Game Fowl Bloodlines

With the lifting of importation restrictions, practically all bloodlines developed in the United States of
America and in other countries are already in the Philippines. This gives every cocker and game chicken
breeder a wider choice of bloodline or bloodlines to start with. One only has to make up his mind on
what characters he wants to combine, and then start scouting for bloodlines that have them for his
foundation stock.
The following bloodlines are considered basic bloodlines, which are commonly used in game fowl
breeding:
Regular Grey

Regular Grey is said to be a combination of three grey families: the Law Grey, the Sweater Gray and the
Plainhead Muff Grey. Regular Greys come green legged, sometimes with yellow, silver duck wings and
straight comb. They are medium to low-stationed, and are known for power and gameness. Breeders
note that they are as powerful and dead game as the Bluefaces. Because of these, many breeders have
made Regular Grey as their foundation line.
McLean Hatch

Modern Hatches are more high flying and are faster, many coming more brainy than usual. Their usual
characteristics like power and gameness, though, are still there, their blows often packing a wallop. They
are basically medium-stationed and peacombed with some coming straight combed.
The Hatch blood came form Sanford Hatch who blended, as story goes, a Kearney Whitehackle with a
Kearney Brown Red, mixing in other bloods like the Herman Duryea Boston Roundheads, Jim Thompson
Mahoganies, among others, to come up with his signature Hatch fowl. From the Sandy Hatch stocks
came Ted McLeans version of Hatch that came both yellow and green-legged. Supposedly, these were
the better Hatches that gave rise to the other variants of the McLean like Gilmore Hatch, Blueface
Hatch, Jack Walton Hatch, Kentucky Hatch, Oakgrove Hatch, etc.
Roundhead

Peacombed, tall and white or yellow legged, Roundheads are considered as ring generals. They are
characteristically flyers and agile all-around athletes with superb cutting ability. The most famous among
the many Roundheads is the Lacy Roundhead, originated by Judge Lacy. There are other Roundhead
families like the Bruners, Sheltons, Allen and Boston. It is widely believed that this family originated from
the oriental fowl. They cross well with Clarets, Butchers, Greys, and of course, Hatches.
Oriental

Shamos, Asils, Japs, Thais, Jolo, Basilan, Parawak these are just some of the many types of oriental
fowl. They are big headed, light-eyed, heavy boned, short and tight feathered and thickly shanked
chickens. Very brainy and hardy, these chickens use an off-beat fighting style which twits the aggressive
American type of gamefowl. Accurate body hitters and smart side-steppers, asils are usually graded up
to an eighth or even a sixteenth with the American fowl in the hope of retaining the desirable cutting
and off-beat traits of the Orientals in the resulting battlecrosss. Either you love them or you hate them
thats the Oriental Fowl.
Sweater

Today, one is not considered in if he is not breeding the Sweater fowl. Yellow legged, peacombed, high
stationed, sleek body conformation and with their characteristic pumpkin-orange hackle feathers and
swarming offensive fighting style Sweaters were popularized in the Philippines by Carol NeSmith who
won the World Slashers International Derby back to back. As with many families, the origin of Sweater is
mired by so many versions, some even contradictory. However, it is commonly accepted that this blood,
as originated by Sweater McGinnis, is heavy on the Kelso blood. Today, the more well known Sweaters
are those which come from Dink Fiar, Bruce Barnette, Nene Abello, Sonny Lagon, Atty. Jun Mendoza,
Raffy Campos and Edwin Aranez, Bebot and Chionkee Uy, among many others.
Kearney Whitehackle

Kearney Whitehackle is one of the most solid bloodlines used as foundation stocks because of its
unquenchable do-or-die gameness. Straight-combed red with the characteristic white underhackle
feathers, the Kearney Whitehackle comes yellow legged and sometimes spangle-feathered. This
bloodline is one of the gamest among the many Whitehackle subfamilies and is used only for infusion
purposes to prop up any floundering bloodline.
Butcher

Phil Marsh is credited for creating the Butcher bloodline, which is a blend of Grove WhiteHackle and
some Spanish fowl, the Speeder Greys. Calling them Butchers because of his occupation, Phil Marsh
often fought under the entry name Butcher Boys.
Butchers are straight-combed red that often come white-legged with some coming yellow-legged. They
are known for their accurate cutting ability and brainy fighting style, leading many experts to say when
a Butcher hits you, you are hit. Medium to low-stationed, Butchers sometime come spangled and
brassback in color, with the latter presently called Black Butchers.
Blueface Hatch

The Blueface Hatch, a special strain of Hatches, came to be known as such because of its pale-faced
appearance, which is similar to the appearance of a fowl with Avian Leucosis. Blueface Hatches are so
good that their originator, Sweater McGinnis, decided to breed them some more, with some ending up
with Harold Brown, Billy Ruble, Red Richardson, Percy Flowers, William Greene and other American
cocking greats. Straight-combed, green-legged and medium to low stationed, Bluefaces have carved a
reputation for gameness. Used mainly for foundation blood purposes, old time breeders agree that the
best battlecross carries only a quarter or less of the Blueface blood.
Brown Red

Brown Red has speed and more speed, with cutting to boot the advantage of this dark fowl. Coming
dark-legged, dark-eyed and with characteristic black feathering, this family is a sight to behold, since
Brown Reds show more of the razzle-dazzle shuffling action type of fighting, although their drawback is
their seeming lack of gameness and stamina. However, because of other infusions made by breeders,
there already are Brown Reds that are game enough, lasting for more than 10 minutes. In the drag fight,
these fighters are defensive and very calculating, uncharacteristic of a typical Brown Red.
Lemon 84

Originated by the legend Paeng Araneta, Lemon 84 has become the base used by most Bacolod
breeders. Until presently, this line is still winning. Basically from the Hatch-Butcher-Claret blends of the
late Duke Hulsey, Paend has been able to create subfamilies from the original stocks.
Lemon 84 (called as such because the original brood cock had legband number 84) comes lemon
hackled, peacombed or straight-combed and yellow and green-legged. Although lacking in gameness,
Lemon 84 makes up for it with its almost automatic, instinctive and precise sense of timing when it clips
the opponent in mid-air and throws his fatal punches or counterpunches. This is its most sought-after
trait despite its medium or low station.
Muff

Eerie looking because of the feathers on its face, the Muff is known for its aggressive frontal fighting
style. Muffs throw a barrage of blows with no letup or billhold. Although low-stationed, Muffs have an
unerring sense of accuracy when it comes to the cutting department. Basically red in color, they come
yellow-legged and peacombed. Noted breeders of this family are Billy Ruble, John Sears and Dr. John
Kozura.
Pyle

Pyle is a plumage color that denotes one that is not red, grey or black. Pyles come white, blue, dom, off-
white, off-grey or off-red colors. They are white-legged or yellow-legged and straight or peacombed.
They are known for their high flying style and accurate cutting. Many are not deep game as Hatch or
Whitehackle, but there are Pyles that are as game. Currently, they are crossed with the sturdy and hardy
lines to hopefully strike the perfect blend of fighting characteristics.

Clarets
accurate cutters, single strokers, break high, deep game, clever, hard hitting and
aggressive.

Kelso
high breakers with good timing, also known to be powerful game cocks with deep
game.

Roundheads
smart with side stepping capabilities because of their agility, aggressive, fast fighter
and deadly, strong and possess devastating leg power.

Brownreds
multiple shufflers that possess great speed.
 Lemons
accurate cutters with good timing, intelligent bird with weaving abilities.

White Hackles
deadly cutters, can fight in any position available due to their agility and shiftiness,
power and devastating leg kicks.

Greys
aggressive and hard hitting game cocks,also known to be deadly cutters.

Hatches
aggressive, fast fighters and deadly cutters, ground fighters and low headed.

Asils
Known from its immense power, but are considered very slow.