Cockfighting

Cockfighting is a popular sport in many parts of the world. It is also banned in many parts of the world.

In the United Kingdom

In 1957, George Ryley Scott wrote that it was once "the national sport of England." Some say the sport was brought to England by Phoenician traders, and others say the ancient Romans introduced the sport. Regardless, its history extends to ancient times. Until the 13th century, it was apparently a sport of schoolboys, but in the 13th century it became a sport for adult men too. Scott writes:

"The rise in popularity was rapid. By the time Elizabeth I came to the throne, cocking had become so firmly established and achieved such widespread popularity that it was already receiving the attention of the Puritans. From thence onwards for over two hundred years it reigned as Britan's premier sport.... From the accounts of historians, and the amount of space devoted to the sport in the newspapers of the day, one may well conclude that cocking in the sixteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth, and early nineteenth centuries (in fact right up to the time when it was prohibited by law) occupied a place, as regards popularity, on par with that held by football or racing today."

Writings from 17th and 18th century England show that cockers went to great lengths to feed, train, and groom their game cocks in preparation for fights. On the occasion that a game cock survived a fight, cockers continued their attention to the bird's care in treating his wounds. All classes engaged in cockfighting. King Henry the Eighth had a cockpit built in the palace at Whitehall, and James the First named cocking a national sport and appointed a cockmaster to breed, rear, and train cocks to fight in the royal arena.

Despite being banned in the UK in the mid-19th century, it is still practiced there illegally.

In the United States

Cockfighting was brought to part of North America that is now the United States early on when European colonists arrived. By 1957, a patchwork of laws governed cockfighting in various states:

"For instance, in several States, the possession of cocks for the purpose of fighting is in itself illegal; in others the spectators at a cockfight whether or not they are owners of the contesting birds, are liable to arrest and prosecution; while in a few instances the birds may be seized by the police. Of all the States, however, California takes the most rigorous measures against the sport, for not only does it have all the aforementioned penalties, bu in addition the possession of artificial spurs is illegal, and dubbing [removing the birds' combs and wattles] is prohibited. On the other hand, the law in some States does little to prevent the holding of contests. Thus in Kansas cockfighting is permitted on any weekday; in Alabama it is legal so long as it is held in conditions of strict privacy; in Kentucky any prohibition applies only to such fights as are "for profit." In many States, however, there are no specific laws against cockfighting, and any proceedings must be taken on the grounds of cruelty."

Despite cockfighting being banned or restricted in some way in all states except Florida, Scott writes that "the law does not appear to be enforced, the authorities often deliberately turning shut-eyes on its violation."

Articles and Resources

Related SourceWatch Articles

• Historic USDA Publications
• Historic Poultry Publications
• American Chicken Breeds

External Resources

• Scott, George Ryley. The History of Cockfighting. London: C. Skilton, 1957.