There is always gambling involved in cockfights. The amount of bets depends on the name of these breeders who take part in cockfights.
Cockfight breeders usually cut their cock's feather off to create different shapes and so to make the birds visually attractive.
Gallera San Miguel (Bogotá), one of the most prestigious cockfight arenas in Colombia.
The cocks are equipped with tortoise-shell made gaffs tied to the bird's leg. Gaffs make the cockfight much shorter (up to 15 minutes maximum).
The fight preparation of a cock (gaffs attachment, activation of the bird,…) is a complex procedure which may last half an hour or more.
Cock attacks using its pecker and its claws. Birds run fast inside the ring trying to get away from rival's drives.
Cockfights attract all type of men, no matter the age neither the social status. Women are rarely seen.
Cocks are specially trained to increase their aggression, stamina and to improve their fighting techniques, basically in the same way like professional athletes are.
Cockfight is a bloody spectacle. If a fighting cock wins certain number of matches they keep him for reproduction and do not let him fight anymore.
The owner is trying to save his cock's life after he lost the match. Brave cocks are highly treasured and one lost doesn't mean much while coincidence plays an important role in cockfights.
Cock's comb and wattle are cut off in the age of three months. Those body parts would bleed a lot if hit by pecker during the match.
The trainer prepares his cock champion for a fight. There are a lot of tricks to get the bird into the right fighting condition.
The owner is inspecting his cock's injuries after a very tough match in Gallera San Miguel (Bogotá).
The cock trainer holding his trainee during the drill.
Cockfight
Colombia and Venezuela – March-July 2006
Cockfight is a widely popular and legal sporting event in much of Latin America. The fight is usually held in an arena (gallera) with seats for spectators. There is always gambling involved in cockfights. People take advantage of cock's natural, strong will to fight against all males of the same species. Birds are specially bred to increase their aggression and stamina, they are given the best of food and care. The cocks are equipped with tortoise-shell made gaffs tied to the bird's leg. The fight is not intentionally to the death but it may result in the death of cocks very often because birds never stop fighting till they are dead.
Read 'El coronel no tiene quien le escriba' or 'No one writes to the colonel' by Gabriel Garcia Marquez if you want to learn more about cockfighting in colombia in the past
In some cases having a Cockrel and entering it into cockfights can be peoples only source of income - in a country that has experienced vast amounts of turmoil both political and otherwise, the rights of those that live there and any cruelty that they face is more important to consider. You may dislike cockfights (i too am not a fan of them) but if that results in people being able to survive then it is no different than having a donkey, a cow or a goat in an impoverished country that is your livelihood.
Cockfighting, as well as bullfights, are practices that may be deemed cruel to the animals, and it is not right for them to be subjected to such violence where they are forced to fight, however until the people of Colombia are safe and have a steady income that does not rely on these practices, taking the animals away or restricting the fights would lead to more poverty and deaths among the country's people and so whilst the practice is not to be encouraged, it should not be stopped by force until people have an alternate source of income that does not rely on these animals competing.
Animal lives are important, but human lives are important too, and both should be considered when facing a situation like this. This is not the best position for the animals, but for colombians it reduces poverty and starvation among its citizens and allows people to survive, so until there is an alternative source of income for these people it is wrong to take it away as it would lead to starving, poverty, and deaths.
egg
16.11.2017 – 14:40
I'm glad that he lived... But he shouldn't have been put in these circumstances! Why can't you just keep a chicken as a pet and treat it well??? God bless that chicken!
Woah
30.06.2015 – 19:50
You are right the industry chickens dont have it better at all.
Dont see that as a reason to make Cockfight legal.
It should always be illegal,next time it will be humans fighting like this in a big arena same like long time ago
(still happens these days in secret)
What i try to say is if you make murder look normal,it will be normal (thin line left)
Frits
14.11.2013 – 20:44
Now that's a big misconception people have about these Majestic battle cocks. This is what these animals do. Understand that one could let them grow together from chicks and by the time they are but a mere 6 wks. old they will start fighting to the death. sometimes even younger. One more thing, compared to the poor chickens we raise ,"if you dare call it raised" in a very confined area never even old enough to call them chickens only to get steamed alive to slaughter and consume, the Game Cock lives a life of lavished KINGHOOD and if a champion 2 or 3 time winner will live the rest of his life in what one might call extravagance.! Say something else. I dare you.
justtrollin76
16.09.2013 – 13:16
Great pictures :) but i feel so sad for these animals this is very wrong to force animals to fight each other for money... :(
Daniyal
22.08.2013 – 09:03