For months now gamefowlfacts.org has planned an unprecedented effort to dispel many of the myths surrounding gamefowl, cockfighting, and gamefowl enthusiasts. Not unlike many previous efforts at promotion of gamefowl, this effort has already faced it’s share of doubters. Of course, I would be claiming psychic abilities if I were to pretend that I can predict every facet of the outcome of this project. I do, however, believe that this project will serve the poultry community in many ways, perhaps while simultaneously discrediting many of the myths that have been brought into light by the Animal Rights movement.
This gamefowl live video feed project promises to provide around-the-clock live video feeds of the entire first year of the lives of a number of gamefowl. Several webcams will capture the activity beginning with the placement of eggs in an incubator, and ending a year later when those eggs have become mature gamefowl. This monumental task will result in countless hours of footage, all to be kept on DVD as documentation of every action made by the subject fowl.
The first twenty-one days of the project, admittedly will be as entertaining as watching paint dry, but this footage will also serve two purposes. The first purpose will be verification that the eggs placed in the incubator will be the same eggs that hatch into gamefowl. The second will be educational in nature. This video feed could serve to educate people all over the world, from kindergarten classes, to beginning poultry enthusiasts in regards to incubation. I can certainly envision 25 first graders sitting around the classroom computer with wonder in their eyes as they watch the chicks emerge from the eggs and take their first steps into the world.
Next, the video will show these chicks as they grow in the brooder. Viewers worldwide will be able to observe the daily activity of these chicks as they interact with their miniature world inside the brooder. We will be able to see the thermometer and make observations regarding the behavior of the chicks as they seek warmth, or as they move away from the heat, this could become priceless to a beginner who is unsure of optimum temperatures as the chicks mature. We will be able to make notations of which chicks spend more time at the feeder, and compare that information to the growth rate and overall health of the chicks. We will also see the inevitable pecking order as it is first established in front of the feeder, and how it carries out through the duration of the project. It will certainly be interesting to learn if the chick who is at the top of the pecking order remains at the top as the chicks mature into young stags and pullets.
Webcams will show feed sacks as they are opened, and the feed dispensed into the feeder. Closeups will be shown of the feed label, and this will serve to dispel the myth that gamefowl enthusiasts feed our fowl a special diet to make them more aggressive. The aggressive behavior will certainly surface, however the fowl will never leave the camera’s watchful eye, proving that special drugs are not administered to create fighting machines. These chicks will not receive any medication other than wormer or antibiotics, and specifics regarding the types used will be presented so that beginners may learn, and those who have been misled may be enlightened.
Inevitably, the scene will become violent and bloody as the young males begin to become aggressive. They will be separated when this behavior warrants such, however, we will not be able to foresee the exact day that this happens, therefore the scenes on that particular day may not be for the faint of heart, before the caretaker of the fowl notices the situation. Of course this will enlighten many, as these young fowl who have been raised as brothers their entire lives now seek the death of his former friends. Since these young fowl have spent their entire lives in front of a camera, this will prove that no special training was used, and no drugs administered. These young warriors will be simply following their instincts, and following their destiny that was predetermined from the moment that the egg was laid. Surely no viewer will be able to deny what his own eyes have shown him as these half grown roosters begin to fight, and show no signs of quitting.
The opponents of cockfighting and gamefowl have long said that game-fowl, if not given training or special drugs, will behave just as other poultry in regards to aggression. Most poultry will fight for a minute, or perhaps two, until the weaker, or less valorous, individual accepts defeat and runs away. Game fowl, on the other hand will only behave this way for the first few months of their lives. At some point before the year has ended, the gameness that God provided them with will take charge, and these individuals will forget about pecking order, and seek the destruction of every other male in the group. Our fraternity will have video evidence to serve as proof of such, thanks to this project.
Of course, in spite of the video evidence, the leaders of the animal rights movement will deny what is obvious, or more likely ignore the existence of this video footage. The architects of this project make no claim otherwise, as they are aware that many or our opponents refuse to admit error, as such admission would certainly blemish their credibility as well as their bank accounts. I do, however, believe that many individuals will believe their own eyes and accept the truth for what it is. Perhaps this could serve to, in some small way, prove the dishonesty of our opponents, as well as change the perception of many in regards to the fowl that we love.
I certainly hope that once this project is complete, a full set of DVD footage will be supplied to Congress along with transcripts of testimony given by animal rights leaders, as proof of the perjury that has been committed. Perhaps this could serve as a step in the right direction for game fowl enthusiasts, as our lawmakers realize that they have passed new legislation based upon dishonest testimony. Perhaps this could become evidence used as cockers across the nation file lawsuits against the HSUS, PETA, SPCA and similar organizations for libel. The possibilities of the benefits brought about by this project are seemingly endless if we look for them, instead of looking for excuses.
These are my thoughts, and I am Darren U. Talissen.
Animal Rights Facts = Animal Rights Exposed 