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I wouldn't say they are bred to be mean, that would give the impression that most people have.. Which is gamefowl are evil roosters, when in actuality gamefowl themselves are some of the gentlest roosters you will be around. My birds don't hurt anyone except one, possibly two which were received from someone else and even that one, leave him alone and he'll leave you alone. I personally don't like breeding an aggressive rooster.
If I raise gamefowl, I like them to be game. Much like if I were raising a Leghorn it better be a good layer, and if I am raising a Silkie it better be Silkie-feathered. It is just part of their characteristics to me, a "type" if you will, and without it I believe they shouldn't even be called a "game". And I have a theory that roosters that are manfighters, somewhere possibly deep-down inside are just junk for a game rooster. I say most aggressive birds attack people out of fear, really most aggressiveness period out of any animal is in fear, though there are some cases. And I believe fear, would exclude gameness.
Gamefowl are "mean" in the sense that cocks will fight other cocks by the time they are the age of 8-10 months old (some sooner, my whitehackle changed where he couldn't be around other cocks at the age of 6 months.) And in my Shamo's, which are Oriental gamefowl, the hens are just as bad as the roosters.. But towards people I believe a gamecock should carry himself with pride, confidence, and gentleness toward his keeper. As long as people keep the roosters separate from other roosters, not a problem.
-Daniel