T H E C O C K E R

(Author Unknown)

Contents

Introduction On the Choice of Cocks On Breeding Cocks On Dieting and Ordering a Cock for Battle On Matching Cocks On Preparing a Cock for Fight On Treating a Cock after Battle, and Healing his Wounds On the Diseases incident to all Birds of true Game

INTRODUCTION

Two general Observations are offered with the following little Treatise, viz. 1st. The Unwary are to be careful not to be cheated; for there are certainly many who bubble the ignorant and credulous, and purchase money and good apparel with everlasting shame and infamy. 2dly. Those who profess Cocking, should not let it interfere with their more important business; they should also guard against a covetous desire of winning another's money, and never risque much of their own, which would not only disturb the mind, but by the disreputation they bring upon themselves of being gamblers, though they lose not their estates, they will certainly lose their credit and good name.

A TREATISE ON COCK-FIGHTING

As Cocking is a sport, or pastime, which affords great delight and pleasure; and as the fighting cock has gained great estimation among the Nobility and Gentry, I here propose, as briefly as possible, to direct how to shoose, breed, and diet the Fighting Cock.

On the Choise of Cocks

In this particular there are four things principally to be considered; and these are Shape, Colour, Courage and sharp Heel.

First, As to his shape, choose him neither too small, nor too large; when too small, he is weak, and tedious in fighting; when too large he is unwieldly, and not active, and both these sizes are very difficult to be matched: therefore the middle-sized cock is the proper choice, being easily matched, and is both strong and nimble. His head ought to be small, with a quick large eye, and a strong back. His head should be crooked, and big at the setting on, and in colour suitable to the plume of his feathers, whether black, yellow, or reddish, etc. The beam of his leg must be very strong, and according to his plume, blue, grey or yellow; his spurs rough, long, and sharp, a little bending inward.

Secondly, His colour ought to be grey, yellow, or red, with a black breast; not but there are many other coloured pyles very good, which you must find out by practice and observation; but the three former, by the experience of most, are found to be the best. The pied pyle may pass indifferently, but the white and dun are rarely found good for any thing. If your cock's neck be invested with a scarlet complexion, it is a sign he is strong, lusty, and courageous; but, on the contrary, if pale and wan, it denotes the Cock to be faint, and defective in health.

Thirdly, You may know his courage, by his proud upright standing, and stately tread in walking; and if he crows very frequently in the pen, it is a demonstration of courage.

Fourthly, and lastly, His narrow heel, or sharpness of heel, is known no other way than by observations in fighting; and that is, when, upon every rising, he so hits that he extracts blood from his opponent, gilding his spurs continually, and every blow threatening immediate death.

It is the opinion of the best cock-masters, that a sharp-heeled cock, though he be somewhat false, is better than a true cock with a dull heel; and the reason is this, the one fights long, but seldom wounds; the other carries a heel so fatal, that every moment produces an expectation of the battle's conclusion; and as he is not so hardy as to endure much hitting, so commonly there is little occasion for it, being a quick dispatcher of his business. And should your cock prove both hardy and narrow-heeled, he is then the best cock you can make choice of. In fine, make choice of such a one that is of strong shape, good colour, true valour, and of sharp and ready heel.

On Breeding Cocks.

Let your Hen be of good complexion, that is, rightly plumed, as black, brown, specked, grey, grizzle, or yellowith. These are the right and proper colours for a hen of the game; and if she be tufted on the crown, it is so much the better, for that argues courage and resolution; and if she has the addition of weapons, they conduce much to her excellency. Let her body be large, and well-poked behind, for the production of large eggs. You will do well to observe how she behaves herself to her chickens, whether friendly of frowardly, and take especial notice of her carriage and deportment among other hens. If she will receive abuses from them without revenge, of show any thing of cowardice, value her not, for you may be assured her chickens will be good for nothing. By the way, take this observation, confirmed by the opinions of the best cock-masters, both ancient and modern, that a right hen of the game from a dunghill-cock will bring forth good chickens; but the best cock from a dunghill-hen will never get a bird that's fit for the game: therefore if you intend to have a good breed, get perfect cocks for your perfect hens.

The best Season for Breeding, is from the increase of the moon in February, to the increase of the same in March. Let her nest be so placed that she may not be disturbed by the fight of any other fowl, which will frequently to raise her choler, that the eggs will be in great danger: let the composition of her nest be made of sweet straw, and let it stand in some warm place, as she is a very tender bird. The next thing to be observed is, whether she turns her eggs often, or not; if she be remiss therein, you must supply her duty; but if she save you the labour, prize her more than ordinary: and that she may not straggle too far from her eggs, being necessitated to seek abroad for food, and thereby cool her eggs, it will altogether proper for you to set by her such necessary food as you shall think fit, with some clear water; and that she may bathe and trim herself at her pleasure in the place where she sits, let there be gravel, sand and ashes, finely sifted. The hen hatches her chickens commonly after one-and-twenty days; observe in the hatching to take those newly hatched, and wrapping them in wool, keep them warm by the fire-side till the rest are disclosed; being all hatched, put them under the hen, and be sure to keep her warm, and suffer not your hen and chickens to straggle abroad till they are above three weeks old, and let the room wherein they walk be boarded, for all other floors are either too moist or too cold. Let their walk be in some grass court, or green place, after they are a month old, that they may have the benefit of feeding on worms, and now and then to scour themselves with grass and chick-weed; but be careful they come not near puddles, of filthy places, for they engender in birds of this nature distempers, which commonly prove fatal; for the prevention of such maladies, by way of antidote, give them every morning, before they range abroad, the Blades of Leeks, chopped or minced small, amongst their usual diet; and it will be requisite to scent their room with burnt Penny-royal of Rosemary. Observe to take this course till their sexes are distinguishable. As soon as the combs or wattles are plainly visible to the eye, cut them away, and anoint the sore place with sweet butter till it be whole. The reasons why their combs or wattles chould be cut so soon, are these: First, if you let them grow till they arrive to their full bigness, and then cut them, there will follow a great flux of blood, and the least loss of blood in feathered fowls is very dangerous; if much, frequently mortal. Moreover, to let them grow thus, causes gouty thick heads, with great lumps; but if you take them off betimes, they will have heads finely small, smooth, and slender. The time of the separation of the cock-chickens, is when they begin to fight and peck one another; till which time you may let them walk with the hen promiscuously together: but afterward let their walks be apart, and that walk is best where a cock may securely and privately enjoy his hens without the disturbance and annoyance of other cocks; for which purpose walks at wind-mills, water-mills, grange-houses, and lodges in parks, are very good walks. Let the place of feeding be as nigh as you can, on soft dry ground, or on boards. If the place be harder, as on paved earth, of floors plaistered, it will to weaken and blunt their beaks, that they will be unable to hold fast. Here note, that any white corn is good for a cock in his walk, and so are white bread toasts steeped in ale, or sometimes urine, which will scour and cool them inwardly. Let not above three hens walk with your cock; for should you suffer more, they will tread too much, by reason of the heat of their nature; and by often treading they will consume their strength, and become so debilitated, that though they have courage enough, yet they have not strength to perform their parts as they ought to do in battle. Observe the crowing of your chickens; if you find them crow before they are six months old, or uneasonably, and that their crowing is clear and loud, fit them as soon as you can for the pot or spit, for those are infallible sings of cowardice and falshood. On the contrary, the true and perfect cock is long before he obtains his voice, and when he has got it, observes hours with the best judgment. Suffer not your cock to fight a battle till he is complete and perfect in every member, and that is when he is two years old. To fight him when his spurs are but warts comparatively, is no sign of discretion; for you may then probably know his valour and courage, but you cannot know his worth and goodness. In especial manner take care that your cock's roosting perch be not too small in the gripe, ot so ill placed that he cannot sit without straddling; or if it be crooked it is bad, for by these means a cock will be uneven heeled, and consequently no good striker, and a perch may either make or mar a cock. To remedy or prevent such faults, have in your roost a row of perches about eight inches in length, and ten inches from the ground, that the cock may with more facility ascend, and, being up, is forced to keep his legs near together. Remember the maxim amongst the best cockbreeders, That the cock which is a close sitter, is ever a narrow striker. Let the footstool of his perch be round and smooth, about the thickness of a man's arm; or if you will have the best for a perch, go visit the houses of the most skilful cock-masters, and from them all gather what is more necessary for your purpose, by making inspection into their feeding pens, and other places; and let the ground underneath be soft, for otherwise, when he leaps down, he will be apt, on a rough and hard ground, to hurt his feet so much, that they will grow knotty and gouty.

On Dieting and Ordering a Cock for Battle.

In the Dieting and Ordering a cock for Battle consists all the substance of profit and pleasure; and therefore expert cockers are very cautious in divulging their secrets, as they call them, of dieting, for on that depends the winning or losing the battle. The best cock undieted, is unable to encounter the worst that is dieted. Let others be as niggardly as they please of their experience and observations, for my part, I shall be free, and scorn to conceal any thing that may tend to the propagation of the art and mystery of cock-fighting; therefore as to the Dieting and Ordering of Cocks, depend on the instructions following.

Your cock should be taken about the latter end of August, for from that time till the latter end of May, cocking is in the prime; the summer-season is improper, by reason of the violent heat. Having taken them up, view them well, and see that they are sound, hard feathered, and full summed, that is, having all their feathers compleat; then put them into several pens, having a moving perch therein, to set it at which corner of the pen you think most convenient. The fashion and form of these pens you may have at the house of any cocker, and therefore I presume any description of them here unnecessary; only be advised to keep your pens clean, and let not your cocks want either meat or water. For the first four days after your cock is penned, feed him with the crumb of old manchet cut into square bits, about a handful at a time, thrice each day, that is, at sun-rising, at noon, and at sun-setting, and let his water be from the coldest spring you can get.

Having fed your cock thus for four days, or so long till you think he has purged himself of his corn, worms, gravel, and other coarse feeding, then in the morning take him out, and let him spar awhile with another cock. Sparring is after this manner, Cover each of your cocks heels with a pair of hots made of rolled-up leather, so covering the spurs that they cannot bruise or wound one another; let them down on straw, in a room, or green grass abroad; let them fight a good while, but if possible suffer them not to draw blood of one another; the benefit that accrues is this, it heats, and chafes their bodies, and it breaks the fat and glut within them, and adapts it for purgation. Having sparred as much as is sufficient, which you may know when you see them pant and grow weary, then take them up, and taking off their hots, give them a diaphoretic, of sweating after this manner. Put them in deep straw baskets made for the purpose, or for want of them, take a couple of cocking bags, and fill them with straw halfways, then put in your cocks severally, and cover them over with straw to the top, then shut down the lids, and let them sweat; but do not forget to give them first some sugar-candy, chopt rosemary and butter, mingled together; let the quantity be of about the bigness of a walnut; by so doing you will cleanse their grease, increase their strength, and prolong their breath. Towards four or five o'clock in the evening take them out of their stoves, and having licked their eyes and heads with your tongue, put them into their pens, and having filled their troughs with square cut manchet, and hot urine, let them feed while the urine is hot; for this will cause their scouring to work, and will wonderfully cleanse both head and body; after this, Diet your cocks with white bread made after this manner: Wheat-meal and outmeal flour each a gallon, kneaded into a stiff paste, with ale, the whites of half a score eggs, and some butter; having wrought the dough very well, make in into broad, thick cakes; and when they are four days old, cut them into square pieces. I will not advise you to use, as some inprudently do, liquorice, anniseeds, or rather hot spices, among your aforesaid ingredients; for they will make a cock so hot at the heart, that, upon the concluding the battle, he will be suffocated, and overcome with his own heat: in short, that food is best, which is most consentaneous to his own natural feeding. The second day after his sparring, take your cock into a fair green close, and having a dunghill cock in your arms, show it him, and then run from him, that thereby you may entice him to follow you, permitting him to have now and then a blow; and thus chace him up and down about half an hour: when he begins to pant, being well heated, take him up, and carry him home, and give him this scouring, viz. Half a pound of Fresh Butter, beat it in a mortar, with the leaves of Herb of Grace, Hysop, and Rosemary, till they all look like a green salve; then give him a piece as big as a walnut, stove him as aforesaid till evening, and then feed him according to former prescription. The next day let him feed and rest, and spar him the day after. Thus do every day for the first week, either sparring or chasing, and after every heat a scouring, which will keep him from being faint and pursy. Feed him the second week as you did the first; but you must not spar or chase him above twice a week, observing still, that if you heat him much, you must stove him long, and give him a greater scouring: when well in breath, flight heats, small scouring, and little stoving, will serve him. This is time sufficient for ordering a cock for battle. You must not let his head be hurt sparring. Towards the conclusion, you may moderately chase him twice or thrice in the time as aforesaid; and give him his scouring, rolled well in sugar-candy, which will prevent his being sick. You may then let him fight, having first let him rest four days, observing that he come empty into the pit.

On Matching Cocks

Of all things, have a special care how you match your cock; for should you feed your cock with ever so much circumspection, care, or prudence, it will avail nothing, if your cock be over-matched. In matching, take notice of these two things; first, The length of cocks; secondly, The strength of cocks, for the length. If your adversary's cock be too long, your's will hardly catch his head, and so be incapable of endangering eye or life; and if he be the stronger, he will over-bear your cock, and not suffer him to rise or strike with any advantage. The length you may judge of by eye, when you grip the cock by the waist, and make him shoot out his legs; in which posture you see the utmost of his height, and so may best make the comparison. His strength is known by the thickness of his body. Take this for a rule, That cock is ever held the strohgest, which is the largest in the girth. You may know the dimension of the girth by the measure of your hands, gripping about the cock from the points of your great finger to the jonts of your thumbs; and either of these advantages by no means give your adversary: if you apprehend loss in the one, be sure to gain in the other; for the weak long cock will rife at more ease, and the short strong cock will give the surer blow.

On Preparing a Cock for Fight.

Since all cocks are not cast in one mould, the advantages on either side must be reconciled by matching; and having made as equal a match as you can, you must thus prepare him to fight. First, With a pair of fine cock-shears, cut all his main off close to his neck, from the head to the setting on of the shoulders.

Secondly, Clip off all the feathers from the tail close to his rump, the redder it appears, the better is the cock in condition.

Thirdly, Take the wings, and spread them forth by the length of the first rising feather, and clip the rest close-wise with sharp points, that in rising he may endanger an eye of his adversary.

Fourthly, Saw off his natural spurs within about a quarter of an inch of his two legs; then with a bit of paper make the gafflets tight over them, binding them round with waxed thread. The steel sort are chiefly used; but for many reasons I prefer the silver ones. Be sure to see the spurs put on yourself, for much depends on their being properly fastened.

Fifthly, and lastly, See that there be no feathers on the crown of his head for his adversary to take hold on, then with your spittle moisten his head all over, and turn him into the pit.

On Treating a Cock after Battle, and Healing his Wounds.

The battle being ended, immediately search your cock's wounds. As many as you can find, suck the blood out of them, then wash them well with warm urine, and that will keep them from rankling; after this give him a roll or two of your best scouring, and so stove him up as hot as you can for that night. In the morning, if you find his head swelled, you must suck his wounds again, and wash them with warm urine; then take the powder of Herb Robert, and put in into a fine bag, and pounce his wounds with it; after this give him to eat a good handful of bread out of warm urine or ale, so put him into the stove again, and let him not feel the air till the swelling be down. If he has received any hurt in his eye, take a leaf or two of Ground-Ivy, that which grows in little tufts in the bottom of hedges, and has a little rough leaf, chew it in your mouth, and spit the juce into the eye of the cock; and this will not only cure the present malady, but prevent the growing of films, haws, warts, or the like, destructive to the eye-sight. If when you have put out your wounded cocks to the walks, a month or two after you find about their healds any swoln bunches, hard and blackish at one end, you may then conclude in such bunches there are unsound cores, which must be opened, and crushed out with your thumbs; and after this you must suck out the matter, and fill the holes full of fresh butter. You need not doubt a cure.

On the Diseases incident to all Birds of true Game.

A white thin scale will often grow on the tip of the tongue, by which means poultry in general cannot feed: it is very visible to the eye, proceeds from foul feeding, or want of water, and is cured by pulling off the scales with your nail, and rubbing the tongue with salt. The Pip is a boil or swelling on the rump of the cock, hen, etc. and will corrupt the whole body. It is known by the starting and turning back of the feathers. For the Cure, you must pull away the feathers, and open the sore to thrust away the core, then wash the place with water and salt, and the cure is effected, after bathing it with sweet oil.

The Roup too is a disorder occasioned by foul feeding. The symptoms are, a running at the nostrils, witn a foetid smell. If it be not cured soon, the cock will be rotten.

There are several Methods of Cure. The general one is Rue and Butter: this commonly takes effect; but the certain one is, dipping the cock's head in a smith's trough.

If your cock or Hen have the Flux, which is caused by eating too much moist meat, you may cure them, by giving them scalded peace-bran; but if they cannot mute, anoint thair vents, and give them corn steeped in urine. Lice is common infirmity among them, proceeding from corrupt food, or for want of bathing, in sand ashes, or the like. This malady you must cure by taking pepper beaten to powder, and mixing it with warm water. Wash them therewith. If they are troubled with Sore Eyes, take a leaf or two of ground-ivy, and use it in the manner as before-mentioned.

Besides the above, there are many infirmities incident to Birds of Game: but as those are discovered only by the immediate observation of the Sportsman, his judgment, in such cases, must be left to suggest a remedy.

FINIS