The Royal Pastime of Cock-fighting: The art of breeding, feeding, fighting, and curing cocks of the gameR. H. (Robert Howlett)
History
The Royal Pastime of Cock-fighting: The art of breeding, feeding, fighting, and curing cocks of the game
R. H. (Robert Howlett)
Cockfighting
such like things, to prevent the Roop, and other Diseases, proceeding
either from foul feed, or ill smells, are things in my opinion
altogether needless, and may as well, or better be let alone, than made
use of; for certainly they avail nothing towards the preservation of
Health in Birds of this sort; for when once they are able to eat it,
give them but their fill of good Barly, and fresh Water, with once in
three Days a handful of Wheat, or bread crums, and a clean Walk to
range in, and you need do no more, for thus managed you will see them
thrive and come to your Hearts content.
_When Cocks shou’d be Dub’d and Penn’d._
Let them Walk till the young Cockerils begin to disagree, and when
once you find they are inclineable to quarrel, and raise up civil-Wars
amongst themselves, you must speedily take them up, and if they are
strong enough, cut their Combs and Wattles, and not before; for if you
cut them too early, there will be no Comb remaining either to grace or
guard the Head, and he’ll look so Capon like, that you will hate to see
him when turned into the Pit. But on the other hand, if you let them
wear their Wattles a Year, or may be five Quarters, as some unwisely
do, they will then be heavy headed, and in spight of Fate must needs
loose a World of Blood, which of all things is the most hurtful to a
Cock of the Game; and, therefore, as you may not before a Quarter old
at soonest, so you may not exceed three Quarters at the farthest, before
you dub your young Cocks, for the Reasons aforesaid: And in cutting, if
you observe this for a Rule, to leave the Comb round like a Half-moon,
it will make the Cock appear as it were Roman-nos’d, or Hawk-bill’d,
and will not only be a good guard to his Head, but will render him
much handsomer to look upon: Whereas close cutting makes them appear
sneaking, and also much weakens the Beak of a Cock, and by that means
many times looses the Battle. But when you Cut, or Dub your Cocks, be
sure to put them up into the Pens for a Week, or more, until you find
their Wounded Heads begin to shell and heal; and this imprisonment will
be of double advantage to the young Cocks, for it will both acquaint
them with the Pens, and give you the advantage of often handling of
them, which is the most compendious way to make them become tame and
gentle, without which qualification, or good property, a Cock (tho’
never so well bred) is not to be trusted to Fight for any considerable
Wager: for should he come to be sett, it is ten to one he skuts, and
basely quits the Pit, and that more for fear of being handled by the
feeder, than hurt by the other Cock, and so looses the Battle for want
of prehandling, and being made tame, and gentle before he comes to
Fight: And therefore, as ’tis a most notorious Crime in a Cock of the
Game to be wild or shie, so it is as weak and silly in a Master, to
Fight such a Bird, before he be familiaris’d, and made bold and gentle.
_When Cocks should be set out to Walk, and where._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account