by John Hoy
The first requirement is the birds. See that those you intend to use are in perfect health, free from lice, and in good hard feather and flesh. Stale, debilitated and unthrifty birds cannot be put in shape by any man. A safe rule to follow is: never fight a cock before January 15th. Few, if any, cocks have completed the moult before that time.
Your feeding coops should be at least 2'x2', larger if possible. They should be placed in a well ventilated room, free from draughts. Cocks that are to be fought under artificial lights positively must be worked under lights. If you think otherwise, it would be more profitable for you to pay your opponent the stake money and save your birds.
The number of cocks you put up depends on the number you are to show. For main fighting, have two top weights, two bottom weights and three or four extra birds as a safeguard against unforeseen circumstances. For tournament fighting, if you have the birds; put up two for each weight. If you are short on birds, have two or three extras of the light and medium light weights. In case of necessity, you could use a light bird for one of the heavier weights, and not have to forfeit that battle entirely if something went wrong.
Bring your cocks in at night. Put them in clean coops with clean, dry straw. Darken the room if possible, and leave them alone for 24 hours, or until the next night. No feed no water. At the end of the 24 hours take your first bird out and feed him very carefully. Any excessively fat or thin cocks should be thrown out - they cannot be put in proper shape in two weeks. The bird should carry some fat to stand the reduction in feed and hand work. The body draws on this reserve supply, and thus his weight is reduced. If he feels exceedingly leady it means he is full of gut fat. Put such birds out of the feed. If he feels moderately leady he is about right ot start on. Remember a bird may feel thin and drawn yet be full of gut fat, and have a leady feeling. Throw such birds out. They are not physically fit. If he passes inspection, weigh him and write his weight on the coop font with chalk. At the same time estimate his fighting weight and put that down next to his present weight. The proper fighting weight of a bird is one of the most important things you will need to learn. It is something that no printed instructions can convey to a feeder. A cock that should fight at 5 lbs will average coming in from a good farm walk at from 5.8 to 5.12, and the various weights in proportion. Some very good feeders think a full fledged cock should fight at the exact weight he was when picked up and cooped as a stag the previous year. Some strains of deep game fowl will stand such drastic reduction, and give you their very best, others, in fact most fowl will not. If a stag is picked up at 4.12, well developed and strong, he will more then likely come in from the walk as a cock weighing about 5.10 or 5.12. If you fight him at about 4 oz over his stag weight, you won't be far wrong. Pick up an active, well developed stag, ready to be cooped - feel him carefully. He will be round and full in the breast, and drawn up tight with a rather boney feeling in the rear. He will be corky, but not too corky; his muscles will be free and rippling under the skin. The above will convey to you as nearly as any writing can, the proper feel of a cock ready to be dropped in the pit in first class fighting trim. Work toward that feel in your feeding. Now estimate and put down his fighting weight. Weigh and estimate the fighting weight, etc of each cock you have up. When finished have ready a pound of dry Epson Salts and a small amount of butter. By using enough butter to hold to salts together, make a pill the size of a common marble. Take the cock in hand, put him under your right arm, head to front. Open his mouth with your left hand, hold it open by placing the finger of your right hand in the side of it. Drop the pill in with your left hand and push it down with your fingers. Close his mouth and rub his throat gently until he swallows. Put him back in his coop and treat each cock the same way.
When all have had their pill, give each bird all the warm bread and milk he will eat up quickly. The following morning scald in water your grain feed to soften it, pour off the water and give each cock a level tablespoon, and 3 or 4 dips of Cream of Tartar water (directions for making below). At night give each a level tablespoon of dry grain and all the Cream of Tartarwater he wants. Leave water cups in coops for 3 days starting now. On the morning of the third day his work commences. By all means handle the birds gently, slowly and gently, set him on the work board (which should be at least 5 feet long and well padded) and pet him and rub him slowly. Push him around a little. When you are sure he isn't afraid, put your thumbs over his back and your fingers around his wings and under his breast, (head turned away from you). Raise him about a foot off the board and with a slight tossing motion tilt him back and release him at the same time. Don't be rough or quick, and don't tilt him too far back. It isn't necessary for his feet to go back of his head. This is called flying or flirting a cock. Ten flies morning and night the first day (3rd day of keep), twenty the next day, thirty the next day, etc, until each bird is getting 80 flies morning and night on the 10th day. Drop to 50 flies morning and night on the 11th day, 25 on the 12th day, nothing but rest in a darkened coop on the 13th day, and fight him the 14th day.
Work your birds slowly and gently at first, speeding up a little when he hardens up and his wind improves. Have two scratch pens about 4'x4'. After the bird has had his work drop him in the scratch pen and let him dig to cool off. He will stiffen up if you put in his feeding coop while heated up, especially in cold weather. After three or four days he should make the straw fly in the scratch pen immediately. If he doesn't he isn't feeling as he should. You are probably feeding too much and he isn't as hungry as he should be. After all have been worked, wait 10 minutes, then feed (directions for preparing feed below). The amount of feed to give varies with the bird. An ounce of grain morning and night should properly nourish and at the same time permit an average cock to gradually reduce. Judgment must be used in feeding, some birds require more than above, a few less. You want him to eat up eagerly and quickly what is put before him and at the same time slowly reduce his weight. Weigh the birds each morning when empty. If feed is still in his crop throw him out; he isn't right.
Spar your birds with muffs on the 4th day, and the 9th day in the morning before being fed. Cut their morning's work in half on sparing days. Pit the birds 3 feet apart and let them have not more than 4 buckles. Sparring teaches them to score fast, and that it is about all that can be said for it. Wash their head, feet and shanks every other day with a weak alcohol solution. Dry thoroughly before putting back in coop. Change straw in coops every third day. A little half vinegar (1/2), half water (1/2), sprinkled in the coops every 3rd day will sweeten them. For lice use a solution of two thirds (2/3) sweet oil, one third (1/3) oil of sassafras. Use sparingly, a little under vent, under each thigh and wing and on back of head.
FEED
Take two quarts of corn at least a year old, flint corn preferred. Crack it yourself in the family coffee grinder, or a grinder made for the purpose. Sift it in the open air while a breeze is blowing to get rid of the chaff. Add to the corn two quarts of hulled oats. Add one quart of hard spring wheat. Mix thoroughly and keep covered to keep out rats and mice. To one quart of this grain mixture add a fresh egg, smash it up shell and all and stir thoroughly, then feed. Feed this grain mixture all through the feed until the last 3 days, then leave out the egg and give each cock a teaspoon more than usual of the grain in the morning. At night these last three days, give no grain at all; instead give each cock three raw oysters cut up. If oysters are small give each cock six. On the 5th day in place of grain in the morning give each cock a tablespoon of well boiled rice with a teaspoonful of peanuts. Every third day give each cock a few bites of raw apple after the evening meal. Three or four times during the keep, let each cock have not over two pieces of grit.
DRINK
After the birds have all been worked and fed each should have a drink. Before the keep begins, mix a heaping tablespoonful of powdered Cream of Tartar to a quart of water. Make a gallon or two of this solution and keep it in a cool place. See that the Cream of Tartar is all dissolved. For the first 3 days (counting from the time the work starts) leave water cups on the coops. After that time never leave cups on coops. After feeding, water him and remove the cups. The Cream of Tartar cools the blood, allays fever and is a general tonic. After the three days you will notice they will not care for much water. On the 11th day, cut water to 4 dips morning and night, 12th day 3 dips morning and night, 13th day 2 dips morning and night, 14th day no water at all. If the bird is to be fought in afternoon or evening give a small feed of grain in morning. If he is to be traveled give no feed in morning unless he is to reach the battle ground at least 2 or 3 hours before fighting. When a cock is traveled, food lays in his crop and won't start to digest until he stops. You want him empty when he fights. A couple of picks at an apple just before going to the pit will help.
If you have good birds, have used good judgment you will win - not all - but a majority of your battles.
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