Conditioning is a broad term and I choose to be more specific in this area. As a game fowl breeder and cock fighter I employ natural conditioning for Battle Stags, Battle Cocks, and Brood Stock differently. Natural conditioning is where I try to use natural products and vitamin supplements to get the game fowl into excellent physical and mental condition. My natural conditioning method is not complicated or unique in the game fowl world. I will try to explain each method after I explain a bit about Pointing.
Pointing is that final physical and mental preparation usually beginning 24 hours before the fight or sabong. During the Pointing period we monitor their foods and water, institute some form of carbohydrate loading to augment their muscular performance and monitor their weight. We are also careful to give them much rest during this period. I do not advocate using other than vitamin B-12, B-complex like Sagupaans Complexor 3000 and water soluble vitamins and electrolytes when Pointing your birds. Personally, Using steroids, or hormone supplements and of course the ever famous, guaranteed to make your birds win, “Kipuku” elixir injectable to use 2 hours before the fight will eventually result in disasterous results.
Maintenance Conditioning Basics. Keeping sick or malformed birds is discouraged. To
fight well or to breed healthy game fowl you must start with the best quality birds you
can afford. Birds MUST be immunized according to the veterinary recommendations for
your area. Most local poultry feeds supply stores around the world can help you develop
a vaccine program. I have posted my vaccine program and information on the vaccines
on my website. Like all breeders and cockers I too have had birds that I have purchased
as stags die suddenly when they reach 18 months old and also those beautiful cocks that
get tired and are gasping for air after one buckle when sparring. I will not tell you why
these happened as you must study and learn about game fowl diseases and vaccines here
but both conditions would have been averted by vaccinating the game fowl as chicks.
Just as vaccines protect your birds from viruses and most diseases, delousing, deworming
and bacterial flushing according to routine will eliminate those parasites that will steal
your game fowls stamina and good health.
Feeds during the ranging period are a Super conditioning grain mixture. I supplement the
natural grains with water soluble vitamins daily, and vitamin B with iron injections twice
monthly
Broodstock
Preconditioning of Broodstock
Inject the Broodstock against NCD, IB, IBD, and FOWL POX before breeding. Do a
deworm 7 – 9 days before putting the Brooder. Take a bath of mite free shampoo after
deworming. Shave the butt of male and female to make sure that the cells will come
inside. Do a bacterial flushing in 3 days to make sure that the cock has no any kind of
diseases. Give Selectrogen Electrolytes with vitamins and minerals and B50 Forten
every day. Give the Male and Female of .5ml B Complex with Iron. Give vitamin E gel
capsule once a week for brooder and cock. Give 2 parts of breeder pellets and 1 part hiprotein
derby pellets during the priming.
Conditioning of Broodstock While Breeding. Feed Broodhens Breeder Pellets 2 Parts
mixed with Derby conditioner 1 Part. Feed Broodcocks a Hi-Protein derby pellets 1 part
mixed with derby conditioner. Feed volume about 30 – 35 grams per feeding 2 times
daily and separate the male from the females when feeding.
Administer mixed electrolytes with multivitamins and minerals in water Daily. Give
Sagupaan B50 Forten anti-stress every other day. Inject the Broodcock with .5cc
injectible iron supplement every 15 days.
Now lets look at fight conditioning.
Conditioning Battle Stags To Fight
Battle Stag conditioning requires more of your attention than cocks as they are still young
and are still prone to injury. At 3 to 4 months they are still eating Stag Developer and at
this time we introduce a mature hen into their area to help spur their maturity. The
presence of hens seem to calm them down also.
At 5 months old I move them to flypens, with a roosting height of 5 feet that I gradually
raise to 7 feet to allow the exercise. Their ranging areas have roosts at 4 feet. Generally I
keep them in the fly pen with the hen close by every other week then the in between week
they are in a scratch box 1 hour a day. As they mature they will become cocky so that is
the time to cord the stag with a pali just longer than the pali for cocks. Exercises for stags
are not recommended and the extra cord will give them extra room to roam.
When corded I switch them to conditioning grains. By the time they are going to the fly
pens I am giving them 75% Stag Developer and 25% Grains, The next week 50-50% and
the third week 25% Stag Developer and 75% grains. Once corded they are feed full
Developer Grains.
I administer vitamin B-complex like Sagupaans Complexor 3000 weekly to the stags at
3ml per bird and add multivitamins to their water.
When training for a Stag Derby I do not exercise them just rotate them between the
Flypen at 3 days a week and Scratch Box also 3 times a week. I will spar them twice
during this 21 day natural conditioning period but one buckle only and the buckle lasts
only 30 seconds. For feed during the 21 day fight conditioning period we switch to a
high protein derby conditioner To enhance their scratching exercise and to help us
monitor their moisture content in the mornings we feed dry in the morning and wet in the
evening. During our 36 hour pointing period we do carboloading of our Battle Stags.
Conditioning Battle Cocks and Bullstags for the Arena
There are many models for battle conditioning Bullstags and Cocks for the arena and
most will follow a 35, 28 or 21 day regimen. I follow a 21 day routine of deworming,
delousing, bacterial flushing, sparring, supplementing vitamins, scratching exercises,
flypen exercising and reducing moisture content in the birds.
Feeds during our 21 day conditioning keep are Sagupaans derby conditioners Winning
Line mixed equally with their Ready To Fight packaged feed. This is my choice feed for
our cocks here in Luzon and there are many other good brands and feeds available.
Choose a brand and blend that conditions your birds at your location. To enhance their
scratching exercise and to help us monitor their moisture content in the mornings we feed
dry in the morning and wet in the evening. During our 36 hour pointing period we do
carboloading of our Battle Stags.Individuals are, or should be, your greatest concern in your Brood pen as they are the most important part of this sport,
as should they be inferior, their stags are "whipped" before they enter the pit.
