Poultry shows have always been a part of my
life. My grandmother first introduced me to the chicken world when I was just a
young boy. The little fellows I saw running around on my grandparent’s yard
were Golden Sebright Bantams.
The male bantams would sometimes engage in a
little combat. They would draw an imaginary line in the yard, collect a few
hens, and dare each other to cross the line. When another rooster moved into
their territory, the fight began. They would fly head at each other pecking,
hitting with the spurs on their feet and dodging. I always found their sparring
sessions to be funny and often wondered why they did that.
When a pair of roosters got out of hand, my
grandmother would catch the winner and put him in a pen to be later served as
the main dish in a pot of chicken and dumplings. While my grandmother was not
looking, I would slip that rooster out and pitch him in the other rooster’s
territory to watch them hit a few licks at each other.
Roosters are born with spurs that grow on the
sides of their legs, close to their feet. This is a natural weapon that can
cause damage when they are fighting. The spurs grow longer as the rooster ages.
A stag is a rooster less than 2 years old, while a rooster over 2 years old is
referred to as a cock.
Roosters are the gamest of all animals
because some have no quit to them and will actually fight to the death in order
to keep his family intact. Since roosters are born with the same instinct, they
will fight each other.
I began to see more and more gamecocks as I
grew up. Basil Cobb always had a few tied out back of his store in Arab.
Instead of a car, my grandfather drove a Super A Farmall tractor to town and
would often visit Basil’s store to purchase seed and other farm supplies. I
rode in the Ben Hur trailer my grandfather pulled behind his tractor when he
went to town. What a treat for me to see the gamecocks standing proud and
displaying their beautiful colors in all their elegant splendor. I thought
these are what I want, and I have got to get some.
At the age of 14 we moved to a farm south of
Arab that joined my grandparent’s property. I was only able to purchase my
first pair of gamecocks after cutting grass all summer. From that point
forward, I was only without gamecocks for 3 years after making a job relater
move to Texas. Upon my return to Arab, I visited a friend who raised game fowl
and he gave me a rooster and some hens.
I love breeding the game fowl and raising the
strong, streamlined beautiful creatures. The game fowl I have are different
from my grandmother’s Golden Seabright due to the fact that they are built for
fighting by nature. Extreme care and separate pens are required to own them.
You can’t have one getting out of a pen and fighting each other through their
cages.
As stags, they will get along until they
reach the age of around 9 months, or until a new rooster appears … or until it
rains. Wet feathers will cause the roosters to take on a new appearance and
even it’s own brothers will begin fighting it.
I have always owned game fowl and shown them
in many Alabama Game Breeder Association (ALGBA) poultry shows. The ALGBA’s
purpose is to protect and preserve the game fowl, which was almost America’s
national bird. The gamecock missed by one vote.
By joining the ALGBA I began showing my game
fowl in categories like best mated pairs or a single entry of the best
gamecock. Showing game fowl is very popular and bantam shows are similarly
judged. Rules apply and only the best of care and feed is required to ever win
a show.
My son, Shane, was raised around game fowl
most of his life and loves them as much as I do, They keep youngsters busy and
attending shows is a big thing for them. Shane won many entries and was around
some of the best game fowl people in the state. This makes him a 2nd
generation gamecock man. In addition to having a lot of fun, you get to share
your interest with a family of friends.
Gentry, my 5-year-old grandson, got to attend
his first show on May 24th at Poplar Hill Game Farm in Holly Pond,
AL. A friend of from Georgia had been reading my stories and comments on
Facebook and attended the show. He also brought Gentry a pair of Golden
Seabright bantams. Gentry was so excited that he wanted to enter them in the
show. I paid the entry fee and the Golden Seabrights were judged the best mated
pair of bantams. Gentry received his first trophy and certificate of
participation. Not only did he receive his first game fowl at about the age I
got started, but he also loves feeding and caring for them.
I guess I now have a 3rd
generation Show Fowl man, and it all started with a Sebright family of chickens
at my grandparent’s farm. Of all the trophies my family has ever received, I
think the one Gentry won was the tops on my list.
I want to thank Donnie Buchanan, President of
the ALGBA, for allowing youth to learn the proper way to show fowl. The ALGBA
does much more than anyone knows. This past year they sponsored Toys for Tots
and provided toys to children of families who would not have had a Christmas.
If you see one of their show advertised, make sure to stop in and visit the most
beautiful fowl in the world. The gamecock is the only fowl the HSUS (Humane
Society of the United States) wants to purposely put on the extinct list due to
their nature of wanting to fight each other. So help the ALGBA protect and
preserve these beautiful fowl. We say “Keep em Crowing!”
