Cockfighting

In many zones of the world (Latin America, Southern Asia, occasionally in western countries), cockfighting is a very much appreciated form of entertainment. The cock fights involve special breeds, the so-called combatants (like the American Game Fowl). These birds are not especially heavy but they rather have a violent temperament. After selections over many generations, these birds have an artificial level of aggression against those of their own species.

The fighting cocks are young individuals which are prepared with a great care and severity. In Thailand, the breeders wash them each morning, then leave them unprotected in the sun, until the water on them evaporates and the cocks almost lose their breath. The cocks are then gradually passed into the shadow, where they are soaked again and put to execute divings, sidesteps and other manipulations. These birds are fed with pieces of pork, mixed with powder sugar and a certain amount of rice. The training would continue until the owner considers the bird is ready to fight.

Fights take place on ground arenas with a diameter of 4 m (13 ft), edged by a 1 m (3.3 ft) fence. One round lasts about 15 minutes and the fight is resumed 15 minutes later. Meanwhile, wounds are treated. The fight is over when one cock renounce, the other one fluttering its wings victoriously.

In other countries, the birds fight to death and this may last from several minutes to half an hour. Razor-sharp steel blades (gaffs), 3 inch (7.5 cm) long, are attached to the legs of the cocks. The metallic spurs are, of course, more effective than the natural ones. The fight is bitter and bloody, and the results of the fights are punctured lungs, broken bones, and pierced eyes.

There is only one state left in the US where cockfightings are still legal: Louisiana. Cockfighting still thrives in some rural areas of 33 states, like Arkansas, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma and North Carolina, as the bets on the fights roll billions of dollars. The practice involves gambling with thousands of dollars.