The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-19
RAISING GAME CHICKENS.
Secret Handed Down by Generations
 of Breeders In the South.

From the New York Sun
 The raising of game chickens for the poultry show and for the pit are two dis ainctly different industries The former
 requires only a good knowledge of poul try breeding, while the latter involves as
 well a number of finer points which are known only to a few who have been long
 and closely connected with the work.
 These secrets have in many cases been
 handed down from generation to general ton, carefully guarded Every breeder of game chickens in the south feels that the
 success of his birds is largely dependent upon these secrets, and they are without doubt largely responsible for the success
 of birds raised by southern breeders. A few facts concerning game birds and their raising for the pit secured from a
 Virginia planter, will be of general inter- | est
 This gentleman says his ancestors
 brought their original stock of game
 chickens to this country and their de- | scendants have been raising them ever
 since. He is confident that this particular
 strain of birds can hold their own with | the best the country affords. This is not l all idle talk for his birds have won fights
 in the principal cities of the country l First of all, the birds have been raised
 only for fighting purposes, and then year
 after year of careful breeding and selec-
 ton has developed qualities which could | be secured In no other way. Birds are
 raised only from winners and sisters of | winners.
 The chickens are kept together from the ! time they are matched in the spring until | the young cockeres. or stags begin to
 manifest fighting proclivities. That comes | in the fall.
 They are then separated and each stag
 is placed on a walk. That means that | farmer or negro is paid to take the cock
 and keep him on his farm with not more
 than six hens in such a place that he will
 not come in contact with any other cock l for a year.
 One might think the bird should be fight
 ing all that time to develop his mettle, but careful study has shown that this is not the case. During the year the bird
 sees no otner cocks; he is absolutely | king of the little realm in which he
 rules, and he realizes 1t.
 He grows in stature dignity and cour- age. In a few months nothing can en-
 croach on his territory without chal-
 lenge and stubborn fight be 1t COW, horse, mule. dog or man.
 At the end of the year these cocks.
 sometimes spread over q territory twenty miles in circumference are gathered in and D, fancier holds little mains for his own
 and his friends amusement, and in this
 way finds out what qualities the cooks possess. A fight means death to one
 bird and in consequence there is a thin | ming out.
 Sometimes when two birds of exception al worth are put together they are sepa-
 rated after they have demonstrated their good qualities, because they are too val uable to be sacrificed. The best birds are then shipped to various parts of the
 country to take part in big fights. A main, or cockhght. is an interesting affair. A couple of men, for instance. fight 200 birds for purse of S200 $500 or
 Sod. with s10, s20 or $50 on each fight. If one man wins eleven fights he gets the
 purse, plus the amount on each fight he wins and the loser gets the money for the fights he wins. This helps to pay expenses.
 Large sums of money are also put up
 on the result of the main, or on each separate fight, by the company assembled Sometimes the fanciers' friends come with him and back his birds to their last cent but generally the money is placed by men
 on birds they fancy, and which their
 educated judgment tells them will win. The preparations of a gamecock for the
 pit, usually ring filled with tanbark to | prevent the birds from injuring them selves when they fall is nearly as elab- 1 crate as that of q prize fighter. First.
 the cocks natural spurs are cut down to
 short stump, perhaps half an inch long,
 chamois strips are wound around this | and about the leg and over this the gaf
 or steel spur is fitted and tied on secure
 ly.
 | Next the wings and tail are cropped
 short, the former for the purpose of mak- , ing them hit harder, and the latter prob
 ably because 1t makes the bird look fierce.
 The hacke feathers are then cropped and
 the soft, downy feathers of the breast
 are cut close to keep the bird cool | The cocks are held together for min ute and then dropped on the bark. and in | few minutes there is blur of feathers. | The fight may last five seconds or an hour but twenty minutes is good average. When the birds get hung together they are separated for moment, and the own l CTS blow down their threats to revive them but the rest is of short duration, and the cocks are set at it again. In many cases the training of birds is elaborate. The birds are dieted and exer-
 cised together. rigged out with muffs or
 miniature boxing gloves, for this purpose They are exercises by tossing them up and down on a padded table. bird that is not dead game" and will not stand steel' has it throat cut as soon as it's owner finds 1t out, and the
 same disposition is made of the cock that uses its bill, and not It's feet, when fighting.