Cock Fighting in Peru

Hate it or love it, Cockfighting is a popular sport in most countries in the world. For those who are unaware of the sport, Cockfighting is a blood sport where two or more specially bred roosters called game-cocks are placed into a small pit and fight. In this article you will find out why roosters are chosen to fight, how fights are organized, and what game-cocks must go through to become fighters in this sport.

Photo by joshua on http://searunner.sv-timemachine.net/ 

Roosters are chosen to fight because they are territorial animals. In nature roosters fight for dominance within their groups; these fights do not usually result in death between roosters in the wild. Game-cocks are bred to be highly aggressive through generations meaning that many game-cocks have an established ancestry.

Even though this brutal sport is illegal throughout most of the world it is legal and very popular in Peru. Peru cockfights are organized and held in arenas called “Coliseo” where all sorts of people, young, old rich and poor, will come to watch and hopefully make money.

In Peru Cockfighting is taken very seriously as betplacing occurs. There are weigh-ins for the birds, Judges, and an official set of rules.

Several months before game-cocks fight they are trained aggressively and become increasingly strong through feeding, training, steroids and drugs. Training can include running obstacle courses on treadmills, and having practice fights with smaller competitors.

On the day of the fight game-cocks are fitted with 2-inch long blades called cock spurs on their legs. These blades can be made from plastic or even fish-bone. These blades are sharpened and curved and inflict much damage.

When the birds have been fitted with their weapons they are taken into the arena where their owners prepare each bird by holding them beak to beak which creates aggression between the birds. Once the fight starts the birds fight to the death unless they tire themselves out. With this exception, these birds are considered lucky as judges will decide on the winner and both birds are left alive until their next match.

Do you believe that this sport is okay? It is socially accepted and is enjoyed in Peru but most people around the world find this to be unacceptable and cruel. Humans are allowed to do this in sport throughout the UFC and hockey where they bash each other pretty badly. Fighters and hockey players are now facing brain damage and even death. If this practice is okay between humans for the gain of money then is it okay between animals? Whats your point of view? Let me know in the comments below.