Physical Fitness in Poultry

[BigBlueHen53]

Yes

Of course

No health issues, no parasites, lots of eggs and healthy chicks.

Great fertility rates, great hatching rates, no health issues, no parasites, lots of eggs and healthy chicks.
When the average age of your flock is 7-10 years without any health issues whatsoever (accidents excluded)and the hens still laying and hatching chicks.

Healthy and very spaceous living conditions (free ranging), healthy and natural diet.
No overcrowding and careful selection for social behaviour to avoid abuse and the resulting stress and health issues.

Great answer!

 

[raingarden]

Fighting gamefowl might be a special case. They have to be physically fit, but they also have to be athletic.

I have been known to use physical fitmess and athleticism interchangably. Then I found essays on the internet (it has everything, you know) that describe differences. Physical fitness seems to be related to health and being able to perform life functions efficiently with stamina. Athleticism seems to be related to proficiency at sports and stamina.

I'm not into the blood sports and don't know much about gamecock fighting. But, it is said that a winning bird needs phyical fitness, stamina and skill. Evidently, there is as much nuisance in the moves make by fishting chickens as there is in professional boxing. I've also heard locals say that they train their gamefowl. It's all sort of hush-hush so a person would never reveal their secret details. It would be interesting to know if they train like Myhammad Ali in his documentary;

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Nuisance? Do you mean nuance?

In the book Roots, Chicken George, a slave to game fighters, did things to help his owners' chickens survive fights because he loved them so much. One thing I seem to remember from the book was that he tied weights to their legs to strengthen their wings. In the rings, with the weights removed, his birds could fly higher than their opponents, enabling them to come down from above and land on the other birds, giving them a deadly advantage, as those birds had to flip on their backs to respond. He also exercised them by holding them by the feet and waving them up and down, forcing them to flap and strengthen their wings. I remember being sad the birds had to fight, and that some had to die, but also admiring George as a genius of his time.

 

[raingarden]

Oh.... Yeah Nuance.

I love the weight lifting idea.