Training facilities for proper workout of game fowl
Principles behind the training facilities
From the Book: The Edge
By Rey Bajenting
Not just what you have but why you have them There are basic facilities and equipment in keeping and conditioning gamefowl and there are principles behind each of them, reasons of their existence.
The tie cord. The tie cord is the most basic, and the least expensive of these facilities. In its entire life, it is in the tie cord that the cocks stays most of the time. The longer the tie cord the better. But two meters of tie cords and about four feet of roosting pole are sufficient to serve the purpose. The tie cord provides basic exercise as it allows the cock to walk around the whole day, or fly to the roost whenever it wants to. Tie cords should be under sufficient shade to avoid the cock getting too much exposure to the heat of the sun that could kill it. Most of the time, artificial shade in the form of teepees is provided. Tie-cords should be set up in slightly rolling terrain to avoid stagnant water, and should be in grassy area.
Conditioning pens. Then there are the conditioning pens of different sizes and dimensions. Again the bigger the better. But for practical purposes, 10 feet by 10 feet; 4 feet by 8 feet; 6 feet by 6 feet, will suffice. As to the height, 6 feet is enough, with the roost at 4 feet high. It is advisable to have varying dimensions as it will encourage the cocks to be more active when rotated to different pens. Note that after a while on a particular place roosters tend to relax and become less active. But when rotated to different-looking pens, they
become active again. The purpose of rotation keep is to encourage the birds to move around most of the day, thus allowing them ample natural exercise. Conditioning pens should not be covered, except for a small area that would provide shelter for the birds in case of rain. Without roofing, it is thus necessary that conditioning pens are placed in shaded areas, ideally under trees. Since the purpose is to encourage movement, conditioning pens should be built individually so there will be no walling or partition. Cocks inside the pens should have unhampered view to the outside.
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Fly pens. Four feet by eight feet flying pens are standard. Flying pens should be 10 or 12 feet high. The roost should be adjustable at 5, 6, 7, and 8 feet. Initially set the roost at 5 feet to enable the cock to familiarize and become accustomed to a roosting pole higher than the usual 4 feet in the tie cord. Afterward you can set it higher and higher, accordingly.
Flying pens should be roofed, and with partition between pens. Design the flying pens so that you can place a hen in between two cocks. This will encourage flying as the cocks can only see the hen from the roost. Once at the roost the cocks will likely go down believing he could be with the hen down. Once down he has to fly up again in order to see the hen. This will be repeated a few times, allowing for some wing exercise, before the cock will finally realize the futility of his effort and settle down. If your fly pens also serve as pointing pens, don’t forget to lower the roosting pole as fight day comes closer. And don’t place hens in between the pens anymore.
Training Table. Many conditioners, mostly those in the US where they fight in gaff and short knife, regard the workout table as the foundation of the whole training. On the table they perform such exercises as fly, flip, run roll, and many others to develop the cocks power and stamina. Such is not the case in our slasher fighting, in which quickness, cutting ability, timing and presence of mind are more important than power and stamina.
Scratch boxes. Cocks in a conditioning program are fed with high protein, and are subjected to more rigorous exercises, thus, there is the possibility of them becoming muscle-bound and acquiring too much concentration of lactic acid in the muscles. To avoid this, they should be regularly placed in the scratch box. Five to 10 minutes in the box is necessary every time the cocks are subjected to heavy exercise such as sparring, table workouts, kahig or sampi. A few minutes of fast scratching after heavy workout will unwind, relax and tone the leg muscles of the cocks. For faster and lighter scratching, use dry banana leaves as liter. For heavy scratching which we sometimes resort to in order to develop some leg muscles, use corn or rice straw. Throw a few pieces of cracked corn or pellets to the cocks in the box to encourage them to scratch.
3x3 wire pens. The folding 3 feet by 3 feet wire pens are most popular nowadays. These light-weight and inexpensive pens are very convenient for limbering the cocks on fight day. However, most days the pens serve as resting pens at the farm for cocks under conditioning regimen. It is advisable to rest the cocks in the keep at noontime as the day gets hotter. The 3 x 3 wire pens under the trees or in the roofed area are ideal for the purpose. These pens could also double as scratch boxes.
Lights. Lights are very important in conditioning cocks for derbies or hacks. You have to make use of lights, not only to accustom the cocks to artificial lights in the cockpit, but more important, to provide longer daylight. Longer daylight, say at least 14 hours, somehow has a positive effect on the gamefowl’s hormones.
Training pit. A lighted training pit will provide an area where you can spar and train the cocks. It should be big enough to provide room for sparring and for the regular palakad, kahig at sampi. It should be lighted because many conditioning activities are done at dawn, before daybreak. Also it is a good idea to spar the birds at dawn when they are fully empty and well rested.
Weighing scale. Weighing scale is another must. You can’t condition cocks properly without knowing their fighting weights. Weigh the cocks regularly.
Pointing pens. The pointing pens are smaller versions of the fly pens. Three feet wide, 6 feet long and 5 feet high is ideal. If the intention of conditioning pens is to encourage activity, the pointing pens are designed to encourage rest. Thus, pointing pens should be as covered and enclosed as possible, allowing the cock limited view to the outside. Pointing pens should be set up away from the tie cords and the other pens. They are sort of isolated meditation chambers.
Holding stalls. As the fight day nears, it is better to place the cocks in the holding stalls for one or two hours a day until a day or two before the fight when the cocks are placed in the stalls for longer periods. Aside from providing rest, placing the cock in the holding stalls also familiarizes the cock and become used to it, and thus avoid stress that it might experience if it were placed in the stall for the first time on fight day.
Cock house. As the fight draws nearer, cocks are allowed more rest. Thus, the pointing pens, the 3x3 folding pens and the stalls. Two days before the fight, cocks are given much rest. They are placed in holding stalls inside a cock house to completely shelter them from the elements. Some cock houses are air-conditioned to promote controlled environment where temperature and humidity are constantly kept within the birds’ comfort zone.
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