The Philippines is now acknowledged asthe center of the game fowl industry of the world after the game fowl raising and its attendant sport, cockfighting haVE become anoutlawed activity in the United States of America. While no exactfigures can be gathered, the industry is booming and is impacting awide cross section of the economy and social life of Filipinos.
Scientific Breeding of Gamefowl / by Floyd Gurley - The Scientific Breeding of Gamefowl (Floyd Gurley) Breeding gamefowl the correct way is explained in this 128 page paper back written by famous gamefowl breeder Floyd Gurley in collaboration with John J. Oregon Gamefowl Breeder's Association. The organization consists of members and annually elected officers who recognize the importance of. May 20, 2018 In gamefowl breeding, practical knowledge, not in-depth genetics, is most important. After all, there is no science on the study of roosters’ fighting ability. Unless one is an expert on the gamefowl per se, his Degree, Masteral and Doctoral on Genetics are virtually useless when it comes to determining good fighting ability.
Ilonggos and Negrenses are known widelyas the pioneers of scientific breeding and the fowls raised in theseparts and fowls coming from here are sold to all parts of the countryat prices higher than those locally grown there. We also have thereputation of having the knack for selecting the better fighters andthis had added to a reputation of excellence among breeders big andsmall.
Aside from the ubiquitous gamefowls,there are many other income earning sub-industries within the largeindustry system that when studied closely would show that the gamefowl industry is one that should be promoted enhanced and preserved.Game fowl raising needs support sub-system players like the makers oftie-cords so that the roosters are anchored in place and makers oftepees or the structures that shade them from the harsh elements.There are also those who make other paraphernalia like gloves forchickens, tapes, scabbards and knives. These artisans are otherwiseunemployed and their income derived from these livelihood activitiesare their only means to support their families and send theirchildren to school.
Take the case of two small scalebreeders in Brgy. San Nicolas, Oton, Iloilo. Nelson “Tandok”Tingzon had been growing gamefowls for more than 20 years already. Herecalls that even as a child he helped his father take care of theirchickens which when sold provide food and some extras for othernecessities. Rommel Planta has an almost the same story. He also grewup around chickens and he loved the selling aspect because he and hisfriends can sell their chickens at several times the price ofchickens intended for meat.
Nelson and Rommel have no other meansof livelihood except raising game fowls. Being already well-versed onthe breeding aspect, they make sure that their breeders are wellselected and often, they come from known breeders or from theirbuyers who want them to breed a certain type which they willexclusively buy from him. And they don't simply take the word ofothers when it comes to selection. They have their own set ofcriteria developed through their long years of hands-on breeding.
Gamefowl Genetics: An Insight On the Best Breeding Methods Involving Gamefowls Napoleon Nalcot on Amazon.com.FREE. shipping on qualifying offers. Whoever wants to dominate the world of cockfighting must have known about the importance of acquiring the finest gamefowls in the first place. Methods for breeding:There are various methods of breeding purebreds. Although gamefowl breeders differed widely in their methods of breeding, their objective is always the same, to breed and raise the best fowl possible. Fowl that represent, what they feel is the best American Games in the world. Some breeders have for years followed line.
Breeding for true to type individualsand for performance.
One breed that they both maintain arethe Sweater fowls, said to be originated by Mr. Sweater McGinnis, anAmerican breeder of the 1930s to the 1950s. These fowls are lightred, bordering on pumpkin color and are well liked by many because oftheir fighting style and is said to be one of the outstanding breedsin the Philippine cockfighting scene. Nelson and Romel have their ownversion of the Sweaters and they say that each year they sell morethan 100 each for this type of fowl. What they breed it with is theirsecret though. They say that they mate their outstanding Sweaterbrood cocks with hens whose brothers have also performed in the pitas fought by their buyers.
They also have other breeds like theHigh Action Hatch crossed or tinted with Mc Lean or Gilmore blood,both of which are green or blue legged types which are said toprovide speed, power and gameness. Nelson says that he bred his HighAction Hatch hens to a Gilmore Hatch brood cock provided to him byDr. Pepe Sullano. He is very happy with the offsprings since he hasalready sold more than 60 heads at a good price of not less thanP4,500.00 each. With that sales alone he said that he has alreadyrecovered ;his feed expenses for this year and expect that the morethan 150 stags that are still maturing will somehow bring him morethan what he expects.
Rommel on the other hand had beensupplied by his customers and friends with top rated brood materials.“I would not like to divulge the friends and customers who providedmy brood stocks because they want it that way. They also haveexclusive right to my stags that is why every stock that I raise isconsidered sold already. I cannot produce enough because it gets soldanyway”, says Rommel. Both he and Nelson are still breeding thisoff-season (May to September) because there are buyers who still buythose late produce since cockfighting is non-stop especially inManila.
Game fowl raising as a way of life.
“Breeding game fowls have been mymain occupation since I got married from which I have raised myfamily. My eldest son had graduated and is already on board a ship asa sailor and I have high hopes that like the other seamen who hadprospered, he will also help us economically as he progresses in hiscareer. My second son is graduating from the Hotel and RestaurantManagement course. My youngest is still in the elementary grades.With tuition fees and their daily school needs so expensive thesedays I culd not have afforded their schooling had I just taken manuallabor which pays minimum wage”, says Nelson.
Everybody in the family helps. His wifebeing very supportive tends to the incubator and the chicks that iswhy they can hatch more than 500 each year and on a 50/50 ratio ofmales to females, they can easily mature 250 or more stags orcockerels every year. Nelson and his children tend to feeding andother chores. We use only the best feeds available to other breedersand feeders of game fowls. “We don't scrimp on feeds because itshows on the health, size, height and conformation of the stags andcocks we produce. Since cockfighting is competitive and there is onlyone bottom line which is to win, our buyers demand value for theirmoney”.
Both Nelson and Rommel provideemployment indirectly to others in the neighborhood. Their tepees aremade by laborers who charge them P120.00 per unit and Rommel saidthat the materials cost about P50-60 and the rest is labor for themakers. A maker he said can make 5-6 units daily with some help,often from their own children. They also need 500 or so tie cordswhich they use to anchor the legs of their chickens. A tie cord costsP8.00 per unit so between the two of us, we buy about P8,000 worth oftie cords every year. A family making these can produce this in twoweeks' time and their cost of materials is just about P3,000 thusmaking for them an income of about P5,000.00 in two weeks.
Game fowl breeding provides fooddirectly and indirectly. Indirectly, when the choice stags and cocksare sold at a good price and used to buy rice and other food items.Directly, when undersized and culls are slaughtered for the table.Extra eggs are also eaten, often hard boiled and brought by thechildren to school as snacks. “Our children are healthy and activebecause they get to eat high levels of protein from chicken meat andeggs”, says Rommel.
The game is now competitive. With twomajor federations of breeders nationwide and an almost non-stopcompetition, the demand for quality stags and cocks have increased.We are often visited by buyers who say that they were referred bytheir friends who have bought from us and want to buy the same typesas those bought in the previous years because they said that they sawthem win. We cannot refuse them and they just added to our list ofcustomers.
“We don't fight our roosters anymore.Our buyers do it for us. We just sell and somehow these buyers comeback year after year because they are satisfied with the stocks theybought. Since we also improve our breeds according to theirsuggestions, they usually buy the new offspring where they had a handin selecting the brood stocks.
Breeding Gamefowl Genetics
“This is our livelihood and ourpassion. While some may say that this is gambling, for us this issurvival and our chance for a better life. We have not finishedschool and we don't have other means to support our families. Wecannot leave this industry that has provided us with a decent life”,both Rommel and Nelson concluded.