http://www.bantychicken.com/cgi-bin/OEGBCA/index.cgi?action=viewnews&id=12 Here's another article on dubbing. You can search for this subject, there have been a lot of threads on dubbing. I suggest knowing your laws too, some places don't allow dubbing but i only know of one place and that is in California.
Now, dubbing isn't exactly part of the old english bantam heritage in my opinion. But more of a thing that was brought over because they LOOKED like a game but are actually just barnyard mutts brought over here and crossed with other breeds (Dutch, Rosecomb, Sebright in the laced varieties.).
But yes, dubbing links back to the gamefowl heritage which came from cockfighting. Now though it's for showing of some breeds and is also used for medical purposes, IE frostbite which is really painful, can kill a bird, and have even heard can cause infertility. Also for some breeds where the comb gets so big it will throw them off balance (imagine what that can lead to), and probably more things i have yet to discover.
Just because you don't believe in dubbing doesn't mean you should call it barbaric, with some research I'm sure you'd probably come around to it if you talked to someone who was really knowledgeable about it.
PS. Good luck with your OEGB's Blackbird!
you should come on over to the OEGBCA forum sometime if you haven't been there already.
