All male birds are cocks

Jul. 27th, 2009 at 6:25 AM

The news of the bust of a canary-fighting ring in my home state has me thinking:

Firstly, how did investigators come to suspect a fighting ring? They must have had an "in" into the world of songbird fighting for gambling purposes. I'd watch an episode of that reality show.

More compelling, since this is the first I've heard of the sport of canary fighting, I wonder how much the practice has driven canary breeding over the years. Chickens are tasty, but owe much of their worldwide distribution and current genetic stock to cockfighting. You don't keep bantams around just for those tiny eggs.

Likewise, some of the most popular pet dog breeds (I almost said "best," but you know my bias) owe their existence to the Michael Vicks of the past. Not just American pit bulls (and the many dogs that look like them), but many of the currently popular Japanese breeds, and even the cute yoda-faced Boston terrier, were developed in the pursuit of superior fighting dogs.

I bet those bettas (you know, Siamese fighting fish) lingering in brandy snifters and plastic cubes in pet stores everywhere owe much of their prevalence and genetic make up to the legacy of fish-fighters.

Comments

( 13 comments — Leave a comment )

kryptyd

Jul. 27th, 2009 10:59 am (UTC)

Lots of animals come from seemingly strange places. I always assumed yorkshire terriers were bred as ornamental dogs for old ladies (earwigs on leads, my mam calls them) and then I found out recently that they were bred by poachers as a small hunting dog. I don't know if the place where I read it actually said they were bred to be small enough to fit down a poacher's top or not, but I always mentally add that detail.

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cdozo

Jul. 27th, 2009 01:30 pm (UTC)

Here in Austin, I've had a number of people recommend getting bantams because they can jump high, or maybe fly a short ways, so they are better at escaping predators.

I don't know if this is true because I don't have the chickens yet.

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rinalia

Jul. 27th, 2009 03:34 pm (UTC)

With few exceptions, all chickens can fly short distances and most choose to roost in trees or perched 8-15' above the ground at night.

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cdozo

Jul. 27th, 2009 03:40 pm (UTC)

I didn't know that. I thought people were suggesting bantams because they could fly. Maybe it was because they are more scrappy.

I figure I'll try different kinds of chickens and see which ones work out the best.

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rinalia

Jul. 27th, 2009 03:59 pm (UTC)

Depends on the bantam breed and then on the individual, really. Certainly one of the most roo-aggressive rosters we've had at the sanctuary have been those we've rescued from fight busts (though two we adopted do live with other roosters w/o problems).

Some of the bantam (and standard sized) breeds are "fancy" and have been artificially selected for traits that aren't really conducive to survival. Silkies and frizzles have a much harder time flying/evading predators b/c of their feathers. Some of the feathered footed breeds can have issues but less so.

The best site for chicken breeds is here: http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/BRKPoultryPage.html#Chickens. I admit I really like chickens so am a bit geeky about them. :)

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cdozo

Jul. 27th, 2009 04:26 pm (UTC)

Rescue?!?! Maybe I could get my chickens from the rescue people. Would this work? Do all girl chickens lay eggs?

I don't want any roosters. They are too noisy.

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rinalia

Jul. 30th, 2009 03:19 am (UTC)

You can certainly inquire at your local shelter. Another option is seeing if you have a local pasture-raised egg farmer - they sometimes prefer placing/selling their "spent" hens over slaughter. The hens will go on to lay many eggs for quite a few years, just not at their peak production levels.

I have a soft spot for roosters (well, nice roosters anyways). :)

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urbpan

Jul. 27th, 2009 04:52 pm (UTC)

I'll echo all that Rinalia is saying. Bantams are good for urban settings because they are little--easier housing, easier cleaning. I think they tend to be smarter, too, but that's probably bias speaking.

All lady chickens lay eggs, but they are more productive (correct me if I'm wrong Rinalia) with a rooster around. They will be somewhat seasonal in egg production, but you can use artificial lighting to get more eggs in winter.

I recommend you join the

city_chickens community, too, where you will find practical advice from people keeping chickens for home egg production.

I can't wait to move someplace where I can keep some chickens!

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cdozo

Jul. 27th, 2009 05:06 pm (UTC)

You can keep chickens in Austin. Come on down!

Thanks for the community suggestion, I'll join now.

My yard hippie (aka homeless guy who lives on my land and acts as a caretaker) has kept chickens before. He's going to build a coop anad get some chickens. I figure I'll learn a lot from watching him and that he'll be a good resource. But as a chicken farmer, he's self-taught.

I'll be setting up my own coop once I move out there. I'm open to learning from anyone who knows about chickens. I'm not a bird person and I want any creature I keep to be happy. I know I'll have a lot to learn.

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gigglingwizard

Jul. 28th, 2009 06:53 am (UTC)

but they are more productive...with a rooster around

Where'd you hear this? I don't keep roosters, so I have no basis for comparison. Most of my gals lay pretty much one egg a day (one every 26-28 hours).

Throwing off their natural seasonal patterns with artificial daylight does work, but it also supposedly stresses them burns them out quicker (only so many ova, y'know).

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urbpan

Jul. 28th, 2009 09:42 am (UTC)

I defer to you on this (Cdozo: the wizard here is a working farmer raising meat chickens) and I don't remember where I heard it.

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ndozo

Jul. 28th, 2009 05:54 am (UTC)

I thought the canary fighting thing would turn out to be a hoax.

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wirrrn

Jul. 28th, 2009 09:14 am (UTC)

I think you've just inadvertently stumbled upon the cure for the Tasmanian Devil's looming disease-related extinction. Exporting the cantankerous little bastiches globally and breeding up tougher strains!

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( 13 comments — Leave a comment )

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All male birds are cocks

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