Improvable wild types
In a previous blog (Mystery hens; Feb. 4, 2019), I wrote about essential wild type traits. Essential wild types are traits necessary and essential for survival in the wild. Examples are instinct, reflex, agility, speed, strength, good health.
Aside from the essential wild type there are the improvable wild type traits. The improvables are characteristics also necessary in survival of chicken in the wild but can still be enhanced or modified to fit further the requirements of the purpose for which gamefowl is domesticated which is fighting. Incidentally, many of these improvables are also factors that affect fighting ability.
Examples are tendency, temperament and structure. There might be others. These characteristics are present in chickens in the wild. These are necessary in the wild. However, these traits should be improved or modified to fit the requirements of the pit. These traits are essential in the wild, but in different degree from what is necessary for fighting in the pit. So we will have to improve or modify these traits to fit the main purpose why gamefowl is domesticated, which is for fighting.
Tendency, temperament and structure are not exclusive to either the cock or the hen. These are not sex-affected traits. It is, then, best for our interest if we emphasize these traits both in the cock and hen sides. We know that temperament, tendency and structure affects fighting ability. So we will have to breed the kind of tendency, temperament and structure that we think is best for fighting in the pit.
Okay, we will ask ourselves, what for us is good tendency, what is good temperament, and what is good structure in relation to fighting? These are the traits that we want to improve in the gamefowl. Understanding and identifying these traits will enable us to formulate a breeding objective to improve these improvable wild type traits.
In the wild natural selection takes care of this matter. However, nature fixes traits according to the demand of the environment the population is living in, while in the wild. For domesticated gamefowl it is another story. The environment of survival in the pit is entirely different from that of the wild. Therefore it is now up to the breeder to modify these traits accordingly, through selective breeding and application of genetic principles.
Identify the improvable wild type traits and enhance and modify said traits according to the requirements of the pit.
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