The history of cockfighting

Cockfighting is an ancient chicken breed in my country, with a history of more than 2,000 years. "Historical Records" and "Hanshu" contain many records about "cockfighting and lackeys". In 770 BC, during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Lu Jipingzi and his neighbor Zhaobo offended Lu Zhaogong with a cockfight, and they actually started fighting with each other. According to the "Chengwu County Chronicle" of Shandong Province: "The cockfighting platform is behind Wenting Mountain. In the third year of King Zhou Xuan (679 BC), Duke Huan of Qi used the Song Beixing meeting at the back of the Song Dynasty to encircle the princes to attack the Song Dynasty. , it was taken in the Northern Song Dynasty, and cockfighting was on it." It can be seen that cockfighting was quite popular among slave owners at that time. During the Wei Cao period, Emperor Wei Ming built a cockfighting platform in the postal capital (now Wei County, Hebei Province) during the Taihe period (AD 297-235). King Zhao Shihu played cockfighting here. There was once a "cockfighting road in the east suburbs". , the poem "The horse is running in a hurry". Chen Hong, a writer of the Tang Dynasty, recorded in "The Biography of the Elders of Dongcheng": "When Xuanzong (AD 712-756) was in his vassal residence, he enjoyed folk cockfighting during the Qingming Festival. When he ascended the throne, he set up a chicken shop between the two palaces. The head of the family installed a rooster with golden hair. , iron spars, high crowns, and thousands of chickens raised in the shed." This shows how far cockfighting was at that time. Gao Qi of the Ming Dynasty (1336-1374 AD) wrote "Shu Bo Ji Zhe Shi". There is also a historical site named "cockfighting platform" in Baoji, Shaanxi today. It can be seen that the formation of Chinese cockfighting has a long history.

Cockfighting "Complete Poems of the Tang Dynasty" mentions the word "cockfighting" more than 50 times, of which nearly 10 times "cockfighting" is used in conjunction with or corresponds to "running dog" or "walking horse". This sport The nature of gambling is obvious, and future generations are always associated with not doing business properly. "The Magic Chicken Nursery Rhyme" writes: It is not necessary to know the written language when giving birth to a child. Fighting cocks and running horses are better than reading. The Jia family is thirteen years old, and their wealth and splendor are inferior to those of their generation. Jia Chang, the "Chicken Magic Boy", was favored by Xuanzong because he was good at taming and fighting chickens, and enjoyed all the glory and wealth. Li Bai's "Answer to the King Drinking Alone and Feelings on a Twelve Cold Nights (This poem by Xiao Shiyun is a forgery)" wrote: "You cannot imitate cockfighting by plastering it with gold and sitting there and letting your breath blow the rainbow." Du Fu's "Cockfighting" wrote: "The cockfighting gives you brocade at the beginning, and the dancing horse comes to bed." Several emperors in the Tang Dynasty liked cockfighting, and Xizong not only fought cockfighting, but also fought geese.

The fighting cock fights for heroes with mustard wings, and the double-range sharp blade shows off its majesty. Feathers flying in the air determine the winner or loser, and they end up in dandy joy.

Cockfighting was already very popular during the Warring States Period. "National Policy Qi Ce": "Linzi is very rich and practical, and its people all play the yu, drum and harp, build, play the harp, fight cocks, and run dogs." "Historical Records: Biography of Yuan Angchao Cuo": "Anng stayed at home to avoid illness... and accompanied him to fight cocks and lackeys." 』Cold food cockfighting was especially popular in the Wei and Jin Dynasties. Ying Tan's "Cockfighting Poems" describes: "The two parts are Cao Wu, and the flock of chickens is shining." The double distance is long, and the flying leap is superior to the enemy. Mustard feathers and golden distances, how colorful the battles are. From morning till night, the outcome is indistinguishable. 』The style of cockfighting was still very popular in the Tang Dynasty. Mrs. Huarui's "Gong Ci": "Next to the small Hanshi Qingming Hall, there is a cockfighting ring sandwiched between two colorful buildings. The wife has a clear view of the emperor, and first bets that Hongluo will be bedded ten times. 』 On December 12, 2015, in the village committee compound of Kekemodun Village, Tawenjueken Township, Bohu County, Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, a meeting was held by the County Industrial and Commercial Bureau, the County Audit Bureau, and the County Quality and Technical Supervision The cockfighting competition, a folk game with Xinjiang characteristics and a mass entertainment project organized by the bureau working group in conjunction with the village committee, is being performed with passion.

The six-day Xinjiang Folk Cockfighting Competition, which opened on March 12, 2016, was held in Huocheng County, Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. 60 gamecocks sent by 40 cockfighting enthusiasts from different regions in Xinjiang were caught one by one. Fight. The cockfighting competition on the morning of the 14th was exciting and shocking. If activities such as Cuju and tug-of-war not only exercised the human body but also stimulated the prosperity of mass sports, then there was another sport in the Tang Dynasty that also had the above functions, except that it exercised chickens. This is cockfighting. In the Tang Dynasty, cockfighting was a very popular sport. It not only had a large number of fans among the people, but was also very popular among the royal family. The princes and nobles not only competed for money and power, but sometimes also competed with chickens for reputation. It was even common for royal conflicts to arise due to cockfighting.

During the reign of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, princes and officials were crazy about cockfighting.

"Liezi" records that "Ji Zhuzi raised fighting cocks for King Xuan of Zhou Dynasty". Cockfighting became more popular in the Spring and Autumn Period. According to their geographical distribution, Chinese gamecocks mainly include Henan gamecocks, Shandong gamecocks, etc. In particular, Henan gamecocks produced in Kaifeng, Zhengzhou, Luoyang and other places have pure blood and are more famous. In addition, there are fighting cocks produced in northern Anhui, Turpan and Ili in Xinjiang, Xishuangbanna in Yunnan, and Zhangzhou in Fujian. Recreational cockfighting in India also has a long history. Other Asian countries where cockfighting is popular include the Philippines, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, etc. The game of cockfighting was introduced to Europe around the 5th century BC, and later spread to other parts of the world.

The Central Plains cockfighting production area is in the alluvial plain of the Yellow River. The landform types are sand dunes, sandy land and silt flat land. The climate is semi-arid and semi-humid, with obvious monsoon climate characteristics. The annual precipitation is 600~800mm. The planting industry is mainly wheat, corn, peanuts and potatoes, and the feed resources are abundant. Turpan fighting cocks are produced in the Turpan Basin, known as the Fire State. It is located in a low-altitude area, with the lowest altitude being -154m. Although the average annual precipitation is only 25mm, due to the melting of mountain ice and snow, there are abundant underground water resources. The development of oasis agriculture is the right choice here. The characteristics of the area include rich products, mainly wheat, sorghum, etc. Olive Dam, the origin of Xishuangbanna Gamecocks, has an altitude of 523m and is surrounded by mountains. The Lancang River flows through the center of the Bazi, and the climate is hot and typical of a tropical climate. It is rich in rice, corn, soybeans and a variety of tropical crops, and is extremely rich in animal and plant natural feed resources. The ecological environment of Turpan gamecocks and Xishuangbanna gamecocks has the same characteristics. Due to long-term transportation inconvenience, they have been relatively isolated from the outside world, naturally forming a closed breeding group. In addition, the formation of fighting cock breeds is closely related to the local people's customs and habits of playing cockfighting. Selection

Fighting cocks must have short and thin feathers to reduce the chance of their feathers being bitten by the opponent. The head is small and straight, the eyes should be deep, the skin is thick, the feet are large and straight, and the spurs are well developed. Behave steadily and don't move around.

This kind of cockfighting has a great chance of winning. Fighting cocks are mostly domesticated from red-feathered chickens that are naturally aggressive. Variety classification: Luxi fighting cocks mainly have three main coat colors: green (black), red (purple), white, and other variegated colors such as reed flower, persimmon yellow, etc. Green Chicken

The feathers all over the body are pure green and shiny like black satin. The lining of the feathers on the back is white, forming a black outside and white inside, commonly known as dark clouds covering snow. The rooster has 3 to 4 long black and white sickle feathers on its tail. The hen is all black with a snowflake top on its head. Both the male and hen have one or two white wings. Red chicken

The feathers on the back and neck of the rooster are red, the leg feathers, breast feathers and tail feathers are black, followed by those with flower tails, and the under feathers on the back are light gray. The hen's feathers are yellow and white, commonly known as cowpea white. Those with a slightly heavier yellow color are also called cowpea yellow. Newborn chicks (male and female) are all white, small and medium-sized roosters are black, and hens are cowpea white. White chicken

The feathers of the whole body are white and bright, clean and neat. Those with red hair are inferior. Cockfighting has strict requirements on characteristics and fighting skills. A good fighting cock must have a heroic appearance and a strong physique. It must pay attention to and have strict standards for its bloodline and fighting performance, which is completely different from other chicken breeds.

Character - The fighting cock is required to take the initiative to attack the opponent under any circumstances, especially in the final stage of the battle (i.e. the final stage of the battle). It is necessary to fight in person, to beat the lying chicken, and to leave the game (both sides fight until they are exhausted) At the end of the attack), we must lie down rather than leave, prefer death to surrender, and fight to the end while there is still one breath. No retreat is allowed during the attack, and no half-hearted offensive posture is allowed. The attack must be resolute and proactive.

Skeleton--According to the special character and fighting needs of the fighting cock, its bones must be solid. The length and thickness of the bones in each part are well-proportioned. Being too slender or short is not conducive to fighting.

Build shape--The chest of a gamecock should be wide, the feathers should be compact, and the body frame should be neat. Therefore, experts who feed gamecocks have a mantra: small head, big body frame, thin leg lines and claws. And use this to select the size of the chicken. Crab lid and jujube core body shapes are not popular.

Weight--The weight of gamecocks is generally divided into three levels. The weight of large gamecocks is about 4kg, the weight of medium gamecocks is about 3.5kg, the weight of small gamecocks is about 3kg, and the weight of super large gamecocks is about 5kg. Due to their body size, They are bulky, slow in movement, and not conducive to fighting, so very large fighting chickens are rarely fed. Female gamecocks are smaller than male gamecocks, with large female gamecocks weighing more than 3.5kg, medium female gamecocks weighing about 3kg, and small female gamecocks weighing 2.5-3kg.

Coat color--Fighting cock enthusiasts are very particular about the color of the feathers of fighting cocks. Generally, green, red, purple and soap are used as colors. Cyan is jet black feathers, with green glitter on the front, and white sand tail on the bottom. The Dong people call the green fighting cock "dark clouds covered with snow". Red means red hair on the back of the neck, grey-brown on the side of the flock, and black or white sandy tail. The down of red chickens after hatching is white, so some enthusiasts often call red gamecocks white down. Purple means that the feathers on the back of the neck are dark red or black-red, and there are two types: blue-purple and white down. Soap color means that the feathers on the whole body are uniformly black, as black as soap cloth without any light. The above four coat colors are top grade. Other white, beautiful waist, reed flower, and persimmon yellow hair are the lower colors. Gamecock experts often say: only feed green, red, purple, and soap feathers, and do not feed Li, white, and persimmon feathers. All kinds of feathers are required to be in good color and glossy, with white sand tails and white-edged wings.

Head - Relatively speaking, it is better for a small face to be tight and delicate, the earrings should be small and not heavy, the forehead should be broad and broad, the eye sockets should be deep and large, the crown should be small and upright, and the facial features should be good-looking. Be coordinated. The shape of the mouth is required to be thick, straight and long-pointed. A large arched mouth shape is not good, and a sharp and sharp mouth is better. Those that are too thin and too long (commonly known as bamboo stick mouth) are not advisable. The tip of the beak should be pure, usually only yellow and white. The beak color of adult fighting cocks should not be black. The nose should be fanned out and the nostrils should be large and long.

Eye color--The eye color of fighting cocks is very particular. It is generally divided into three types: white, yellow, and red, as well as chrysanthemum, bean green, etc., with pure white being the top grade. The eyes should be bright and sharp, while the eye sockets should be deep and the eyeballs should be small.

Crown shape - generally divided into two categories: flat top and corolla. The flat top is also called the head, and the head can be divided into narrow face, wide face, goose top, and persimmon crown; the corolla can be divided into warped corolla, small corolla, large corolla, longevity crown, and mountain axe. According to the combat requirements, it is better to be small and thin.

Legs and claws--the legs are divided into thighs and open legs. The curvature of the thighs and bare legs should be large, which is commonly known as the thigh curvature is large and the jumping ability is strong. The thighs should be thick, and the bare legs should be thin, and the meat should be on the thighs. The bare legs should be skinny and boney, with no meat at all. There is a kind of seven-petal leg that also has a superior appearance (the seven-petal leg means that the leg surface has three tiles, and one section of it is shaped like seven star petals, forming seven petals, hence the name). The distance between the two legs should be large, that is, the crotch opening should be large. The claws should be wide, the claws should be large, the claws should be thin, dry, long, and the angle between the toes should be large, which is the so-called large cross claw. The small hind claws should be extended backwards to facilitate a stable stance. Gamecocks are tall and burly, strong and long-bodied, resembling the body of an ostrich. The beak is like an eagle's beak, the neck is long, the chest is well developed, the feathers are shallow, and the neck is thick and long.

Vietnamese fighting cocks have no combs and earlobes, and their heads are sleeker than other fighting cock varieties. Their beaks are thick and short, conical (two short beaks), and there is no beak hook; their necks are thick and short, and their body shape is also slightly round. , as strong as an ox, with endless endurance, amazing explosive power, super intelligence, long lifespan, and a fierce cry. The characteristic of chicken legs is that the legs and feet are in the shape of white four-sided columns, which are as hard as iron, with fine scales, and the spurs are flat and round, almost not long. After mating with fighting cocks from other countries, the speed and endurance can be significantly improved. Vietnam is close to the coast and has convenient transportation, allowing it to learn advanced animal breeding technologies from Europe and the United States.

Central Plains Gamecock: Semi-prismatic, small head, thin and tight scalp. The face has long slope and fine hair. The crown is knobby. The wattle is no longer obvious. The beak is short, thick and curved. The eyes are large, with deep eye sockets, and the iridescent colors are water white eyes and pea green eyes. The ear lobes are short. There are many kinds of feather colors for gamecocks. The feathers of black-feathered gamecocks are shiny like black satin, and the down feathers on the abdomen are white. There are two white sickle feathers on the tail of the rooster, and the hen should have a snowflake top; the red-feathered rooster is maroon red and has sickle feathers. All black or with white spots, the hen has the red and white color of cowpea. In addition, there are purple feathers, white feathers and flower feathers. The shins are flesh-colored and have no shin feathers. Four toes, wide distance between toes.

Turpan fighting cock: The crown is a short compound crown, and the crown, wattles and ear leaves are all red.

The beak is brown, and a red skin fold grows under the beak. The iridescence is reddish brown. The coat color is divided into three types: black, hemp color and light chestnut brown. The rooster's sickle feathers are black with a bronze sheen. The shins are flesh-colored and sometimes cyan. Some neck feathers and skin are flesh-colored. The head of Xishuangbanna fighting cock is small and semi-spindle shaped. The bean crown, crown and ear leaves are red. The beak is short, thick and curved; yellow or brown. The iridescence is orange-red. There are many types of coat colors, with pure black, pure white and crimson as the main colors. The shins are yellow or slate color and there are no shin feathers. Four toes. The skin is white.

The Filipinos love cockfighting, a national quintessence, and they are obsessed with it. It is also a national culture. It has a reputation for imperfection. At the beginning of the 16th century, before the Spanish colonists invaded, cockfighting was already popular in this country, which has a history of two to three hundred years. Therefore, it is not an exaggeration to count cockfighting among the "national quintessence" of the Philippines. People prepare for cockfighting.

In the eyes of Filipino men, two cross-eyed roosters also symbolize bravery, vitality and martial arts spirit. Therefore, Filipinos compare brave people to chickens.