by Anthony Greene (1920)
Cock bread, as made and used by me:
One quart of wheat flour, one quart of rye flour, one quart of steel cut oat meal. Mix same in a thorough manner. Then in preparing same for raising or selling, use a large cup full, or two small cups full of any kind of sugar. Mix again thoroughly.
Add a dozen eggs, the whites and yolks beaten separately. Add to the flour rye and oat meal, Mix well, and in doing so I use a small pinch of salt and then sufficient yeast or yeast cake to raise or lighten the batter.
When a sufficient time elapses so it raises or lightens, mix it just as your wife or mother does her bread for the table.
This should not be used unti two or three days old and at all times keep covered from wind or the elements, whether excessive heat or otherwise.
When ready to feed the bread, I cut it into thin slices, then into strips 1/4 inch wide, and then again into a lot of small pieces size of Canadian flint corn. So much for the bread.
I also use, in addition to this, two-year-old corn, "yellow round, small Canadian." I also use nice clean wheat instead of the corn when feeding during warm weather.
Now, I presume it is not necessary for me to tell you that cocks coming from walks or from city runs, should be in full feather, clean and free from chicken vermin.
I trim all cocks around the vent and top of the tail slightly. Weigh each cock and otherwise note down in a book the weights and conditions as to whether excessively fat or not. The same being numbered from 1 to 15 or 1 of as the number up for conditioning or for work.
When ready to feed, I invariably use bread and milk, and into each cup for eack cock I put teaspoonful of cream of tartar and magnesia, equal parts, and well mixed before applying. One block or square of magnesia and 25c or 30c worth of cream of tartar will, as a rule, suffice to reduce in a mild form, the inward fat.
It is well known to you and me, that cocks, when first up, or cooped, become feverish, so to speak. The merits of magnesia as a light physic is well known to nearly everyone, and cream of tartar is cooling as well as has a tendency to heal a feverish subject.
I almost forgot to say, I sweetn the bread with milk so as to make it palatable. Two or three days is sufficient time to use this soft food. Your weighing the cocks will, from time to time, with your own horse sense, tell you when to halt.
Beginning the first morning, I feed a few pieces of cock bread to each and find in this way those, if any, who do not like the bread which sometimes happens.
During all these three or four days, I try to become acquainted with my cocks, handle and stroke their plumage gently, and when I find a nice talkative and gentle cock I flirt or run him a few times, but never until the fifth day give him any work.
When I find they eat the cock bread, I give them a little corn or wheat as the case may be, corn in cold weather, wheat in warm weather. When on the eve of fourth day, I first feed a portion of bread, then corn, not a full one. I then let them have 6 or 7 sips of clean water.
On morning of fifth day, I flirt each cock 10 or 12 times, and take great pains to teach a cock to run, without his digging in his toe nails, which many cocks will do if they are not carefully taught.
After working them, always at regular hours, morning and evening I let them rest a half hour or so, then feed as previously directed.
After the seventh day, I begin to feed the white of a hard boiled egg to each cock, dividing one egg between two cocks. First, I give an equal quantity of the bread to each cock, then I go around again, giving each cock his corn and then when this is disposed of, I feed each cock his 1/2 egg, or in other words, I feed in courses just as your wife would her guests at your table.
This entails some work and time, but I have found the cocks enjoy it, the same as you or I would a well served meal. Now, always feed plenty, never try to starve any cock to any imaginary weight. Plenty of feed, if they can digest it, means a strong cock and good finisher in a long drawn out battle.
It might be well to state I increase the number of flirts or runs back and forth, as a rule, to 40 of each, morning and evening, but never work a cock when he shows any evidence of being tired. Brains come into use at this point and each cock, like each man,can stand more work than another, from 15 to 18 days is as long as I think it proper to work cocks and from 10 to 13 or 14 days for stags.
Age and their condition must be considered. Now, my friends, I want to say this: When I have much at stake or a main of any decent proportions, on hand, I always use beef tea. I purchase large size jars of extract beef, reduce it to suit my taste, let it cool and after through feeding in course, give each five or six dips or beakfulls. This they all love, and I find it strengthening and of great value.
Now, I want to impart a most valuable asset, as I have found it, in heeling. By carefully watching each cock as you flirt him, you will find but few who do not handle their feet or legs differently.
One will carry his feet straight and close to his body. One will throw his right foot out, another his left. Then again, another will with only same force in flirting them, throw both feet straight and above their heads. I have always found the latter to be good true cocks to cut.
Those that hold the feet close and tidy to their body when flirting or tossing, I have also found to be good, uniformly fast cocks and good cutters.
The cock that throws his left foot out, I try to remedy this defect by very closely pointing the heel on that foot and the one who throws out the right foot, I apply the same rule and closely pack the gaff on the cock. As all students of anatomy in fowl or man are aware, all are not constructed alike, so it is impossible for a Tom Sharkey type of man to hit out straight. Corbett, McCoy and others can do so. It is thus with cocks, and the student who will try and learn something every main he fights, heels and feeds, will beat the chap who "kows it all" and will not learn.
Brains do and ever will, win in any calling, be it glass blowing or conditioning game fowl.
There are many little, details of which you know as well as I do, no use speaking of them, but clean coops and pure air, are life of man and cocks.
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