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Hackfights and Derbies

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Hackfights and Derbies
Author(s): HAROLD A. HERZOG, Jr.
Source: Appalachian Journal, Vol. 12, No. 2 (WINTER 1985), pp. 114-126
Published by: Appalachian Journal & Appalachian State University
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 HAROLD A. HERZOG, Jr.

Hackfightsand Derbies
The traditionof "bloodsports" was probably broughtto the Southern moun-
tains by 1 8th-centurysettlers fromthe BritishIsles. Activitiessuch as cock and
dog fighting,ratting,and bear baiting were popular pastimes in England and
Ireland untilthey were banned in the 1 9th century.1Despite theirunderground
status some of these activities continue to flourish throughout the United
States. Though there are occasional reports in the press of police raids of
organized dog fightsor the confiscation of animals used for bear baiting, it is
cockfightingthat is by far the most widespread of illegal bloodsports.
Cockfightingis not restricted to the rural South. There are three national
magazines devoted to the sport and even a lobby group, the United Gamefowl
Breeders Association. There are, however, regional differences in how the
sport is conducted. For example, there are sizable Hispanic cockfightingcom-
munities in the Southwest, urban areas of the Northeast, and Florida. Among
this group of cockfighters,"slasher" fightsare popular in which a single saber-
like steel "gaff" is attached to the cock's leftfoot. This type of fightis rare
among Southern cockfighters.Similarlythe gambling structureof fightsstaged
in Louisiana is somewhat differentthan in the mountains.2
I attended numerous fights in the mountains of North Carolina and Ten-
nessee during 1 976 and 1 977 as part of a study I was doing of the behavior of
gamefowl. Most of my data were collected at a pitnear Asheville, N.C., though
I also attended fightsnot farfromKnoxville, Tenn. I interviewed many cockers
and gamefowl breeders in western NorthCarolina and east Tennessee about
various aspects of the sport.
Cockfighting is, of course, a controversial subject. There have been
numerous articles in the popular magazines and in newspapers that sensa-
tionalize cockfighting.3In contrast to opponents who argue thatcockfightingis
barbaric and cruel, devotees feel itis a legitimateformof recreation witha long
and noble history,and cockfighterslike to point out thatcriticsare generally ig-
norant of how fightsare conducted. Widespread ignorance is understandable,
perhaps, when we remember that cockfightingis illegal (and carefully out of
sight) in all but four states (Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Louisiana).
Outside the tightcircle of participants, estimated to be as high as 500,000, 4
very littleis known. What I have to report here is cockfightingas it occurs in
one area of the country. It is neithera defense nor a condemnation.

Harold Herzog is a psychologist who teaches in the department of social and behavioral
sciences at Mars Hill College.

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Breeding and Husbandry
essors
Gamefowl have been selectively bred for thousands of years for ag-
gressiveness and fightingability,and it has even been suggested that
chickenswere originally domesticatedfromwildjunglefowlforfighting rather
than forfood production.5There are numerousstrainsof gamefowlhaving
names such as ArkansasTravelers,Clarets,MadiganGreys,Butchers,Allen
Roundheads,and WhiteHackles. Myconversationswithmountaingamecock
breederssuggest thatthe purityof the strainsis frequently not maintained.I
was oftentoldthata roosterwas, forexample,halfClaretand halfRoundhead.
Althoughgamebreeders will ofteninterbreedtwo strainsof gamecocks in
search of a "gamer" rooster,every attemptis made to keep gamefowl
reproductively separate fromcommon domestic strains of chickens. If a
gamecock flees duringa fightor does not show bravery("gameness"), it is
derogatorily called a "dunghill,"meaningitis partcommercialchicken.
Selectionpressureon gamecocks is intensebecause of bothmortality dur-
ing fightsand artificialselection on the part of the gamefowl breeders.
Breedersusuallykeep a limitednumberof "broodcocks." These are roosters
which have proven to be skillfuland aggressive and are kept solely for
breedingpurposes. Selection is not as intenseon game hens thoughsome
breedersdo select forhens thatwillproduce good offspring on the basis of
past performancesof theirprogeny.6
There are two age classes of gamecocks. Roostersbeforethe age of one
year are termed "stags" and are foughtin separate matches fromolder
roosters("cocks"). Cockers say thatstags have an advantage over cocks in
shortmatches where speed is important, but thatcocks have more stamina
and, therefore, an advantage in longerfights.
The housinggivento gamecocks inthe mountainsvaries withthefinancial
resources of the breeder and his involvementwiththe sport. Cocks are
sometimeskepton "stringwalks" in whichtheyare tetheredto a stake by a
cord fouror fivefeetlong.A shelterofsome sortsuch as an overturnedbarrel
is placed near the stake so thatthe birdhas access to shade and protection
fromtheweather.Moreoften,however,cocks are keptinseparate pens after
the age of six to eightmonths.Some cockers preferto keep theirroosterson
"farmwalks." This means leavinga singlecock witha farmerto roamat large
on his farm.Priorto the onset of the cockfighting season, the roostersare
gatheredup for The
conditioning. advantage to thissystemis thatthe cock is
allowed moreexercise duringtheoffseason to buildhis muscles and stamina.

PreparationforFighting
In the mountainsthe cockfighting
season begins aroundThanksgiving and
goes to about the Fourthof July.The reason usuallygivenforhavingan "off
season" is thatthe cocks don'tfightas well in hotweatherand need timeto
molt.There are a numberof tasks involvedin preparingcocks fora fight.Ifa
roosterhas neverbeen fought,itscomb and wattlesmustbe removedso his
opponentwillhave nothingto grab hold of.The rooster'snaturalspurs,which

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hackfights& derbies

may be several inches long, are also removed, except fora one-half inch long
stump for anchoring the artificialspur firmly.
Some of the cocks' feathers may also be trimmed prior to fightingin hot
weather. There are several reasons forthis. Removal of the feathers is said to
help cool the animal and reduce overheating. Trimming of feathers also
lightensthe bird and may enable itto fightagainst a lighteropponent. Typical-
ly, the long feathers of the tail and the primaryfeathers of the wings will be
shortened and some plumage removed fromthe back and around the vent.
Two weeks priorto the fight,the roosters are put on a "keep." This is a con-
ditioningregime designed to insure that the birds are in peak fightingform.A
keep usually involves giving the cocks special foods, vitamin supplements,
limited water, and special exercises designed to strengthen the animals'
muscles. Each cocker has his own keep which may be a well-kept and com-
plex secret. Several days before the fight,the animals are usually allowed to
fightbrieflywith their spurs covered with thick pads ("muffs") so that the
owner can assess how they will performin the upcoming match.
The finalpreparation forthe fightinvolves transportingthe cocks to the pit.
The roosters are transported in specially built carrying cases, and at the pit
they are placed in small individualcompartments. Each cocker is assigned an
individual room in the "cockhouse" of the pit where he keeps his roosters and
makes final preparations.

ArtificialSpurs
Artificialmetal spurs are attached to the stubs of the natural spurs of cocks
priorto fights.The spurs favored by most NorthAmerican cockers resemble a
curved ice pick and are called "gaffs." Among the cockfighters I interviewed,
gaffs 21/4to 2Vi inches in length ("long heels") are preferred,though shorter
gaffs appear to be more commonly used in the Northernstates. Gaffs are
made of hardened steel and prices range from$40 to $80 fora pair. The gaffs
are fittedto both feet of the cocks just priorto the beginning of the fight.This
process is intricateand involves tyingthe gaffs to the stubs with leather and
waxed stringso that they are firmlyattached at an optimal angle.
A second type of artificialgaffis occasionally used. These spurs have the
edge as well as the point sharpened and are appropriately referred to as
"slashers" or "knives." There are several types. "Mexican knives" have both
sides of the blade sharpened whereas "Philippino knives" have only a single
sharpened edge. As their names imply,these types have theirorigin in Latin
America and the Pacific. Figure 1 shows both a standard gaffas is typicallyus-
ed in Southern cockfights and a "Philippine knife." In slasher fightsonly a
single gaff is used which is attached to the leftfoot of the rooster. Though
slasher fights are at present only rarely staged as novelty events, several
cockers told me that their popularity seemed to be growing in the Southern
mountains.

Types of Fights
There are several types of cockfightswhich are foughtin the United States,
some of which are now quite rare. The derby is the most common type of
cockfighttoday, although its originappears to be relativelymodern. In a derby
usually between 10 and 30 cockers will enter four,five, or six roosters each.
The cocks that a fighterenters in the derby are called his "entry." The cocker
pays an entryfee, frequently$50 or $100, which goes into a common "pot."
The cocks are fought round robin untilthe cocker who wins the most fights

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 harold a. herzog,jr.

Three types of artificialspurs including

(fromtop to bottom)a "muff" used in
practice bouts, a set of gaffs,and a
"Phillppino long knife" used in slasher
fights.

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hackfights& derbies

emerges. This individualtakes home the pot, although sometimes it is divided

between the first-and second-place winners.
The derby is of relativelyrecent origin probably dating fromthe 1920's.7 It
has been suggested that the emergence of the derby as the dominant formof
cockfightinghas been responsible for the "democratization" of cockfighting,
as ithas allowed individuals witha fairlylow number of roosters to compete at
least several times a year.8 Some of the other types of fightsrequire each par-
ticipant to enter many more cocks, making cockfightingin the past largely a
rich man's sport. In this context cockfightingis known among devotees as the
"Sport of Kings."
Hack fights,sometimes called "brush fights," are informalmatches bet-
ween the roosters of two fighters.Unlike the derby, there is no pot. The par-
ticipants simply bet that theirrooster will beat the other cocker's. Though the
fightsare informal,there is usually a referee present, and the rules are the
same as for other fights.
A main is a fightbetween only two cockers, each of which enters a fairly
large number of cocks, frequentlybetween 9 and 13. As in the derby, the
roosters are foughtin individualmatches untilone of the cockfightershas won
a majorityof the fights. For this reason an odd number of matches always
comprise a main. Mains are not as common among Southern cockers as in the
past. They are now confined to large gamecock breeders who may want to
prove the worth of their strain of rooster against a competitor and enhance
their reputation.
The tournament is structured much like the modern derby in that each
enters a pre-set number of roosters which also fightround robin. The dif-
ference is thatin the tournamenteach fighterhas to enter one cock at each of a
number of specified weight classes. This stipulation makes it necessary for
each man who enters to have a large number of cocks on hand to "make"
each weight. Though the tournament and the main were once the dominant
forms of cockfighting,the derby has largely superseded them in popularity.
In the battle royal, a large number of cocks are put together in the pit and
allowed to fightuntilthere are only two leftwhich are then foughtby the regular
rules. Obviously this makes fora ratherchaotic situation.The battle royal is un-
common today though it is occasionally staged as a novelty.

The Pit
Cockpits in the mountains vary fromsimple barns and portable pits thatcan
be set up in the woods to elaborate buildings with air conditioning, theater
seats, p.a. systems, and snack bars. A typical pit will be equipped with
bleachers having a capacity of 200 or 300 spectators, a refreshmentstand, a
booth forthe scorekeepers, and two or three pits. The "main pit" is where all
of the fightsoriginate and is the center of attentionfor most spectators. The
cocks are moved to a secondary "drag" pit ifit appears that the fightwill be
lengthyand there are others waiting to fight.The main pit in which the fights
are staged usually measures about 15 feet in diameter with a surrounding
fence about 3 feet high,though the dimensions may vary some frompit to pit.
The floor is composed of dirt or clay. There is usually an admission fee of
about $5 which goes to the owner of the pit and covers expenses such as the
fees for the referees. A good referee may make over $1 00 per day plus ex-
penses at major pits.
Cockfights are often fairly rowdy affairs. The presence of gambling,
alcohol, and sometimes weapons makes fora potentiallyviolent situation. Pit
owners have developed sets of rules which are designed to reduce the

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 harold a. herzog,jr.

possibilityof a serious confrontationbetween the participants. For example, at

pits in the mountains drinkingof alcoholic beverages is generally prohibited in
the pit area, though drinking occurs surreptitiously in parking areas and
cockhouses. There is also social pressure to pay all bets promptly and
without altercation. Fights between spectators are surprisingly rare. When
fightsdo occur they are usually dealt with by the ejection of the offendingpar-
ties fromthe pit and sometimes their permanent banning fromthe facilities.

Weighing In
Usually a cocker enteringa derby will tryto arrive at the pit at least several
hours priorto the beginning of the fightto allow his roosters to acclimate to
new surroundings and recuperate from the journey. Cockers usually bring
more cocks than they need. If,forexample, a fighteris enteringa five-daycock
derby, he may tryto bringnine or ten cocks to the pit,and the fivethat look the
best an hour before the fightwill be entered. The roosters selected to fightwill
then be weighed, and the cocker will fillout a "weight sheet" foreach rooster.
These are turnedin to the scorekeeper who fastens a metal numbered band on
the leg of each rooster entered. The weight sheets are then used to match the
entered roosters by weights. Each cock must weigh withintwo ounces of his
opponent. Cocks weighing over six pounds are called "shakes" and are not
matched for weight.
When it is the cocker's turn to fight, he is instructed to "pick up his
weights." At this time he finds out which rooster is to be foughtin the upcom-
ing match and who his opponent will be. The cocker then goes back to the
cockhouse and attaches the gaffs to the specified rooster, a process which
may take 1 5 or 20 minutes. Both contestants then bringtheircocks to the pit
area where they are reweighed and the numbered metal bands checked to
make sure that a differentrooster has not been substituted forthe one called.
In hack fights this procedure is not followed. The contestants simply find
someone who wants to fightwith a rooster in the same weight class, and the
roosters are fought.

The Fight
Duringthe fightthere are two handlers, the referee, and the two cocks in the
pit. The referee's job is to tell the handlers when to release the roosters, when
to pull them apart, and to time the rest periods. He also keeps the "count" (ex-
plained below), and makes sure both handlers abide by the rules. The handlers
release and disentangle the cocks at the appropriate times and attend to in-
juries during the rest periods.
At the beginning of the match, the handlers cradle their roosters in their
arms and allow them brieflyto peck at each other's heads. This serves to incite
the roosters so they will attack. Two parallel lines are drawn by the referee six
to eight feet apart on the pit floor. The roosters are then placed by their
handlers at their respective score lines and released when the referee gives
the command "Pit!" The cocks then fightuntilthe gaffs of one become en-
tangled in the body of the opponent. The referee then stops the pittingwiththe
command "Handle!" The handlers then disentangle the cocks and have a 20
second rest period. The cocks are again pitted at the end of the rest period.
This process continues untilthere is a winner.
A fightmay be won in three ways: ifone of the cocks dies duringthe fight,if
one of the handlers concedes the fight,and through the "count." The count
allows a rooster that is not dead to lose a fightifhe ceases to attack the oppo-
nent by pecking or spurring.Ifat some point duringthe match a cock stops at-

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hackfights& derbies

tacking forany reason, such as injury,exhaustion, or lack of "gameness," the

opposing handler may ask the referee forthe count, saying "count me." The
referee then begins a count of 1 0 seconds. Ifthe cock does not attack within
the 1 0-second period, the other rooster has won the pittingand is said to have
the count. The cocks are pittedagain aftera 20-second rest period. Ifthe op-
ponent does not attack forthree successive pittingsof 1 0 seconds and one pit-
ting of 20 seconds, he loses the fight.
When one of the roosters does not attack, the cocks are then pitted at the
"short score" line for the duration of the fight.At the short score line the
roosters are placed behind parallel lines drawn two feet apart in the dirtinstead
of the normal six to eight feet. This increases the probabilityof attack. Ifthe
cock who has the count against him subsequently attacks by pecking or spur-
ring,even ifitis not directed at the opponent (as in the case of a rooster which
has been blinded in the fight),the referee calls "Broke!" This indicates thatthe
count has been broken, and the count begins again. Itshould be noted thatthe
rules of cockfightingare quite complex and vary somewhat frompitto pit. For
example, in some pits a cock needs a count of three 1 0-second intervalsand a
20-second interval against him to lose the fight, while in others, three
10-second counts will cause the rooster to lose.
"Knife fights" in which slasher-type artificialspurs are used have different
sets of rules. Because these types of gaffs rarelybecome entwined there is no
need for handlers to remain in the pit during the fights.As one mightexpect,
given the formof the spurs, these fightstend to have a much shorterduration
than "gafffights."Thus there is usually a time limitso that ifboth roosters are
stillfightingafterten minutes or so, the fightis declared a tie by the referee.
Similarly,"knifefights"are more oftenfatal forboth winners and losers, which
makes them unpopular among many cockfighters.

Fight Durationand Mortality

The durations of gafffightsare extremelyvariable. The average duration of
59 differentmatches was 1 2 minutes, but durations ranged from8 seconds to
58 minutes. As previously described, each fightis composed of a number of
rounds, called "pittings." The average number of pittingsper fightwas 1 9, and
the number of pittingsper fightranged from 1 to 98. Pittings tended to be
relativelybrief(average: 14 seconds), though, again, the range was great (1
second to 106 seconds).
Because of the use of artificialspurs and the lack of escape opportunities
forthe roosters, cockfightsfrequentlyhave a lethal outcome. To obtain data on
the relative mortalityof winners and losers, I asked several cockers to keep
records on how winningand losing cocks ultimatelyfared. In this manner sur-
vivorship was obtained for 66 fightsfrom 1 1 derbies and two hack fights.Of
the 66 fightsmy informants'roosters won 36, lost 27, and tied 3. There was a
considerable difference in the chances of survival between victorious and
defeated roosters: 94% of the winners survived while only 22% of the losers
lived. These findings illustrate the obvious. There is intense selection for
fightingabilityand aggressiveness in gamecocks in the pit.

Gambling at Cockfights
There are variations in the structureof gambling at cockfightsdepending on
the type of fight(derby or hack fight)and local preferences. Normallythere are
three ways in which money changes hands at the derbies. The cocker whose
roosters win the most fightsin the derby takes home the pot which consists of

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 harold a. herzog,jr.

the entryfees of all the derby participants.Às there may be 30 or 40 entrantsin

a derby, each paying a $50 or $1 00 entry fee, this can amount to a con-
siderable amount of money. If it happens that two or more entrants win an
equal number of fights,the purse is split among the winners.
A second formof gambling at cockfights involves individual informalbets
between the cockers fightingthe match and among the spectators. Even in a
derby in which the main money is in the pot, the two opposing cockers in each
match will usually agree to a side bet on theirown roosters. Spectators also
make side bets among themselves. As the cocks are brought into the pit area
to be weighed priorto the onset of the fight,the spectators will begin to call out
odds on the cocks which may be accepted by any other spectator. For exam-
ple, a spectator may shout, "I'll lay a 25 to 20 on the grey." This means that he
is offeringto bet $25 against $20 that the grey cock willwin. Someone accep-
ting the bet will usually say something like, "You're on" or simply "You and
me." Ifthe grey cock wins, the person calling out the bet willwin $20, but ifthe
cock is defeated he will lose $25.
Because it is difficult
to make an accurate assessment of a cock's chances
of winning simply by looking at it fromthe stands as it is being weighed, the
odds are often based on the reputation of the handler. Betting may continue
afterthe fightbegins with the odds shiftingas it becomes apparent that one
rooster is superior or injured.
Bets are normally paid offsoon after each fight,and sometimes bets are
paid even before the referee has decided thatthe fighthas officiallyended. To
someone attendinga cockfightforthe firsttime, the bettingappears amazingly
disorganized. Despite the chaos, serious disputes over the payment of bets
are quite rare. Though such arguments occasionally occur, there are strong
social norms that dictate that bets be paid offpromptlyand without malice.
At some pits there is a third form of gambling that is only indirectly
associated withthe fightingof roosters. This is a lotterybased on the number
arbitrarilygiven to each cocker when he pays his entryfee. Priorto the begin-
ning of the derby, each number will be auctioned offto the highest bidder. The
money fromthe rafflegoes intoa separate pot, and the person who purchased
the number of the winningcocker wins the lottery.For example, ifa derby has
1 5 entrants,the numbers fromone to fifteenwill be auctioned offto the highest
bidder before the startof the derby. Ifentrantnumber nine wins the derby, the
person who has bought that number wins the money in the lottery.

Cockfightersand the Community

Though I did not systematically obtain enough data to construct a
sociological profileof the regular participantsat the pits I attended (the focus of
my research was on the roosters, not the owners), there was a surprising
diversityamong the participants. My primaryinformantsincluded a mechanic,
a truckdriver,a police officer,a pharmacist, and a full-timegamecock breeder.
Women regularly attended fights and actively placed bets, though I never
observed a woman in the role of handler or referee. Blacks also actively par-
ticipated at one pit and appeared to move comfortablyin the primarilywhite
crowd, and one of the regular referees was black. There was also a variety of
ages represented at the fightsthat I attended. High-school-aged males would
sometimes be in competition withretirees, and there were occasionally infants
in theirmothers' arms in the audience.10
For the great majorityof cockers, the sport is a leisure time activityrather
than a source of income. The typical recreational cocker will tryto begin the
season with20 to 30 gamecocks and mightenter fiveto ten derbies duringthe

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hackfights& derbies

eight-monthseason. Ifhe is lucky, a cocker will make enough money to cover

expenses during the season. Most do not. There are, however, a few profes-
sional breeders in the region whose income derives both fromwinnings in the
pit and from sales of gamefowl. In some cases, these breeders may ship
roosters, hens, or even eggs as far away as the Philippines.
Cockers frequentlytravel both withinand outside the region to attend der-
bies. A group of NorthCarolina devotees regularlyattend fightsin neighboring
areas of east Tennessee and north Georgia and make semi-annual trips to
Louisiana forimportantfights.Though a federal law was enacted in the 1 970's
prohibitingthe transport of animals across state lines for the purpose of
fighting,this does not appear as of yet to have had any influence on
cockfightersthat I interviewed.
Despite the fact thatcockfightingis illegal in NorthCarolina and Tennessee,
many cockers make no attempt to hide their involvement in the sport. They
proudly display "Sport of Kings" license plates complete with cross gaffs, or
wear belt buckles proclaiming"I'm a cockfightingfool." Gamecocks housed in
individualcages are openly kept by the roadside in many ruralareas. Another
sign that communities are relatively tolerant of cockfighting is the fact that
most pits are permanent and have been operating foryears oftenwith littleat-
tempt to disguise theirfunction.
Law enforcementofficialsin the region typicallyraid cockpits in response to
communitypressure, so it is in the interestof pit operators to insure that com-
plaints by community members are minimized. Thus at one pit cockers and
spectators were regularlyadvised not to dispose of beer cans or dead roosters
by throwingthem out of cars. At this pit a collection was occasionally taken
and given to the congregation of a nearby church to help pay forthe church's
winterheating bills.
When cockpits are raided and the participants arrested they are typically
dealt withlenientlyby local magistrates. For example, a dogfightingarena was
recently raided in Graham County, N.C., and over ninety persons arrested
including an unsuccessful candidate for county sheriff.The organizers of the
dogfightwere convicted of a misdemeanor and fined $200 plus $35 in court
costs.11

Conclusions
Cockfighting remains a widespread underground sport in the Southern
mountains. Cockers are proud of theirinvolvement in the sport and generally
make littleattempt to conceal their activities. They consider it a legitimate
sport, and it is an importantaspect of their lives. Occasionally, cockers are
confrontedwithdifficult decisions because of the role thatcockfightingplays in
theirlives. One of my informantswas an east Tennessee policeman who was
due to be promoted to the rank of detective. His superiors, however, knew that
he was an avid cockfighterand understandably feltthat this was not an ap-
propriate recreational activityfora law officer.He was given the choice of re-
maining a cockfighteror being promoted to a higher paying, more prestigious
position. He took the promotion.

NOTES
The author wishes to thank John Chandler, Ron Eller, Mary Jean Herzog, and Gordon
Burghardt for their comments on the manuscript, and various cockfighters in North Carolina and
Tennessee who allowed me access to their underground sport.

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 harolda. herzog,jr.

1 . For histories of "fightingsports" see L. Fitz-Barnard, Fighting Sports (London: Oldam Press,
1921) or G.R. Scott, The History of Cockfighting (London: Charles Skilton, 1957).
2. S.L. Del Sesto, "Roles, Rules and Organization: A Descriptive Account of Cockfighting in
Rural Louisiana," Southern Folklore Quarterly, 39 (1975), 1-14.
3. For typical examples of the image of cockfighting as presented in the popular press, see
Courtenay Beinhom, "Saturday Night: Death in the Pit," Crawdaddy, March 1978, pp. 38-40;
Michael Bane, "Cockfighting," Hustler, February 1977, pp. 68-70; Dale Maharidge, "Cockfighting
Violence in Ohio," The Plain Dealer Magazine, March 30, 1980, pp. 19-28; Dale Van Atta,
"Despite Bans, Cockfighting Grows in Popularity," The National Observer, May 29, 1976, p. 5.
4. C.H. McCaghy and A.C. Neal, "The Fraternityof Cockfighters: Ethical Embellishments of an
Illegal Sport," Journal of Popular Culture, 8 (1 974), 557-69. The Wall Street Journal recently
estimated the number of cockfighters at between 1 00,000 and 300,000; see "InfiltratingDogfight
and Cockfight Rings Takes Guile and Guts," March 2, 1984, pp. 1 , 24.
5. F. Zuener, A History of Domestic Animals (London: Hutchinson, 1 963).
6. For descriptions of various breeding systems see A. Ruport, The Art of Cockfighting: A
Handbook for Beginners and Old Timers (New York: Devin-Adair, 1 949) or CA. Finsterbusch,
Cockfighting All Over the World (Gaffney, S.C.: Grit & Steel, 1929).
7. A. Ruport, The Art of Cockfiqhtinq.
8. William Capel, personal communication.
9. For additional insights into cockfighting,see the novel, The Cockfighters (New York: Avon,
1974) by C. Wilifordand the film The Feathered Warrioravailable from Appalshop, Whitesburg,
Kentucky.
1 0. A comprehensive survey of the demographics and social psychology of cockfighters has
been undertaken by CliftonBryant of Virginia Polytechnical Instituteand State Universityand the
late William Capel of Clemson University. In 1974 they distributed 1,000 questionnaires to
cockers through the auspices of one of the national cockfighting magazines and received over
500 responses. The results are presently being incorporated into a book on cockfighting by Dr.
Bryant.
1 1 . Bob Scott, "Accused Dogfight Promoters Enter Guilty Pleas," Asheville Citizen, January 6,
1984, p. 11.

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glossary of cockfighting

GLOSSARY OF COMMONLY-USED COCKFIGHTING TERMS

battle royal- A fightin which a large number of cocks are simultaneously placed into the pit.
These rather chaotic fightsare not common but are sometimes fought as a novelty event using
second-rate or crippled cocks.

billing up- This occurs at the onset of a fightwhen the two roosters are allowed to peck at
each other for a short time while being held by their handlers prior to being released.

brood cock- A cock used solely for breeding purposes, usually one which has proven
himself skillfuland courageous in the pit.

brush fight- Usually a hack fightfought informallyin a barn, backyard, etc., rather than in
an organized pit.

cock (also battlecock, ace cock)- A game rooster over one year old.

cocker- An individual who breeds, maintains, and fights gamecocks.

cockhouse- (1 ) A small out-building in which a cocker keeps his roosters two weeks prior
to each fightso that they can be given special food and exercise. (2) The facilityin a cockpit
where the roosters are kept until it is their turn to fight.

cockpit(pit)-{' ) An organized facilityfor fightingroosters, which usually includes seats for

spectators, refreshment stands, parking, cockhouses, etc. (2) The actual area in which the
cocks are fought, usually a round elevated "pit" with a dirtor clay floor surrounded by a low
fence.

derby- A type of fightin which a number of cockers (usually between 1 0 and 30) enter a
pre-set number of cocks or stags (usually between 4 and 6), which are matched for weight
and fought in individual matches. The cocker whose roosters win the most fightswins the der-
by.

drag pit- A secondary pit in a cockfightingfacilityto which an on-going fightis moved if it

appears that it will be lengthy. This allows a new fightto begin in the main pit.

dunghill- A derogatory term usually applied to roosters who run from their opponents in the
pit or otherwise make a poor showing in combat. It implies that the cock is not pure game but
has some "commercial chicken" in its bloodline.

entry- The set of cocks that a cockfighter enters into a derby or main.

entry fee- The money that a cocker is required to pay to enter a derby. The money goes
into the "pot" which is awarded to the cocker who wins the most matches. A typical entry fee
would be $50 or $100.

farm walk- Maintaining cocks by allowing them to range freely with hens until it is time to
"put them up" prior to the beginning of the cockfighting season. This allows the cocks to get
more exercise than ifthey were maintained in coops in the "off season."

flypen- A large cage in which cocks may be placed several weeks prior to a fightso that
they have sufficientroom to flyand thus exercise their wing muscles.

gaffs- The artificialspurs which are attached to the stumps of a cock's natural spurs prior
to a fight.They are usually made of steel.

gameness - Bravery, courage. A cock which has proven to be brave in battle is said to
have the elusive quality of "gameness." Sometimes such a cock will be said to be "dead
game."

hackfight- An individual match between the roosters of two cockers which is not part of a
larger event such as a derby or main. Usually each cocker will bet on his own rooster with the
winner taking the money.

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 harold a. herzog, jr.

hackles- The feathers around a chicken's head and neck.

handle- (~') The command of "handle!" is given by the referee to instructthe handlers to
pick up their roosters at the termination of a pitting.(2) "To handle" is to be in the pit with the
roosters during a fight,releasing them and picking them up at the appropriate times and
treating their injuries when possible during the inter-pittingrest periods.

handler- The individuals who handle the cocks during fights.

to heel- To attach the gaffs to a cock's legs.

keep- The special foods, diet supplements, medications, and exercise regimen given to
cocks usually during the two weeks prior to a fight.Often cockers will have individual formulas
for keeps which are well-kept secrets.

long heels- Spurs 2!4 to 2V2 inches long. Long heels are the normal gaffs used in cockpits
in the South. They are pointed at the tips but do not have a sharpened edge ("knife edge").

main- A type of fightin which two usually prominent cockers enter a pre-set number of
cocks (usually between 9 and 1 3) which are then fought in individual matches. The winner of
the main is the cocker who wins the majority of the matches. Mains were once the most
popular type of fight,though they have in recent years been largely replaced by the derby.

main pit- The central cockpit in a facilityin which all of the fights are begun.

man-fighter- A cock that will attack a man (sometimes a problem during fights).

muffs(boxing gloves)- Leather pads used to cover a cock's natural spurs. Muffsare used to
prevent injurywhen cocks are sparred.

naked heels- Cockfights in which the cocks fightwithout gaffs. Naked heel fights are un-
common in the U.S.

p/f- (1 ) See cockpit. (2) The command given by the referee which instructs the handlers to
release their cocks at the beginning of a pitting.

pitting- A "unit" of a fight.Each pittingbegins when the roosters are released by their
handlers and terminates when the cocks cease to fightfor a specified period of time or when
their gaffs become entangled. The cocks are then given a short rest period before the onset of
the next pitting.

rattles- An injuryinvolving punctured lungs. This creates an audible sound when the
animal breathes- hence the term.

referee- Individual who is in the pit with the cocks and the handlers during the fightsto in-
struct the handlers when to release and when to pick up the roosters, make the "count," and
insure that the rules are obeyed.

score line- A line drawn on the dirtfloor of the cockpit by the referee behind which the
roosters are released at the onset of each pitting.

shake- A cock weighing over six pounds.

short heels- Gaffs 1 Va to 1 Vz inches long. Short heels are uncommon in Southern pits but
are the normal type used in the North.

shuffle- A type of attack in which the attacker leaps into the air and spurs the opponent
several times with both feet in rapid succession. The ability to shuffle is a highly desired
characteristic in a cock.

slasher- A gaff which has a knife edge. Slasher fights are the normal fights in Latin
America but are usually only fought as novelty matches in the U.S.

spar- A practice fight.Most cockers will brieflyspar cocks several days prior to a match to
assess the cocks' readiness to fight.

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 glossary of cockfighting

spur- The natural horn-likeappendage on a cock's shin. Spurs are quite sharp and may be
several inches long. They are removed when the cocks are young so that gaffs may be at-
tached to the stumps.

stags- A game rooster less than one year old. Stags are usually fought in special matches
against other stags.

tournament- A type of fightin which a number of cockers will enter cocks at pre-set
weights. It is the predecessor of the modern derby and differsfrom the derby in that in the lat-
ter the weights of the cocks are not specified ahead of the derby as they are in the tourna-
ment. Tournaments are rarely fought today.

trim- (1 ) To remove the comb and wattles from a rooster. This is done so that the oppo-
nent cannot grasp the comb with its bill. (2) To remove (cut) some of the feathers to the wing,
tail, and body to reduce the rooster's weight and to allow it to remain cool during a fight.

uncouple- An injuryin which a cock cannot use its legs. Uncoupling is said by cockers to
be due to injuryto the spinal cord or lower back.

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