Because they are tall and active, give Malays roomy housing, secure fencing, dry footing, and enough space to get away from flockmates.
2. Aseel or Asil Chicken
The Aseel, also spelled Asil, comes from the Indian subcontinent and is one of the most influential game-type chickens in poultry history.
Aseels have a compact, muscular build, tight feathering, broad shoulders, strong legs, and a distinctive upright posture. They mature slowly compared with many production breeds.
The breed is also important beyond its historical gamefowl background. Aseel ancestry contributed to the development of the Cornish, which later became enormously important to meat-chicken breeding.
The Livestock Conservancy warns that Aseels can be highly aggressive toward other chickens, so they are better suited to experienced keepers who can manage flock separation when necessary. At the same time, individual birds can bond well with people.
They are poor egg producers compared with laying breeds, and their small eggs are usually white or tinted light brown. The current Livestock Conservancy Conservation Priority List places Aseel in the Critical category.
3. Modern Game
Modern Game is the clearest example of why a gamefowl history does not define a breed’s modern purpose.
The breed developed in England after cockfighting was banned there in 1849. Poultry enthusiasts shifted their attention toward exhibition, selecting for an increasingly tall, elegant, hard-feathered bird. By around 1870, these chickens were being described as Exhibition Game.
Today the Modern Game is primarily an ornamental and exhibition chicken. The American Poultry Association’s show reporting still lists Modern Game in modern poultry exhibitions.
These birds need room to exercise and are not ideal for cold, exposed housing. Their long legs and lean build also make their care different from compact dual-purpose breeds.
The Livestock Conservancy currently places Modern Game in the Threatened category on its main Conservation Priority List. For preservation breeders, maintaining correct type, fertility, vigor, and genetic diversity is far more meaningful than emphasizing the breed’s distant fighting ancestry.
4. Shamo Chicken
The Shamo is a large Japanese breed with ancestry that likely traveled from India and Pakistan through Siam, now Thailand, before reaching Japan during the early Edo period.
The name itself is linked to the Japanese pronunciation of “Siam.” Shamo are closely related to Aseel-type chickens and retain a very upright, muscular appearance.
The Livestock Conservancy lists Shamo males around 11 pounds and females around 7 pounds. Hens lay medium-to-large tinted or light-brown eggs, not large white eggs.
Shamos may be friendly toward humans, but that should not be confused with easy mixed-flock behavior. The breed can be aggressive toward other birds, and mature males may require separate management.
I would not recommend an assertive adult Shamo rooster as a general children’s pet. If children are around any large rooster, an adult should supervise and the bird’s actual temperament should determine access.
Shamo is currently listed as Critical by The Livestock Conservancy, so carefully managed exhibition and conservation flocks play an important role in keeping the breed genetically healthy.
5. Old English Game
Old English Game has one of the longest documented histories among British poultry breeds. Its ancestors were associated with gamefowl for centuries, but experienced breeders now commonly keep the breed for exhibition and preservation.
According to The Livestock Conservancy, standard Old English Game males are around 4 pounds and females around 3.5 pounds. Hens can produce roughly 100 to 160 small-to-medium white or tinted eggs per year depending on strain.
These chickens are extremely active, capable flyers, and good foragers. They often dislike close confinement and may roost high if given the chance.
Rooster management deserves special attention. The Livestock Conservancy recommends separating male chicks before maturity because males can become incompatible with one another. Do not rely on repeated fighting to “sort things out.” If serious chasing or injuries begin, separate the birds before the situation escalates.
Old English Game is currently on the Livestock Conservancy Watch list.
6. Sumatra Chicken
The Sumatra is an ornamental breed from the Indonesian islands of Sumatra, Java, and Borneo. Its flowing tail, dark plumage, and green sheen make it one of the most striking heritage chickens.
Although the breed was historically promoted as a fighting bird, The Livestock Conservancy notes that Sumatra was not especially well suited to that use. That makes its modern ornamental identity especially appropriate.
Sumatra males are about 5 pounds and females about 4 pounds. Hens generally lay small white or tinted eggs and are not selected for high production.
The challenge is activity and flightiness. Sumatras are alert, jumpy, and excellent flyers. If you keep them in a backyard flock, plan for secure fencing or a covered run and do not assume a standard low fence will contain them.
They are currently listed as Threatened by The Livestock Conservancy. Their conservation value today lies in preserving their unique body type, plumage, hardiness, and genetic history.
7. Cornish, Formerly Called Indian Game
The Cornish is the breed that creates the most confusion in older gamefowl lists because it was originally known as the Indian Game.
Despite that old name, the modern Cornish was developed in England around 1820. The Livestock Conservancy reports that Sir Walter Gilbert claimed to have crossed Red Aseel with an English Game type in an attempt to create a powerful game bird.
The result ultimately became much more important for meat production than for its original intended use.
Heritage Cornish are broad, muscular birds with unusually wide bodies. Males are around 10.5 pounds and females around 8 pounds. Hens lay small-to-medium tinted eggs.
Unlike several more assertive game-type breeds, the modern Cornish is described by The Livestock Conservancy as calm and docile. That makes it a good example of why you should judge a breed by its modern characteristics rather than by a historical label alone.
Cornish is currently on the Livestock Conservancy Watch list and remains historically important to the development of modern meat chickens. You can also see my guide to meat chicken breeds for other table-bird options.
What About American Game?
American Game is a broad name used for American gamefowl populations and exhibition birds rather than one simple, uniform backyard breed with a single temperament and production profile.
The American Poultry Association’s 2025 show reports include American Game entries, so there is a legitimate exhibition context for these birds.
However, many named American gamefowl lines are selected and described privately, and the internet contains a large amount of fighting-performance material around them. For a backyard poultry guide, it is more useful to focus on lawful exhibition, preservation, housing, and temperament than on ranking bloodlines by fighting ability.
Why Kelso Is Not Listed as a Separate Breed
Kelso is usually discussed as an American gamefowl bloodline or strain associated historically with breeder Walter Kelso rather than as a standardized poultry breed comparable to Malay, Aseel, Shamo, or Sumatra.
That distinction matters because bloodlines can vary among breeders, and fixed claims about exact weight, egg production, temperament, or appearance are often unreliable.
Are Gamefowl Chickens More Aggressive?
Some game-type breeds have a higher tendency toward rooster-to-rooster aggression, but you should avoid treating every bird as automatically aggressive.
Aseel, Malay, Shamo, and Old English Game all have stronger warnings about flock compatibility than breeds such as Cornish. Sumatra is often more flighty than confrontational. Modern Game is primarily an exhibition breed.
Individual behavior still matters. A calm rooster from an assertive breed may be easier to manage than a poorly socialized rooster from a breed usually described as docile.
If a rooster is challenging people, chasing children, or attacking repeatedly, see my guide to aggressive rooster behavior.
How to Manage Multiple Roosters Safely
Keeping more than one mature rooster can work in some flocks, but game-type males may require more separation and planning than typical backyard breeds.
- Provide enough space so one male cannot continuously corner another.
- Use visual barriers, separate pens, or divided runs when birds cannot coexist.
- Watch for repeated chasing, feather pulling, punctures, eye injuries, or a rooster preventing another bird from eating and drinking.
- Separate incompatible males before serious wounds develop.
- Do not deliberately provoke or stage fights to determine dominance.
- Inspect birds with large spurs regularly and handle them carefully.
Normal pecking-order disputes are usually brief. Repeated attacks that leave one bird unable to escape are a management problem, not something the flock should simply be forced to endure.
For related flock management, read what to do when roosters fight and my guide to rooster spurs.
Can Gamefowl Breeds Live in a Mixed Flock?
Some can, but breed and sex matter.
Cornish and many Modern Game birds can be easier to integrate than mature Aseel, Malay, Shamo, or Old English Game males. Even within a breed, hens may behave very differently from roosters.
Introduce birds through a barrier when possible, give several feeding and watering stations, provide escape space for lower-ranking birds, and be ready to separate individuals that repeatedly injure flockmates.
If pecking becomes severe, see why chickens peck each other and how to reduce the causes.
Are Gamefowl Breeds Good for Children?
I would not choose a breed with a strong tendency toward territorial or rooster-to-rooster aggression specifically as a young child’s first chicken.
The Livestock Conservancy specifically warns that Malay and Old English Game are not good children’s breeds, while Shamo may be friendly with people but can still be assertive around other birds.
If children help with chickens, choose calm individual birds, teach them not to chase or corner roosters, and supervise interaction with any large or territorial male.
Conservation Gives These Breeds a Modern Purpose
Several historic gamefowl breeds are now conservation priorities in the United States.
- Malay: Critical
- Aseel: Critical
- Shamo: Critical
- Modern Game: Threatened
- Sumatra: Threatened
- Old English Game: Watch
- Cornish: Watch
That gives responsible breeders a better goal than preserving an old fighting reputation. Heritage poultry carries rare genes, distinctive body types, unique plumage, regional history, maternal traits, climate adaptations, and other characteristics that can disappear when populations become too small.
If you want to help preserve one of these breeds, work with reputable breeders, learn the correct standard, maintain records, avoid unnecessary inbreeding, and select for health, fertility, structure, and appropriate temperament.
Is Cockfighting Legal in the United States?
No. Federal law prohibits animal-fighting ventures in the United States.
Under 7 U.S.C. § 2156, it is unlawful to knowingly sponsor or exhibit an animal in an animal-fighting venture. The law also prohibits knowingly attending such a venture and knowingly buying, selling, possessing, training, transporting, delivering, or receiving an animal for the purpose of having it participate in animal fighting.
The same federal section prohibits knowingly selling, buying, transporting, or delivering in interstate or foreign commerce a knife, gaff, or other sharp instrument designed or intended to be attached to a bird’s leg for use in animal fighting.
Under 18 U.S.C. § 49, major violations of the federal animal-fighting prohibitions can carry imprisonment of up to five years for each violation. Knowingly attending an animal-fighting venture can carry up to one year, and causing a person under 16 to attend can carry up to three years.
State and local laws may add other restrictions or penalties. If you keep game-type birds, keep them for lawful poultry purposes and check your ordinary local rules on roosters, flock size, noise, housing, and animal care.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between gamefowl and fighting chickens?
Gamefowl describes breeds or lines with historical game-bird ancestry or type. A fighting chicken is a bird being used or prepared for animal fighting. A gamefowl breed can be kept lawfully for exhibition, preservation, ornamental purposes, meat, breeding, or ordinary poultry keeping.
What is the largest gamefowl-type breed?
Malay is exceptionally tall, while Shamo and Cornish are very heavy, muscular birds. The Livestock Conservancy lists Malay males around 9 pounds, Shamo males around 11 pounds, and Cornish males around 10.5 pounds.
Are Aseel chickens aggressive?
Aseels can be highly aggressive toward other chickens, especially males. They are better suited to experienced keepers who can provide separate housing when individuals become incompatible.
Is Modern Game still a fighting breed?
Modern Game developed as an exhibition breed after cockfighting was banned in England in 1849. Its modern identity is ornamental and exhibition-focused rather than fighting-focused.
Is Cornish the same as Indian Game?
Yes, Cornish was historically called Indian Game. The breed was developed in England, not simply imported from India, and later became highly important as a meat chicken.
Can you keep two gamefowl roosters together?
Sometimes young males coexist, but mature roosters from assertive breeds may become incompatible. Do not force birds to continue fighting. Separate them if you see repeated attacks, injuries, cornering, or one rooster preventing another from reaching food and water.
Is it legal to own Aseel, Shamo, Malay, or Old English Game chickens in the U.S.?
Federal animal-fighting law targets animal-fighting ventures and activities carried out for that purpose. Keeping a historic breed for lawful poultry purposes is different. However, local zoning, rooster, noise, and flock-size rules can still apply where you live.
Conclusion
Historic gamefowl breeds deserve a more accurate modern description than simply calling them “fighting chickens.”
Malay, Aseel, Shamo, Old English Game, Modern Game, Sumatra, and Cornish each developed through different histories and now have different uses, temperaments, conservation needs, and management requirements.
If you keep these birds, focus on humane care, safe flock management, exhibition, preservation, and responsible breeding. Separate incompatible roosters before serious injuries occur, and do not deliberately stage fights.
For several of these breeds, preserving a rare piece of poultry history is now a far more important purpose than the activity that shaped parts of their past.
Sources
- The Livestock Conservancy: Conservation Priority List
- The Livestock Conservancy: Malay Chicken
- The Livestock Conservancy: Aseel Chicken
- The Livestock Conservancy: Modern Game Chicken
- The Livestock Conservancy: Shamo Chicken
- The Livestock Conservancy: Old English Game Chicken
- The Livestock Conservancy: Sumatra Chicken
- The Livestock Conservancy: Cornish Chicken
- American Poultry Association: Breeds Shown in 2025
- Cornell Legal Information Institute: 7 U.S.C. § 2156
- Cornell Legal Information Institute: 18 U.S.C. § 49
Why the HELL would you encourage this cruel blood sport by publishing such article. There is something seriously wrong with you
We have already mentioned all the links and laws about chicken fighting in this article. This article does not encourage people to involve in chicken fighting.
But yes, these game fowls are available all over the world and people must know what are the game fowls which fight a lot. So that people manage them in proper way.