There are a lot of myths surrounding cockfighting. We would like to clear a few of these up. Surely there are a lot more so if there are others that we have yet to mention, please feel free to let us know.
Myth 1 - When fighting, roosters will not peck on the eyes of his opponent.
Reality- This is correct. Roosters will deliberately avoid pecking his opponent's eyes in a fight. He may inadvertently hit the opponent in the eye with a spur or blade but never a peck.
Myth 2 - Many people say that roosters are trained or taught to fight.
Reality - Chickens ARE NOT trained or taught to fight. They fight instinctively, whether in captivity or in the wild. They do so to protect their territory and their hens. At times they even fight till the death.
Myth 3 - Cockfighters will train their chickens as soon as possible.
Reality- We do not train them to fight. We train them to enhance their abilities like speed and breaking capability to help them do what they are genetically wired to do, which is to defeat the opposing rooster.
Myth 4 - Roosters can be raised without having combat.
Reality - This is possible but not advisable, real cockers would like to maintain the integrity of the bloodline. Without testing individual members of a certain family, one may risk having inferior species reproduce and passing undesirable traits to the next generation. This fact is why roosters will fight each other in the wild. They will fight for the right to reproduce.
Myth 5 - In a fight, while both roosters are face to face and one decides to clear his bowels, the other rooster will not attack.
Reality - This is correct. Roosters will not attack while his opponent is busy doing his business. He will only attack after the deed is done. Another example of a fair fight.
Myth 6 - Instead of being fought, gamecocks can just be raised for eggs and meat.
Reality - This cannot be achieved as the gamefowl strain is unlike the broilers and layers poultry companies have. Gamefowls cannot be housed the same way as broilers and layers.
Myth 7 - In the wild, without humans training them, gamefowls will live together in harmony.
Reality - This is incorrect. This is a huge lie being perpetuated by animal rights organizations. Gamefowls in the wild will seek their own territory and hens. If they encounter another rooster, they will fight even to the death for the right to the territory and hens.
Myth 8 - Cockfighters abuse their roosters as part of training in order to make them mean.
Reality - This is exactly the opposite. These kinds of statements are what organizations against cockfighting try to perpetuate. Cockers treat their roosters with utmost love and care while helping the roosters reach their potential. If a cockers abuses their rooster, the chance that the rooster will be a man fighter will increase exponentially. Most cockers don't like a man fighting rooster mainly because 1.) In the ring, the rooster's attention will be torn between fighting his owner or the other rooster. 2.) Who would want a bladed rooster to have a grudge on him.
Myth 9 - Gamecocks are cruelly cared for.
Reality - This is absolutely incorrect. If you visit any gamefowl farm, you would see the absolute care cockers have for their roosters. They go through lengthly means just to ensure that their roosters are well taken cared of.
Myth 10 - Attaching blades to roosters is cruel.
Reality - Chickens grow spurs naturally and use those to fight with. Attaching blades is actually considered more humane than naked heel fighting as the blades will allow for the fights to end quickly. Naked heel fighting doesn't required blades or metal spurs which means that the roosters will fight to the death using just their natural spurs. This will take much longer that a bladed fight. Keep in mind that roosters will try to kill each other regardless of weapon, whether natural spurs of blades.
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