The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: scruffbag on October 12, 2014, 08:48:32 pm

Title: Abandoned cockerel
Post by: scruffbag on October 12, 2014, 08:48:32 pm: Turned up to at our yard last night to find a dumped cockerel sitting by the gate, now our birds roam free and are very visable form the road and it has always been at the back of my mind that someone might try this kind of thing, however i would expect it to have been a home hatched bird of little age that may have just started to crow, but not this one, it is an asian hard feather type cock about 2 1/2 feet tall with sores on its back i guess from being in too smaller cage and rubbing its back on the roof, it has had giant spurs so a good couple of years old but they have been clipped, i seperated it and brought it back home and have put it in one of our broody coops but its spent the whole day shivering, so i think it must have been living indoors.
I can only think that it has been brought up for cock fighting and not been up to it (he is very docile and didn't even crow this morning) so left for me to deal with!
Now for a while i have been thinking of trying to breed a bird like this with our hybrid birds to create a better table bird but has anyone got first hand experience?
Title: Re: Abandoned cockerel
Post by: chrismahon on October 13, 2014, 06:06:13 am: We have first hand experience of dumped cockerels Scruffbag. We managed to rehome most of them.

I thought Old English Game, a fighting breed of Asian origin, was crossed to give better table birds? They have the unique characteristic of the cock taking responsibility for rearing chicks when hatched.

Sure someone on this forum has done that?

I seem to remember from shows that both the Malay and the Shamo have exposed flesh on their wings and back, which looks like sores where the feathers have been rubbed off, but is a breed characteristic. The Malay is quite docile, so that may be the bird you have?
Title: Re: Abandoned cockerel
Post by: lord flynn on October 13, 2014, 07:01:26 am: They are often very docile with people. Dunno where you are and this is a very long shot but a few hard feathers were stolen from one of the bigger shows a few weeks ago from championship row. Owners were devastated as they were pets. From somewhere in northern England from what I remember- cages were padlocked so they wrecked the cages to get the birds out.
Title: Re: Abandoned cockerel
Post by: scruffbag on October 13, 2014, 09:03:07 pm: Northamptonshire rutland boarder. Thanks for the feedback, I'll do some digging on the theft as you never know
Title: Re: Abandoned cockerel
Post by: lord flynn on October 13, 2014, 09:09:05 pm: just managed to find this

http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/owner-left-distraught-theft-prizewinning-7815522 (http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/owner-left-distraught-theft-prizewinning-7815522)
Title: Re: Abandoned cockerel
Post by: scruffbag on October 13, 2014, 09:25:21 pm: I've tried calling them but no answer, left a message so we'll wait and see.
Title: Re: Abandoned cockerel
Post by: scruffbag on October 13, 2014, 10:16:47 pm: Looks like its one of their missing cockerels, they are coming to collect it tomorrow!
Title: Re: Abandoned cockerel
Post by: devonlady on October 14, 2014, 06:09:27 am: Let's hope the other two are nearby and also turn up :fc: What a lovely picture of the cockerel being bathed. He was fast asleep by the look of him!
Title: Re: Abandoned cockerel
Post by: lord flynn on October 14, 2014, 07:30:43 am: Oh, I am so pleased, thanks so much for contacting them :)
Title: Re: Abandoned cockerel
Post by: ladyK on October 14, 2014, 12:06:37 pm: Brilliant news! Well done for contacting them SB, and for making the connection LF!
:trophy:
Title: Re: Abandoned cockerel
Post by: devonlady on October 15, 2014, 06:46:58 am: Please, keep us informed :chook: :chook:
Title: Re: Abandoned cockerel
Post by: devonlady on October 22, 2014, 05:38:45 am: What news on the cockerel? :chook: