Battle Cock: A rooster two years or older who is used for cockfighting.
Battle Royal: Occurs when two or more roosters are pitted for fighting at one
time. The bird who stays standing the longest is the winner.
Battle Stag: A rooster under two years of age who is used for cockfighting.
Cock: Another name for rooster.
Cock-match: See cockfight.
Cockpit: A round or square arena in which the cockfight is contained. The handlers, referee and birds are in this enclosure during the fight.
Cocker: The name used to describe a fan of cockfighting.
Cockfighting: The pitting of two or more roosters in a fight.
Cockfighter: A person who takes an active role in a cockfight, such as the handler or feeder.
Conditioning: The training of roosters for fighting. This often includes various exercises, practice fights, a special diet and a regimen of muscle enhancing drugs, such as steroids.
Comb: Fleshy tissue on top of a rooster’s head
Cupple: Occurs when a rooster takes a blow to the neck or back during a cockfight making him unable to stand or walk.
Derby: When two or more owners enter several cocks into a competition. The birds fight in pairs, and the owner whose birds win the most fights wins the derby.
Dub: To remove the comb and wattle off of a fighting cock with scissors, dubbing shears or other cutting tools. This is done to reduce the bird’s weight and to reduce chance of injury and bleeding during a fight.
Feeder: A person who trains and conditions birds for fighting.
Gaff: Metal extensions fixed on the spurs of the rooster. They may be pointed, or sharpened along the edges depending on the cultural tradition of the cockfighters.
Gameness: A characteristic valued in fighting birds that leads them to continue to fight despite exhaustion or serious injury.
Gamecock: Another name for a rooster used specifically for cockfighting.
Gamepit: See cockpit.
Hack: A gamecock who will not fight when exposed to another cock.
Handler: A person who handles the roosters during the cockfight.
Keep: A certain method of conditioning cocks for fighting—typically for a period of two weeks prior to a fight. Details of keeps are often written in a book or pamphlet.
Long-Knife: A weapon used in certain types of cockfight. A long-knife is usually three inches long and tied to the left foot of the bird.
Pitting: The physical act of placing two or more roosters beak to beak at the start of a cockfight.
Short-Knife: A weapon used in short-knife cockfights. It is shorter than the long-knife, ranging from 3/4 inch to 1 1/2 inches in length, and tied to a roosters left foot.
Sparring: The act of two roosters using their feet and spurs to fight each other, usually in the context of testing birds for their gameness and fighting ability.
Sparring Muffs: Leather covers that resemble boxing gloves. They are placed over the birds spurs during practice fights.
Spur: The natural bone-like appendage located on a rooster’s leg—this is his natural weapon.
Wattle: The fleshy growth hanging from the head or neck of chickens.
Wortham's Rules: The shortened term for “Modern Tournament and Derby Rules”—the most commonly used set of cockfighting rules.
Please Check Out Our Other Animal Cruelty Glossaries
Cruelty Glossary
Dog Fighting Glossary
Farm Animal Cruelty Glossary
Puppy Mill Glossary