Spangle Hatch

The great speckled bird is an old breed of gamefowl that has stood the test of time and are still winning with an utmost high percentage today. These fowl have a long history of great breeding behind them, Billy Ruble who was a famous man for his power Hatch cocks, Harold Brown had these Hatch cocks that he and Curtis Blackwell got direct from Ted McLean.

Harold let Billy havethese cocks; the ones they liked best were getting old. Billy bought the old cock and bred them brother and sister, which came out spangled. Harold Brown and Billy Ruble did not want spangled chickens so Ed Garrard got the spangled fowl from Harold Brown. These were strictly POWER cocks.

Foxie was Ed Garrard's wife's brother, who was a referee. Richard Bates at that time had the highest breaking power and cutting cocks at that on the circuit. Richard Bates was in a short heel derby and had a cock that had a broken wing and could not see. Ed got Foxie to buy the cock from Richard which was a tall, high stationed spangle cock.

This cock had to be fed by hand to mouth for a long time. The cock never did get to where he could see. Ed Garrard was determined to breed this cock; he was put in a 4 by 4 pen. The cock learned where his feed and water was. Ed bred this cock over the spangled McLean hens then put them together. The Bates and McLeans came out Green and Yellow legged. Harold Brown bred to the Green legged side, but got a few Yellow legged chickens. A man by the name of Massey in Mississippi took these and bred to the Yellow legged side with great success(but that is another long story). Ed Garrard bred the Yellow legged side 5/8 by 3/8; Richard Bates bred both 5/8 by 3/8 together and made a set strain. The cocks were not only good but also reproduce well, and I have had the fowl since 1964. They have kept on producing and the offspring have kept on reproducing. Personally I think they are better now than they have ever been. I took the Spangle Hatch and made a family, and also took the Red ones and made another family. Bud MacPearson was the only one I would swap bloodlines with. When Ed Garrard got sick, Bud and myself inherited these fowl. We got the ones we wanted. Bud MacPearson who was a great friend of Red Richardson got an Albany cock and bred it to the Spangles, then went to the Albany side(the Albany fowl from Mr. Red Richardson is another long story ofgreat history).


- Dee Cox