The cockfighting tradition has developed since ancient times in several countries in Southeast Asia, such as Thailand, the Philippines, Myanmar, Vietnam, and also Indonesia. Even today, this tradition exists and has many devotees, especially in Indonesia.
In the tradition of cockfighting, there is one key that botoh (nurses for fighting cocks) must do in order to excel in matches, namely daily maintenance. In addition to the chicken factor, especially fighting techniques and the type (character) of fighting cocks, treatment is indeed one of the keys to success in the arena of action. Not infrequently, there are chickens with good technique, good physique, OK character, but due to poor treatment, the chickens cannot excel in the fighting arena.
Chicken care and stamina is indeed a key factor in obtaining victory.
Every breeder or hobbyist of fighting cocks certainly has special tricks and different ways of caring for fighting cocks. Some use herbal medicine, additional vitamins, and physical training in various ways. But basically the goal is only one, which is to create classy and quality fighting cocks, and ready for stamina.
Caring for chickens is actually easy. It only takes patience in carrying out this routine. Here are things to consider when caring for fighting chickens.
- Feed
Feed is the most important first thing in the care of all types of farm animals. One of them is chicken. Feed serves as a source of energy that has an impact on behavior, behavior, and performance when fighting cocks.
Feeding a good fighting cock is that the feed dose is adjusted to the chicken's body weight. For example, a chicken weighing 3 kg+, then the feed that must be given is 200-300 grams calculated in each feeding (not in a day). Types of feed recommended for prepared chickens, including brown rice, fine corn, with a mixture of grain.
- Bathing
Chickens also need to be bathed every morning, around 08.00, as long as it's not raining or cloudy. Often hobbyists or breeders bathe chickens in a perfunctory way. In fact, it can affect his performance when fighting. There is a special bathing technique, which can be learned in a lot of information circulating. But in essence, bathing chickens is enough to wet parts of the chicken's skin (not feathers), especially on the head and lower body to the feet.
- Drying
After bathing, the chicken needs to be dried every day. The time limit for drying is done until 10.30 only, because at that time the sun's rays contain vitamin D in an inactive form which is very helpful in the process of bone and hair growth. When drying, don't forget to give a wooden or grass mat under the drying cage so that the chicken doesn't kipu (sand bathe) and get dirty again. However, stop drying at least two days before the chickens are pitted or trained to fight so that the chickens rest.
- Physical Exercise
This exercise is very important to do to get satisfactory results when the chickens compete in the arena. Usually, training chickens is done from the age of 6-7 months. While at the age of 1-5 months, the first focus is on the process of body growth. Physical exercise can only be done once a week, at least four days before the chickens compete or fighting training (smash/abar). Physical exercise can be done by way of being rushed into small pieces, writhing, swimming, and various other ways.
There are two kinds of training on chickens, physical exercise and mental exercise. Physical exercise can also be done with chicken gymnastics or massaging chicken body parts such as the body's wings to the head. However, stop physical exercise at least two days before the chickens are pitted or trained to fight so that the chickens rest.