# My neighbour’s flock is mostly cockerels!



## Biring (Sep 24, 2020)

I think he's breeding gamecocks for fighting.


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## Biring (Sep 24, 2020)

It makes sense from an economic perspective. He’s got a 1,000 bird broiler farm, plus another new 1,000 bird barn he hasn’t started using yet. So he doesn’t need chickens for meat, but fighting cocks can command premium prices.


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## Biring (Sep 24, 2020)

It also neatly explains why they’re so tolerant of our cockerel. He’s beaten all of theirs in their brief fights so they probably want some of his genes in their chicken gene pool.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

First, glad you stopped in. Having a new baby and a wife having just had surgery there was concern beginning to build. 

One time in the way back when, I set 17 or was it 19 eggs in the incubator. No it was 17. It was a 100% hatch. 

What popped out of those eggs were 15 little boys and two girls. Stuff happens.


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## Biring (Sep 24, 2020)

We’ve long suspected they’re breeding for gamecocks, but a look at their current flock confirms this. A week or two ago they had a lot more hens. The one that’s left is seriously Siamese in station.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Chances you're correct then. It's illegal here but they still have these underground fighting rings. 

I 100% oppose it. I hate horse racing, dog racing. Anything that causes the animals harm that is for the pleasure of selfish people.


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## Biring (Sep 24, 2020)

I’m not sure if it’s legal here or merely tolerated. It’s definitely illegal in the neighbouring province as it’s considered as gambling. There are guys here showing off videos of their cockerels fighting.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Sounds like they know penalties are probably not forthcoming if they're showing videos in public.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Biring said:


> It makes sense from an economic perspective. He's got a 1,000 bird broiler farm, plus another new 1,000 bird barn he hasn't started using yet. So he doesn't need chickens for meat, but fighting cocks can command premium prices.


That's what I was wondering, how profitable they are compared to the broiler operation. Is the guy friendly, maybe he knows some of the genetics of his birds? Or maybe he's just raising birds to fight. Be careful! Thanks for the pictures, they are very interesting. How big are those birds? That first pic sure looks like some form of OEG and Jungle Fowl cross. Second picture too.


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## Biring (Sep 24, 2020)

I’m pretty sure the cockerel in the first pic is a half-brother to my junglefowl-looking hens. I hope he breeds with my hens.

Our matriarch is currently brooding a clutch of eggs in his coop but I’m reasonably certain our cockerel is the father (although I did see the bird in pic 1 try to mate with our hen). It will be interesting to see what the chicks look like, and indeed how many of them hatch. We plan to limit our hens to a maximum of five eggs so it would wreck our plans if she turns up with 14 chicks! I had assumed they’d eat all her eggs, but clearly not. We’ll find out in a couple of weeks.


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## Biring (Sep 24, 2020)

Fighting cockerels sell for about 5-6 time the price of village chickens at about four months. Champions can sell for a lot more.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

After seeing the pics of a group like that I've started to realize how adapted they are for their surroundings. I certainly couldn't see many of our common birds surviving as well.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Biring said:


> Fighting cockerels sell for about 5-6 time the price of village chickens at about four months. Champions can sell for a lot more.


That is interesting.


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## Biring (Sep 24, 2020)

robin416 said:


> After seeing the pics of a group like that I've started to realize how adapted they are for their surroundings. I certainly couldn't see many of our common birds surviving as well.


I'm still keen to get a Hamburgh or two if I can find them here.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Here is a pic of the Hawaiian Gamefowl which went feral in Hawaii from early ships. I think they are protected now.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Biring said:


> I'm still keen to get a Hamburgh or two if I can find them here.


They would be a good breed, they seem to be very adaptable to their surroundings. I watched mine navigating the thick brush and I swear they traversed it easier than the Guineas.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Poultry Judge said:


> Here is a pic of the Hawaiian Gamefowl which went feral in Hawaii from early ships. I think they are protected now.
> 
> View attachment 37376


Lovely bird. He looks very much like the neighbor's that took up residence here. The biggest different is the curved beak.

I also hate when they're kept that way.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

robin416 said:


> Lovely bird. He looks very much like the neighbor's that took up residence here. The biggest different is the curved beak.
> 
> I also hate when they're kept that way.


Agreed, there is a guy who published a book about them in their natural habitat.


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