CONDITIONING THE GAMECOCK FOR BATTLE

By Narragansett 1985
1st section
Feeding
The matter of the ingredients contained in the keep feed has long been
considered the great secret in preparing cocks for battle. I disagree. My own
experience indicates that the basic feed which a cock recieves in the three or
four weeks prior to battle should vary but little from the feed to which he has
been accustomed throughout his lifetime. Any wide departure from his
normal diet cannot materially increase his strength, and in all probability will
upset his digestive apparatus to the point where he will have les strength
than he possessed prior to the introduction of the new feeds.
Consider this practical example: the Olympic games bring together the
finest conditioned atheletes in the world. The Americans have their diet, the
Russians have theirs, the Africans have theirs, the Japanese have still
another. Yet they all win. However, everyone will agree that if in the last few
weeks before the competition any of them had changed his diet to the one
used by the champion from another continent, all he would have got out of it
would have been a stomach ache and defeat. The same applies to keep
feeds for roosters. Stick to the diet to which they are accustomed.
My basic feed consists of:

40% soaked race horse oats. Soaked in wooden barrels or plastic Ash
cans out in the sun for three or four days so they begin to sour

20% whole corn

10% dry race horse oats

7 1/2 % wheat

7 1/2 % Milo

5% sunflower seed

10% laying pellets

I mix up the dry feed and store in a barrel, then mix in the soaked oats
just before feeding. This mixture is put together by using a good sized pan
for measuring and dumping the grain in a big pail where it is mixed, then

dump the pail full into a 55 gallon oil drum where it is mixed some more. The
chickens get this feed from 12 weeks on as long as they live. That way they
become accustomed to eating whole corn which is the best way to feed this
grain. In cold weather the proportion of whole corn is increased up to 40% of
the total and the soaked oats reduced. In the keep feed I cut way down on
the soaked oats but don,t eliminate them entirely. It is interesting to observe
the reaction of the fowl to this grain mixture. In hot weather the whole corn
is the last thing they eat, whereas in cold weather they gobble up every
kernel of whole corn before they touch any of the other grains. I am a great
respecter of nature, and endeavor to go along with it just as far as I possibly
can in everything pertaining to the feeding and care of the fowl. You will
notice that this basic feed which I use is heavy in sour and whole oats. This
makes for prolonged slow growth and late maturity. Both features are
desirable in growing young stock. Flesh and fat can be acquired in a
relatively short period of time, but strong bone development and strong
ligaments and sinews require time. You cannot hurry them. The longer you
can keep young stock growing, the tougher and stronger their bone and
sinew structure will be at maturity. It is far better to have stags strong and
husky in April than it is to have them fully matured in September.
"Fresh green grass is No.1 feed in the world for chickens, especially from 8
weeks old until cooped, and all during the precondition and the Keep. The
soaked sour oats described previously are next best. The more sour the
better. Be sure to feed them from 12 weeks old, and forever after."
There are certain things in the conditioning feed line which you can do to
advantage:
1. If your usual feed is of poor quality, mix up the same ingredients from
good quality grains.
2. Blow out the dust and chaf by winnowing it in the open air. There's
nothing beneficial about dirt and husks. But don't put in alot of new
grains.
3. There are certain things which increase the appetite and aid the
digestion. Anything which does this in a noraml natural way is good.
But don't go to extremes. Strychnine will develop a voracious appetite,
but it also stimulates other activities to the point where it does more
harm than good. I've tried it but abandoned the practice. Certain socalled conditioning powders are designed to increase the appetite and
are okay. For years I"ve used what the boys call my "Black Magic" for
such purposes. It's easy to put together and cheap. The recipe appears
at the end of this section.

4. There are certain other additives that help, but use all of them
sparingly.
a. a Little wheat germ oil mixed in the grain stimulates the sex
impulses which is good. Use once a day for the last week or
ten days.
b. Do the same with cod liver oil at the other daily feeding. Just a
little. When using these ingredients feed in cups, not on the
ground where the moist grain picks up dirt and filth.
c. Raw eggs are good. They're a natural food. Mix up one in your
grain to every four or five cocks once a day or even twice a
day. The last three days use the white only of a hard boiled egg
to every three cocks. Add it to your grain feed.
d. Some people add a little concentrated Beef Extract as put out
by Wilson and Company a few times during the keep. This is
okay but I never saw that it did much good.
e. A noon feed of chopped apple, chopped onion, chopped lettuce
is good. Not much. Just a little. Occasionally add a little
chopped up cooked lean beef. Feed all of this in a cup. Not too
much. If they don't eat it all in ten minutes, take it away and
throw it out.
f. Many good feeders use buttermilk on all their feeds. You might
try it. If they like it, it means their systems require this
ingredient, if they don't forget it and give them their regular
feed.
g. A little calf-manna mixed in your grain feed is good. About a
teaspoon full to the cock once a day. You can get it at any grain
or feed store. I consider it okay. Mix in a little layer pellets if
the fowl like them.
h. The last three days, keep cocks in cock house and feed mostly
corn and hard boiled white of eggs. But just add more corn to
your regular grain feed, don't feed corn exclusively. And by all
means during this time feed less rather than more. Not more
than two-thirds of what you have been feeding. You want your
cocks hungry when they enter the pit.
There are countless drugs, steroids and other stuff which feeders try to
increase the strength or desire or speed or something. I've tried all the ones I
ever heard of but abandoned them all. Many people feel they are not really

"conditioning" a bird unless they feed something extra. If you are one of
them, here are a few thins you can do which probably will do no harm:
a. Add some bean sprouts chopped up fresh from the chinese
restaurant to the noon vegetable feeding. Some cocks will not
eat them, but if they do it is good for them.
b. Add a little brown sugar, or still better, some honey to their feed
the last week. Both are strengthening and produce energy.
c. Some people feel they must add bone meal and fish meal to their
feed the first ten days. This is okay, if fresh but if sour or rancid
they could throw the cocks off their feed.
d. Others think the cocks should drink toast water or barley water
instead of plain fresh water.
I don't have time to bother with any of these things, but if you wish to
do so , go ahead. I doubt if they do much good, but they will do no harm.
Sometimes I add some concentrated gelatin, sugar and milk prepared in a
double boiler and then cooled in a pan until it solidifies. Cut up little cubes
about 3/4 inches and add to feed. This puts on weight like everything. Adds
energy. Use only the last four or five days, especially in cold weather. Some
people swear by it. " The formula--2 ounces knox gelatin, four ounces sugar,
2 cups milk."
Of far greater importance than what you feed is how much you feed.
As one old master said, "The feed cup is the key to the keep." Cocks must
be kept hungry, active, alert, and scratching throughout the keep. At every
feed they should be "hitting the bottom of the cup" and making it rattle on
their cock stalls. If they don't clean up every grain in five minutes and start
looking for more, your feeding too much. If any individual cock leaves
anything in his cup by the end of this time, take away his cup and feed less
the next meal.
To feed accurately you need a feed cup which has a flat top so that
you know exactly how much you are feeding. A whiskey higger is okay or
one those little plastic measures which come in coffee cans. The important
thing is for you to know exactly how much you are feeding. Every one-fourth
ounce makes a difference. Measuring by a spoon or a handful is no good.
Not accurate enough. Find out exactly how much your measure holds by
weighing its contents of your dry grain mix on the scales and then feed a
little or a little less than a cupful. Usually about 1 1/8th or 1 1/4th ounces is
a normal feed twice a day. But the important thing is for you to know how
much you are feeding and not be guessing at it. After that, note how each
individual cock responds to his feed, as indicated by his appetite and his

weight, and measure his feed accordingly. But ever and always have him
"hitting the bottom of the cup" and looking for more. It is far better to feed
too little than too much. You wont increase his strength by feeding more
than he can digest quickly. You'll only make him sluggish and upset.
Keeping in mind that the purpose of any keep is to have a cock (1)
fresh (2) alert (3) active (4) confident and (5) happy. If anything in this keep
or any other one interferes with those objectives, abandon the practices or
the feed which you think is causing the trouble and do something else. No
set schedule or formula will cover all conditions of weather, state of health
and flesh, temperament of cocks, etc. You must appraise all these things as
you go along by observing the cocks and noting their responses to what you
are feeding or what you are doing to them. I'm a great believer in changing
the cock's location frequently during the keep. Coops on green grass one
day, fly-pen another, regular small pen with dirt or sand bottom the next,
etc. Such changes keep them fresh and eager. Whenever the weather is
favorable, I like to keep them outdoors during the daytime.
I'm not afraid of getting them "loose" on fresh grass provided they
have been on grass prior to entering the keep. It keeps them fresh. You
wouldn't like to be shut up in a close, hot stall and neither do they. It's the
same on cold or windy or rainy days. Put them were they'll be most
comfortable. Don't be a slave to a schedule. Keep water in front of them all
the time until the last 24 or 48 hours before fight time, then give them less
depending upon the weather. I do like to keep them quiet and resting the
last three days or 72 hours prior to their fight, but use judgement on this too
and by all means have them comfortable and happy.
What you feed, how much you feed , when and how you exercise the
cocks will vary somewhat with every bunch you put up. Just keep in mind
what you are trying to accomplish, as stated previously, by observing the
reaction of the fowl to what you are feeding and doing, and dont be a robot
to
this
or
any
other
system.
During the entire keep, notice the droppings every day. They should be firm
but soft. Not hard and dried up, but not watery either. If they are either, try
to determine the cause and correct it. They are a sure sign of a cock's
condition and his ability to assimilate his food. He will not prosper if his
droppings are not right. Sometimes it is the feed that is the trouble. Other
times
it
is
caused
by
nervousness
or
environment.
Whatever the cause, try to eliminate it. No matter what feed or other
procedure you are following, your fowl will be going down hill instead of
improving if his droppings are off.
One good conditioner i knew was called a "bowel man." He placed
more stress on a fowl's droppings then upon any other indication of a bird's
health. So pay attention to them. They are important. Toward the end of the

keep the droppings should firm up somewhat due to the character of the
feed and less water. Regulate both to achieve the result. You will have to
work that out for yourself. No formula can anticipate all the conditions,
which you will encounter during the keep.
The use of scales during the keep is important. Weigh each morning
before the cock has been fed and when he has been without water all night.
By weighing at that time you get a more accurate and uniform weighing.
Record such weight day by day on a chart right to the quarter ounce
so you can determine whether a cock is gaining or losing weight which is a
excellent indication of his health, and whether or not he is prospering on the
quality and quantity of feed he is receiving. A cock should be at about his
proper fighting weight when he enters the keep following a week or two of
the preconditioning process.
During the two week "keep" period I like to drop him off an ounce or
two through the quality and quantity of feed during the early part of the
keep, and then bring him up toward the end of the keep so that he weighs
as much as when he entered the keep or an ounce or two more. Make such
increases and decreases in weight gradually. Don't go to excesses in
achieving such results.
I he does not change, don't fret about it. Such uniformity in weight
indicates that a cock is jus about right in weight, and you should not
attempt
to
change
it.
By all means concentrate on having a cock "coming up" in weight, health,
spirit and freshness as the day of battle approaches. Note especially Spirit
and Freshness. If the cock does not have those qualities the minute he
enters the pit, and has become stale or "gone by" as some men express it,
he is an almost certain loser no matter how much you have done for him
during the preceding four weeks. Many good cockers make their selections
on the day of the fight based largely on a cock's freshness and eagerness on
fight day regardless of how he has shown in his previous sparring sessions.
I am a great believer in freshness and in having lots of moisture in a
cocks tissues when fought. One excellent cocker I know who has a splendid
record for setting down cutting cocks attributes much of his success to
having cocks with a lot of moisture in their muscles. He actually forces in the
moisture by feeding a lot of oatmeal soaked in buttermilk, and a lot od stale
bread soaked in water. Personally, I think he overdoes this feature of
feeding, but you can't argue with success. My own fowl have a splendid
reputation for cutting, and I always have plenty of moisture in their systems.
Certain it is that a cock will hit short and not "reach out" with his blows.

The matter of a cock's proper fighting weight is a topic of dispute

among even the best conditioners. Some men like for a cock to carry two,
four, or even six ounces more flesh than other equally good conditioners.
Both win and apparently show equally strong and durable fowl. Some
families, and especially round-headed fowl, seem to require more meat on
them than others. You don't want any gut fat in them. That's sure. But other
than that you'll have to come to your own decision as to your fowl's proper
fighting weight based upon your experience and observations. In any event,
approach this problem with an open mind and don't be a slave to the scales
or preconceived ideas. Base your judgment on what you observe with your
own fowl.
Timing. Probably the most important feature of the feeding, as well
as all other procedures in the conditioning program, is that of timing, or of
having the fowl at their peak at the hour of battle. It is no good to have
them "ready" or at their peak, two days or even two hours prior to battle.
They must "peak" at the hour they enter the pit. Many features contribute to
this condition, but from a feeding standpoint the important part is to have
them "comin up" just prior to battle, and fresh.
To accomplish this you must feed less (mostly cracked corn), excercise
less, and rest more-- complete rest the last 72 hours prior to battle. Not over
one-half the feed the evening before fight day unless fought at night and
then only one-half white of hard boiled egg. Through this procedure, cocks
will come up in weight, even on less feed, and be hungry and " a walkin' and
talkin' in your hands" as they enter the pit.
Some conditioners endeavor to control this timing, or peaking,
through the use of various drugs. I find that the best overall, and the most
consistent, results are obtained by following the procedure outlined here.
Black Magic

4oz. powdered charcoal

2oz. ground mustard
2oz. ground ginger
2 oz. red pepper
2 oz. cinnamon
1/2 oz. carbonate of iron (if obtainable)

Sprinkle liberally on moist feed like salt. "This is an appetite stimulator

only. Use all during the keep."
Selection. The matter of selection of the fowl to be shown at a specific
time is of the utmost importance to the cocker who wants to win. You have

up a show of 12 birds from which you must show eight. Which ones should
you use? In this respect, I always think of the advice given me by Elmer
Ehrhart of York, Pennsylvania, over thirty years ago. He said : "Take only your
Aces to the pit. Leave the Kings and Queens at home." Again: "Play no
favorites, select your show from the ones which are "ready" today." On the
negative side I often think of the advice given me by my father who said;
"Many an attorney accepts a case which at first he thinks has no chance of
success. But the more he works on the case he becomes convinced he has a
chance, then when the verdict goes against him he is sunk." It is the same
way with cocking. We put a second rate bird in the keep, but he improves
and we "talk ourselves" into believing that he can win. But he doesn't.
So beware of "talking yourself" into a win. Rather follow the advice of
old Elmer: "Take only the Aces to the pit." The Kings and Queens, well, use
them for hacking or leave them at home. The chances are that they will meet
someone else's Ace and you will have a zero on the scoreboard.

SECTION 2
Taming. Taming a cock is a feature in the conditioning process most
keeps omit entirely. Personally, I consider it of the utmost importance. Just as
important as the feed and exercise parts. Probably more important, by
means of feed and bench work you can't improve a cock's physical strength
a great deal, but by proper taming you can improve his readiness for battle
1,000 percent. Look at it this way: You bring a cock which has been
accustomed to quiet surroundings and familiar people into a strange place,
slap a set of heels on him, then take him to a brilliantly lighted arena with a
different sort of pit surface, and a mob of strangers raising a racket like a
boiler factory and expect him to ignore all these strange sights and sounds
and turn in a superb exhibition of fighting. Under similar circumstances great
opera singers have been known to become distraught and they could not
utter a sound. Gamecocks react the same way. Especially the high-strung
ones which have been all keyed up anyway. I've see high-class cocks so
confused by all the noise, lights, and commotion that they would not even
leave their scores, and were killed before they lifted a foot. Cocks can
become accustomed to airplanes passing overhead or a barking dog racing
along the fence, but it takes some time and it's up to you to get them
aquainted with such surroundings.
Here's how:
Start in early when you first select your show four weeks before fight
day, and as you pass his coop, drop in a little piece of white bread about the
size of a dime. In a few days he will be looking for the bread and learn that

when you stop by his coop that you are not going to harm him but rather
that you have something for him which he likes. Pretty soon most of them
will take bread from your fingers. Fine. You have made a good start. If he
doesn't , don't insist, but drop the bread gently before him and move on. He
will tame down in time.
When you have to catch the cock to move him from one place to
another do so very gently. Take your time. Avoid getting him excited or
making him wild. If he goes to ramming or flying around, leave him alone for
a while and let him settle down. Then, when you get him in hand, pet him
and rub him slowly and gently for a minute or so before placing him in his
new quarters. When you do set him down, do it slowly and gently. Don't
heave him into his new coop. Let him know that you are not going to hurt
him, that he can have confidence in you. Offer him a bite of apple while you
have him in hand, if he accepts it, so much the better.
Now when you first bring a stag into the conditioning house, that is a
particularly critical time. Everything there is new to him. Take it slow and
easy always have some pieces of bread or chopped apple on the work bench
for him. Place him gently on the work bench, let him look around and get
acquainted with the place for 20- 25 seconds, keeping your hands on him
gently all the time. Then, when he gets ready to walk around, as he will in a
few seconds, walk around with him very slowly and gently.
He may even eat some of the "goodies" you have placed there for him.
But keep your hands on him gently all the time, and make no quick or fast
moves. After a minute or so, lift him gently off the board, rub him for a few
seconds, and then carefully ease him into his cock stall, releasing him slowly,
and quietly close the door.
I've gone into this with much detail which sounds like kindergarten
stuff, yet I know countless men who have been conditioning roosters for 60
years who to this moment have their twice a day "go-around" with the cocks
in their care. They never fail to remark when they visit me how tame my
birds are and what a tussle they have with theirs. My birds aren't tame. By
nature they are not as tame as theirs are since mine are more high strung.
It's all a matter of how you handle them, and particular, how you start in.
The first few times you take a cock out of a conditioning stall is another
critical time. Do this very quietly and very gently. By all means avoid getting
him "het up" and flouncing around in there. Better to leave him in there than
to get him all excited and fighting you. Sometimes you can divert his
attention with feed in his cup so that you can get your hands on him gently
without raising a fuss. Once in hand remove him slowly from the cock stall,
pet him for a few seconds, then put him on the work bench where the
"goodies" are, and walk him around for a while as you did the first time.

Don't attempt to "work" him those first few trips. Rather, concentrate
on having him acquainted with the place and liking it there. Another dandy
tidbit to put on the work bench for taming a cock are little pieces of unsalted
butter about the size of a pea. They love it; dance and jump around calling
the hens and forget all about you and being afraid. While he is in that mood,
take your hands off him and back away a step or two so that he owns the
work bench himself. It's his now. Then slowly approach him with your hands
down rather than extended as if to catch him and when you get alongside
him, slowly and gently put your hands back on him, move him around a little,
pick him up, pet him a few times, and carefully return to his stall.
All this seems like an awful lot of detail and actually takes longer to
read than to do it, but if done right the first few times it pays big dividends,
and saves a tremendous amount of time for all the remainder of the keep, to
say nothing of avoiding countless scratches and bruises to yourself. In a
couple of days you should be able to open the cock stall door and have the
cock come out to you by himself, fly to the work bench, crow and strut
around without your laying a hand on him. That's when you'll be glad you
spent all that care with him at the beginning. Now you can work him with
pleasure instead of engaging in a "free for all" twice a day. That same
relationship carries over when you move him from pen to pen. He will be
right at the door waiting for you to pick him up and carry him to new
quarters. He always enjoys changes.
After a few days of this and the cock is thoroughly at home in the cock
house and thinks the place is his, it's time to introduce him to noise and
confusion. The best thing I know for this is a portable radio. Turn it to some
station which carries on a continuous program of news, music and weather,
turn it up full blast and let him listen to Rock 'n Roll, tom toms and all the rest
of the noises including human shouting until he becomes as sick and
accustomed to it as you are. Sports events are especially good with all the
shouting.
Also make plenty of noise while you are in the cockhouse. Drop pans or
buckets on the floor. Get him use to them and teach him they will not harm
him. Let people come to the cock house and blab away while you're working
the birds. Let him get use to them. He will encounter plenty of noise and
confusion at the pit, so let him get use to them ahead of time. If a cock will
be fought under electric lights, by all means work him on the training table
under electric lights so that he will become accustomed to them. Likewise, if
he is to fight at night, spar him at night and have the pit floor as nearly as
possible like the pit floor where he will fight. Bring the radio to the sparring
pit and have it blaring away as loud as you can while the sparring is going
on.

I have a couple of little 3x2x2 portable, collapsible scratch pens which I

take with me on multi-day meets. These are setup with some shucks or straw
for litter in or about the cock house. After the cock has been worked I placed
him in there for three minutes while I work the next cock. Throw a few grains
of feed in there and he makes the straw fly. Placing him in there and taking
him out also adds to the taming. Do it slowly, and gently so as to build up
confidence between you and him. Many times I've carried the birds on a long
night haul, and when they arrived at their destination were a bit squeamish
with the new quarters. But, five minutes in the familiar scratch coops and
everything was alright again. They owned the place. That's the attitude you
want to develop. All these little things help to obtain it.
When heeling the cocks I greatly prefer to do the holding and to let
someone else tie on the heels. I can tell the fellow how I want the heels put
on and watch him while he does it, but I can't tell the cock that the fellow
who is holding him in the most uncomfortable position possible, which is
what most of them do, is a friend of mine and relax. The cock does not
understand this. So I'll do the holding myself. The cock is used to me and my
hands, so he is relaxed and comfortable and everything is fine. It's the same
way with handling. By no stretch of the imagination am I an expert handler,
but the cock knows me and is used to my way of handling him.
Accordingly, he is more relaxed with me amid all the noise and
confusion than he would be in the hands of a stranger. If you or the man who
put up the birds are not going to handle, at least have whoever has done the
conditioning bring him into the pit, weigh him, walk him around while he
becomes accustomed to the surroundings and then pass him to the handler
just before the start of the battle.
So that is about all I can think to tell about taming a cock. Remember
always that a cock cannot produce more than a fraction of his potential
ability in the pit if the strange sights, sounds and surroundings distract him.
It is your duty as a conditioner to acquaint him with those conditions ahead
of time.
Don't condemn him as a dunce because he just stands there and gets
killed in his bewilderment. Call yourself a dunce for not acquainting with such
conditions in advance. That's what I've called myself, and worse names,
many times.
Working or Exercising. I was brought up on the "100 runs 100 flies"
practice of working a cock in order to strengthen his muscles, improve his
wind, enable him to fight longer, and make him harder to kill. Such exercises
may improve all of those desirable traits to a limited extent, but of one thing
I am certain; they surely take the cut out of him! And I would rather have
cutting ability than all those others combined. I don't care how tough and

strong a cock is, he can't take many shots to the lungs or underneath the
wings, and keep going. And that's were a real cutting cock is going to pop
him.
Accordingly, long ago I abandoned the old heavy bench work
practices, and concentrated on keeping a cock fresh, loose, alert,
and confident wherever he is, especially in the pit which I want him
to consider his own domain. That is the principal or basis of this
keep. So have it constantly in mind. It all is designed to promote
cutting and confidence.
It is my conviction that 90% of a cock's strength, power and
endurance comes from his inheritance in the brood yard and from
his 365 day feed and care. That leaves only 10% possible
improvement for the conditioner to work on with his special feed,
exercise and stimulants to bring a cock up to 100% potential. And
while the upward limit is 10%, the downward limit is much greater,
and I feel certain that many conditioning methods are more likely to
decrease a healthy cock's chances than they are to improve them.
Likewise it is my belief that a cock hits as much with his heart as he
does with his feet and legs. Accordingly, everything you can do to
encourage him to put all of his heart into his punches is of more
importance than any small increase in physical strength which you
can give him. As regards the latter, my experience has been that the
exercise program forth here develops just as much strength and
endurance as any other, and promotes infinitely more cut and
desire. With this statement of objectives set forth, let's get going to
the practices.
You will need certain facilities and equipment. Hopefully you
already have most of them and can build the others at small
expense.
1. A cock house. I like to use peat moss in the stalls. It's sort of dusty, but
the cocks wont eat it, it's soft on their feet and bodies, they soon find
that there's nothing to eat in there, and consequently remain quiet and
are not scratching around all day, and it's very absorbent of moisture.
This latter is important, especially where you are shifting cocks from
the outside to the inside frequently. Nothing is so dangerous for
developing rattles as moisture in the cock house, and peat moss helps
to protect against the hazard.
2. Fly pens. As many as the number of cocks you plan to put up at one
time. "Here is where 90% of your work is done. Just don't overdo it like
so many cockers do. Two days at a time for a total of 12 days over a
period of three weeks should be enough. Little or non the last week."

They should be about ten feet high, four feet wide, and fifteen feet
deep. I like to have six inches or more of washed gravel for the floor or
bottom. Dirt is too dusty and I don't like boards or concrete. The fly
pens should be covered, if outside, with only the front open. For litter
use corn shucks if you can get them. If not, use clean bright straw or
hay. If you use straw or hay, put in fresh litter every keep or so. Cocks
like to scratch in clean bright stuff. Don't put the litter in too deep. You
don't want to stiffen the fowl by too strenuous scratching. There
probably is more or less feed in straw or hay.
Watch out for this or the cocks might get a lot more feed when they
first go in there than you want them to have. Sometimes I put a couple
of hens in each pen for a day or so ahead of time to clean out the grain
in the litter. If you can get alfalfa hay, that's fine. Throw in a small
chunk of it from time to time. Not every day. The cocks will tear it up in
great shape and probably eat some of it which is good for them. For
roosts I like swinging perches alternating front and back. The cocks can
see each other that way and do alot more flying up and down, which is
what you want them to do. Keep the front covered high enough up so
that the cocks can't see outside when on the floor. Have a few hens
running loose outside. The cocks want to "watch the girls go by," but
don't let them "stand on the corner" to do it. Make them fly up to their
perches to enjoy the sights.
3. Regular
outside
coops
4x4x7
or
some
such
dimension.
Smaller is just as good. No doubt you already have them. Put a few
inches of washed gravel in there. No litter. You don't want the cocks to
be scratching while in them. We will call these sand coops for
identification.
4. The same type coops set outside on the grass, when there is grass. We
will call them grass coops. I prefer to use coops on grass instead of tie
cords.
5. Two or three small 2x2x3 coops set inside or near the cock house with
a small quantity of shucks or other litter in them. These are cooling off
pens. Place a cock in there for two or three minutes after you have
worked him so he can scratch around while you are working the next
bird. Then, return to his cock house stall for feeding.
Now that you have the equipment all set, let's get on with it's use. The
fly pens provide most of the cock's work. It is natural voluntary exercise
which will not stiffen the muscles if not overdone. Start in four weeks prior to
fight date. Do not feed the cock in the evening prior to placing him in the fly
pen.

Instead, give him a worm pill while he is empty, and a good delousing.
Then, place him in the fly pen for the night. It is a good thing to remove him
from his regular coop at night in order not to excite him by catching him in
the daytime. The following day don't feed him anything either morning or
night. Instead, mix up a drink of black- strap molasses and water, about a
half-cup full to a gallon. This black-strap molasses water acts as a tonic and a
laxative. I prefer it to bread and sweet milk for such purposes, but if you
can't get blackstrap molasses, give the cock a good big feed of bread and
sweet milk that first morning he is in the fly pen but nothing at night. By the
next morning he should be plenty empty and hungry. Start in then with your
regular feeding program as described in the first section. Dont doctor up
your feed at all with any raw eggs or fancy stuff. Just dry grain scattered in
the litter. Clean water before him all the time. Also grit and oyster shell.
The secret to using fly pens successfully is to keep the cock active,
scratching and flying while he is in there. In order to accomplish this is don't
leave him there for too long a stretch at a time. Break it up by removing him
to the grass pen or the sand pen about every third day. Likewise, don't
overfeed. Hence the feed measuring cup so you will know how much feed he
is getting. Keep him hungry and scratching. I like to have the cock in the fly
pen about two-thirds of the time for the first two weeks, and on grass (if
there is any) the other third. If no grass, then in the sand pens.
But don't be a slave to any rigid schedule. If a nice warm day comes
along after a cold stretch of weather put him outside even if he was just
outside the previous day. The sun will do more for him than the scratching.
On the other hand, if on the day he is scheduled to go outside it is raining or
snowing or blowing hard, don't put him out were he will be uncomfortable
and miserable. Leave him were he is or take him into the cock house and let
him rest. Anything for a change. I don't like to leave a cock in the fly pens for
more than three days at a stretch. It works him too hard and makes him
logey. If there is not grass give him some chopped apple, onion and lettuce in
a cup every day or so. Even daily if you wish. Feed it at noon if it's
convenient. If not, just before feeding is perfectly o.k. The whole point is that
you want to keep him fresh, alert, loose, and happy at all times. That comes
first. The schedule is secondary. Change it as necessary to accomplish the
main objective.
Weigh the bird each time you take him out of the fly pen, note his state
of flesh, make record of it on a chart, and feed accordingly. During these first
two weeks it would be fine to give him the white of a hard boiled egg
occasionally, about one to every three cocks. It wont put on any weight and
he loves it. Anything to keep him happy. Also, don't forget to begin the
taming routine by giving him little pieces of bread once or twice a day. By the
end of two weeks he should be quite tame and friendly, which is important.
That pretty well takes care of the first two weeks or so. "Be sure to change

location of cocks every couple of days all during the pre-condition and the
keep."
About two weeks prior to fight time bring the cock into the cock house,
exercising all the care and gentleness described previously. It doesn't have to
be exactly fourteen days. If there has been a long spell of foul weather and
the 14th day is bright and fine, leave him out in the grass or sand pen for
another day or two. There's no hard and fast schedule to be followed in the
cock house. One thing to be avoided is to bring him in when he is wet. Don't
do that ever. If he should get wet when outside at any time, put him in the fly
pen to dry out over night and feed him in a cup out there. A wet cock in a
condition coop stall is a dandy way to bring on rattles.
Up until 72 hours before fight time I like to feed in the cock house both
morning and night, have him roost there, but spend the day outside
whenever possible. Most of such outside time will be spent in the sand
coops. I don't mind his being on grass if he's used to it. Alternate between
the two during all that time. If the weather is bad you might give him a day
in the fly pen but no more than one day at a time and only then to break up
the monotony of the other quarters. I prefer not to use the fly pens at all the
last two weeks, and never the last week. Feed in cups to discourage
scratching.
The bench or hand work in the cock house is light, simple and easy.
Principally it consists of taming and making friends with him. You are not
going to make his muscles any stronger or tougher than they are already by
your hand work in the last two weeks. Instead of working him to death in
there, concentrate on toning him up, building his ego and confidence in
himself and in you, getting him acquainted with you and his surroundings
and the many distractors he will encounter at the pit. Tone up his muscles
through proper food and rest. Probably rest, enforced rest, will do more
toward accomplishing that than anything else. Stimulate his desire through
certain things you add to his food. Keep him fresh, loose, alert, confident,
and happy.
When you first put him on the bench, take it slow and easy. Make the
work bench a pleasant place for him to be. A play pen rather than a torture
chamber. Walk him around and back and forth very slowly at first.
As he becomes accustomed to the exercise gradually speed it up and
increase the number of runs. He should be on his toes, tripping along like a
ballet dancer. If he enjoys this and keeps talking to you all the time, you can
run him at the peak of his work up to 40 or 50 times, counting over as one
and back as two, etc. But don't continue it beyond the point where he is
enjoying and enthusiastic about the work.

If he does not like to be run, as some cocks don't, and braces himself
against you stiff legged, don't run him at all. All you will accomplish is to
stiffen his leg muscles and that's bad. Do something else with him in the
exercise line which he enjoys. Maybe he enjoys being flown or flirted. All
right, do that. But for no longer liking it or enthusiastic about the game. Non
of this " work till he begins to breathe hard and his mouth is open." I don't go
for that at all. If he does not like being flown and tries to pop you the second
he lands, don't do that either. Most cocks like to be flown toward the work
bench. Step back a few feet and toss him toward it. When he lands he should
flap his wings, dance around and crow. Gradually increase the distance of the
flight. This is fun for him and very stimulating, so don't overdo it. Four or five
times at the most.
If he has already taken a goodly number of runs and flies, a couple is
enough. I usually end up this session on the bench with this exercise, then
weigh him and put him in a little scratch coop while I work the next bird.
After you have worked or played with the birds for a week and you are well
acquainted with each other, you might try placing him on his back on the
work bench were he will have to struggle to regain his feet. You hope he will
never get knocked into that position but he might, so he may as well get
some experience in regaining his feet. No cock enjoys this exercise, so don't
do
it
over
a
couple
a
times
at
a
session.
Some people like to "tail" a cock on the work bench. It is a spectacular
procedure, but I never saw the cock yet which did not hate it, which is reason
enough for me not to do it. Besides it is inclined to stiffen a cock's leg
muscles, which is equally bad.
Many people like to hold a cock by the thighs and make him flutter, or
balance him on their arm and make him do the same. The fowl hate this too,
and likewise, it is inclined to stiffen the leg muscles. So I don't do it.
Their leg muscles have already had enough exercise by the natural
scratching in the fly pens and flying up onto the swinging perches. Im More
interested in having the cock feel friendly and have confidence in me, and I
don't want to exercise him in any way which will decrease his cutting ability.
Another thing to avoid is having a wild or noisy bird in the cock house. One
such agitator in there is apt to make all the other birds wild and agitated,
which is the last thing in the world you want to occur. So throw him out. If
you are compelled to fight him, do so right out of the sand pen. You'll not be
able to do him any good in the cock house, and he will frustrate the other
birds.
The last three days or 72 hours before fight time, complete rest. This is
the time you want him to build up his energy for the big effort. Nothing will
accomplish this so well as rest. Complete enforced rest. Keep his exercise

and scratching down to a minimum, just enough to maintain his appetite and
to keep him from becoming bored and sluggish. A famous doctor once said
that people would be far healthier if they spent one full day every week in
bed. Rest. Complete bed rest. Probably he was right. But who would do all
the chores and pay the bills? Besides, look at all the fun you would be
missing. So his good idea never gained acceptance. But fighting cocks are
not under such compulsions. Observe what wild geese do on their long
thousand mile migratory flights. Do they go flying exercising their muscles in
preparation for such flights? No, they rest. Rest for days storing up energy for
the big effort. And they do the same between the thousand mile hops. Rest
and eat. That's all. I guess that's enough to give you the idea. During these
72 hours, feed less rather than more. The cock does not require so much
food while he is resting, and you don't want to get him sluggish from
overeating. Keep him a little bit on the hungry side during this time, and at
the hour of battle he should be real hungry. It wont weaken him, and he will
be sharp and eager. Just don't overdo it.
A few tips as to what to do and what to avoid may be helpful:
On a long haul, travel by night. The cocks rest better and it is cooler.
Tough on you but good for the cocks. A little discomfort or inconvenience to
you is worth it, especially since you've spent weeks, months and years
preparing
for
this
event.
Be careful of odors. Any kind of odors. A cock's respiratory organs are
extremely sensitive. If you want to paint or creosote your cock stalls or
carrying cases, do it months in advance so that all the smells have
disappeared. Be especially careful to avoid exhaust fumes from your
automobile. These can ruin everything in just a few minutes. Avoid
airconditioning units. These things affect adversely even human beings, and
fowl are far more sensitive than people. Watch out for heat at any time,
especially in the 72 hours. Heat weakens a cock tremendously. He can't
sweat and throw it off like you can. Do everything you can to avoid getting a
cock
hot,
particularly
the
24
hours
before
battle.
On fight day feed only one-third white of hard-boiled egg and a few sips of
water. If birds are to be fought in the afternoon, don't feed even the hard
egg. You want them empty and hungry when they enter the pit. For exercise,
just two or three short flies toward the work bench to keep their muscles
loose. The lack of feed will not weaken them. Weigh in at the very last
minute. Your birds may drop an ounce or two during the last few hours which
will enable you to meet a smaller bird on the match list. Do all your trming
out a few days prior to fight date. A couple a pecks at a cut orange or a sip of
water after heeling is o.k, but many times I don't even do that.
To repeat: remember always that the foundation of this keep freshness,
loose, relaxed muscles, alertness, eagerness, and confidence. Also
remember that there is no substitute for your own thinking. No keep

schedule can anticipate all the situations you will encounter. If you get into a
jam, you might consult some other exoerienced cocker. He possibly could
help you, but probably not, for he can not know all you have done or failed to
do. In all likelihood you,ll have to figure it out for yourself. If the situation is
real severe, which calls for drastic action, don't do it. Forget it, cuss me, and
try
again.
At
least
you'll
save
your
money.
I believe strngly that it is better to fight a cock when he is "ready" than when
he is "conditioned". If a cock is in robust health, full of fire, and rarin' to go,
that is the time to use him, even if he is a little heavy and has not been
handled much. All any keep can do for a bird is put him is put him in the
condition he is in right now. If you mess around with him for two or three
weeks he very likely will lose that edge and not be as good as he is today.
After all it is the cock himself who must do the fighting. All any keep can do is
to enable him to put forth the best effort of which he is capable.
I'll not tell you how good this keep is. That is for you to judge based upon
your own experience with it. I've used it for years with conspicuous success
in top company, and consistently set down outstanding cutting fowl. The
system
is
as
nearly
foolproof
as
any
I
know.
So keep your old think tank working all the time you are following this keep,
and
I
hope
you
knock'em
all
down!
Sincerely,
Narragansett
In the first printing of this booklet I goofed through not saying anything about
sparring. It is an important part of the conditioning process, and most
cockers do not make the most of it. I like to have fowl reasonably tame and
accustomed to being handled and aquainted with their surroundings before
sparring at all. It is unfair and likely to produce faulty judgement to spar a
bird when it is wild, nervous and distracted by all the new surroundings.
When you have the birds reasonably gentled down and aquainted with you,
proceed
as
follows:
1st sparring. Bill the birds until they are thoroughly mad at each other, and
drop them down real close together. Practically on top of one another. They
will go together like a shot. Snatch up as quickly as you can,point at each
other and drop down again, just as close as the first time. Snatch up
immediately. Do this four times. The entire session will not take over half a
minute. This teaches them to swing into action the second their feet touch
the pit floor. Pet and rub them gently and return to their quarters.
2nd sparring. Start out the same way. Only between rounds take a step
backward. This requires them to run a few steps before breaking. But keep
the rounds a continuous process. No wait or hesitation between rounds.

3rd sparring. The same as number two, only increase the distance between
the birds when setting down. They should cover the distance between them
like a flash before breaking into the air. If they don't, shorten the distance
and try again. No hesitation between pittings. On the third round of this
session let them go at each other for a while. This is when you can judge
their fighting style: whether they are low-headed, duckers, hit deliberately or
merely fan the air, look where they hit, wheel, all that sort of thing. This is
when you select your show. Give them a rest, then set down fairly close to
each other, snatch up as soon as they come together and return to fly pens
or scratch pens. Throw out the ones that do not make the team. This session
should
be
held
about
a
week
before
fight
day.
4th sparring. About 48 hours before fight day. This is just a tune-up session
to keep them on edge. Set down fairly close to each other and snatch up
immediately. Only two rounds. You don't want them to get stiff or sore.