Recap
It’s that time again, out with the old and on to the new. Summer has reached its zenith and at least here in the south, school will be starting soon. Football is the new “smack” talk, High School, College and NFL. Those of us with kids and grandkids are excited about this as we watch and wait on the blood to dry up in those feathers. The adult birds should be in full molt, and we are looking at those stags with great optimism.
We have people that will be joining us this this year and sadly people that are selling out. It’s a cycle that I see year after year. For some 2024/2025 was a great season and sadly for others it was either a reason to get better, or a reason to get out. The one thing I know about roostermen is they’ll be back, for some it takes a season or two, for others it takes years, but like the Terminator said, “I’ll be back”, so will they eventually.
We had a tough season as they used our competition as a way to collect undocumented illegals in this country, this was a shame as I saw pit after pit shut down out of fear early this season. Some states took it on the chin and lost a few venues; others took it up the ass as they lost more and more venues. They used these as a reason to gain access to our yards and an opportunity to destroy years of breeding. This is a travesty, and a damned shame.
We lost a few great cockers this year and I say a prayer for each and every one of them. They will be missed.
I always consider this time of year to be the hardest. We are full of optimism for the upcoming season while questioning our trials of the previous one. We look for answers to what some would consider stupid questions. Let me be the first to say, there are no stupid questions when you ask the right person for answers. Most questions, you already know the answer to, you just need a voice of reason to coax you to the proper conclusion.
I have a couple of things to say as you recap this past year and attempt to improve in the upcoming season:
Join your State UGBA Chapter as without the right to breed, we lose the rights to fight. Get involved in the occasional Poultry Show to meet legitimate breeders and learn more about your rights within your state. There are much better and more legitimate conversations within these shows than at any pit in the country.
Watch for scammers, they are everywhere. There are people that will walk 20 miles to cheat you out of $10.00. We make it easier for them with the internet. It is always a better situation if you pick your birds yourself. If a breeder won’t let you on their yard, there is a reason…be cautious.
Find a mentor, a person that you can talk truth to…it doesn’t always have to be about the birds, some of my best conversations have been with cockers about silly things that progressed into rooster talks. In my honest opinion, I have found few truths at the pits, and why would they give you, their competition good advice. Think on that for a minute.
It’s not all about the W’s and the L’s - it’s about sportsmanship.
Check out the venues and the people running these operations before you attend, if possible, look for warning signs. Fight delays, shady owners backing shows, poor referees. Know the rules of that venue, before you waste your time, money and roosters.
Keep ‘em crowing
