moleskin or tape are placed around the legs above and below the stump of the natural spur, and then around the stump itself. Steel gaffs, which are constructed with a hole or socket that fits over the stump and serves as an anchor, are put in place. Leather straps attached to the socket are then wrapped around the leg over the moleskin or tape and are secured with waxed string. This heeling procedure may take 15 to 20 minutes and is done very carefully with the help of an assistant or holder to ensure the gaffs are firmly attached and protrude at the correct angle. In fights where the birds are equipped with long knives (Filipino slashers) or short knives (Mexican slashers), the implements differ greatly in design from gaffs and are attached only to the birds’ left legs with a combination of materials such as tape, leather strips and waxed string. During the time it takes to weigh each bird, record the information and collect entry fees, there are sometimes hack fights in which birds of lesser quality are fought for side bets and wagers between the owners. All fights begin in the main pit. If a fight drags on too long and others are waiting their turn, the cocks may be moved to a secondary or drag pit so that a new match can get underway. Knife fights often have a set time limit of 15 minutes. During a fight, 54 The Humane Society of the United States only the referee and the two handlers are permitted in the pit with the roosters. The referee’s job is to tell the handlers when to fight the roosters, when to handle or pull them apart and when to rest them. He also keeps the count and ensures that both handlers abide by the rules. The rules of cockfighting are complex and vary from pit to pit, but most follow a basic pattern. After the referee examines the roosters and inspects the implements attached to their legs, he declares them eligible, and the match begins with a procedure called billing. In order to provoke the roosters to attack, the handlers cradle the birds in their arms and then swing them within pecking range of one another. The referee draws two parallel score lines six to eight feet apart in the dirt or clay floor of the pit. The handlers place the roosters at their respective score lines and release them at the referee’s command, “pit ’em.” The roosters fight until the referee orders that they be handled in order to begin a count or until they hang, meaning that one of the rooster’s steel implements has become stuck in his opponent. The referee stops the pitting with the command, “handle,” and the handlers are allowed to disentangle the cocks. After a Specialized cases A veterinarian pharmaceutical vial made for roosters confiscated during a cockfighting raid (left); A makeshift cockfighting ring (right).
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