BASICS AND UNDERSTANDING OF POINTING

Basics Of Pointing Fighting Cocks

After the conditioning period, the next stage before the actual fight of a battle rooster is called Pointing fighting cocks.  This stage is very important and must not be overlooked by cockers.  All the efforts done during the conditioning stage will go to waste if proper pointing is not performed accordingly.

The kind or style of pointing fighting cocks will differ for every bloodline.  Though this kind of post-conditioning method is necessary, the approach differs with every breeder.  Those who are experts in this stage will tell you that every bloodline has its own demands for conditioning.  The kind of food and the exercises differ but all agree that it must be done to ensure that the game fowl will stay in its peak form immediately before and during the actual fight.

Pointing fighting cocks is done three days before the fight.  At this stage, the fighting cock must be fully conditioned and the main purpose of this stage is to make sure that they reach tip top shape.

Vitamins

Cockers agree that they still give their fowl vitamins during the pointing stage.  The usual is vitamin B12 and it could be in injectable form or caplets.  Normally, the vitamin dose must not be the same with the regular dose being given.  If the intake was .5cc during conditioning, it could be lessened to about half depending on the weight of the cock.  The same is true with other vitamins being used. A good number of cockers prefer Liquid B 12 w/ Vitamin K

There are cockers particularly small players who do not apply vitamins during pointing and there are also those that inject more than the necessary dosage.  At any rate, the results of the experiment will show in the performance of the rooster inside the pit.  It is a costly mistake to experiment on something new during the period of pointing fighting cocks so take care that no foreign substances are injected into their system before the fight

Carboloading

During the conditioning stage, lots of protein are given to the rooster.  But this must be decreased considerably during the stage of pointing fighting cocks so as to lighten up the weight and feeling of the game fowl.  They tend to build muscles during the conditioning stage and this can take away some agility in the process.  With more carbo and less protein, they can recover lost agility and can shuffle faster and effectively.
Some of the food that can be used to feed the fighting cock are apple bits, rice, banana, and corn grains.

 Watering

Water is an important part of a chicken’s diet.  This is also true when they are at the stage ofpointing.  Some bloodlines require more water while others must be given very small quantity of liquid.  Mixing electrolytes is encouraged in most cases.
The theory is with more water, moisture is high in the body and the cock will not be able to move very quickly and can have problems in terms of cutting.  Too much moisture can be seen when the rooster does not move much and also in their droppings.  There is also a way to determine excess moisture in the body and experts have a way to do this.  One is to feed them with a few bits of dry corn every 2 or three hours.
With too much moisture, the droppings are watery and when they don’t have enough moisture, the droppings are too dry. The face will also look pale than the usual and the eyes are not as black and fierce looking in most cases.  If you see droppings with green color, that means there is something wrong with your fighting cock and might need to be treated to prevent infection.

 Total Blackout

It is also part of pointing fighting cocks that they be introduced to total darkness one day before the actual fight.  This is to totally give them rest.  Total darkness will induce them to keep still and to sleep.
As mentioned earlier, breeders and trainers have different approaches to pointing fighting cocks. If you are a beginner, it is best to have a full understanding of your fighting cock bloodline and determine from there its conditioning and pointing requirements.

TIPS ON HOW TO FIND THE RIGHT OPPONENT FOR YOUR FIGHTING COCK

 After all the training and feeding, time must come that you have to bring your fighting cock to a cockpit to test its mettle.  You are confident that your gamefowl has what it takes to beat any opponent as long as the game is fair and square.  You have also consulted the lunar calendar and found that this is the best time to fight your rooster against a particular color.
But before you get too excited, there are some basic things to remember when you are already in the matching place (Ulutan).  Taking notes of the hackfight  tips here will give you better chances of winning in a hack fight.  It is also possible for your fighting cock not to sustain too much injuries if you know how to choose the right kind of opponent.  So read on…

 1.  Pale Face

The color of the cock’s face will readily tell you if it is ready or not to fight.  It may have deep gameness in its bloodline but if it is not trained properly and malnourished, the same can be seen in the color of its face.  If the size is just about even but the opponent seems to have a pale red face indicating dehydration or tiredness, then you can pick a fight with that kind of rooster.

 2.  Knock feet (Piki)

There are many first time sabungeros in hack fights and some of them unfortunately knows very little about conformation.  They just believe that they have a good bloodline and that is supposedly enough for them after seeing them a few times in sparring.  When you see a possible opponent that has knock feet, then try to arrange a match with that rooster. Even go to the point of mentioning faults about your rooster so you can get a fight going.
When a rooster has knock feet, the possibility of fatal injury when it strikes with a blade is not strong.  This is true even if the gaffer tries to adjust the placement of the gaff (tari).  In the same way with people, gamefowls are also not expected to have much strength in the legs if they are Piki.

3. Watery Discharge

Take note of the discharge of the other rooster.  If it has watery discharge, then it is not in tip-top shape.  It is also a sign that the owner does not know how to properly condition his ward.  If the opponent is not properly trained and conditioned, then you have better chances to win.

 4.  Not Showing Aggressive Behavior

Gamefowls are born fighters and aggressive when they see a possible opponent.  When you see a possible opponent that is not aggressive, then chances are it is a slow starter or one that is familiar with other cocks near it.  It could also be that it has not been trained well that’s why.
This behavior gives your cock the advantage of being able to hit the first strike in many instances.  A single hit is what is needed in most cases to cripple the opponent.

 5.  Short Legs

You must be able to tell a high stationed from a low stationed cock.  Most of the time, your opponent will try to make it appear that his rooster is shorter in terms of height.  Tell him to let the cock stand on its own for you to see how tall it really is.  If the opponent has short legs than your game cock, then you’re already at an advantage.

 6.  Half-Breed (Mestizo)

In hack fights, there are still mestizo fighting cocks.  Some breed mestizos for a reason.  They are naturally agile and avoids getting hit much(Mailag).  You should know this particular trait of a mestizo and decide if your rooster is capable of fighting that kind of an opponent.
You will not see mestizos in a derby but in hack fights they can still be found sometimes.  Most of the time, a mestizo cock owner knows what he’s doing and actually wants to fight a “texas”bloodline that is not expected to have deep gameness because of too much out-crossing normally happening in small breeders’ backyard.
Your opponent will not allow you to handle his game fowl and this is understandable because you would also not want him to touch your rooster.  You have to be familiar with the signs and hackfight tips in order to get an advantage.  Ultimately, sabong is about winning and not just for fun.