
Conditioning Feeds and Feeding
Gamefowl Conditioning Feed Guide
This article will show the principles of feeding in the conditioned battlecocks. Feeds are the primarily source of energy and nutrition thus a major contributor of the gamefowl performance. Ultimately this article will guide you how you make and apply your feeds to the amazing pitfighters.
Crude Protein
On the basic aproach, protein makes and repair the muscle of the gamefowl. And with that muscle developed, results to a battlecock with more power.
The feed must have a crude protein of 17 to 19 percent for the properly preconned gamecocks. If you don’t precon the birds I suppose to read our precon articles. If you still want to condition those not preconed you might even need to give your rooster up to 22% crude protein to keep up the development and repair of muscle tissues with a more constraint time.
For a more sophisticated enthusiast, we advise to aproach this by amino acid composition of the diet and supplements. You might be using an 18% crude protein diet but still lacks the amino acid that are responsible for the primary power of the muscles. But this is a more advance topic that we will tackle this on a separate article.
The Feed Composition (Ingredients)
Regarding the feed, different localities have different available resources, so adjust accordingly.
Grains:
Corn
contains the highest energy and the best grain for carboloading. The thing is this grain can make your gamefowls heavy when given in a large amount, as this energy will be converted to fats if not used. We use this 10 to 30 percent, defending on the fats of the individual roosters.
Wheat
Wheat is one of the key to develop breast muscle. Must be given soaked at least, better if feremented. But only use this in 10percent amount as this would likely make them heavy because of the water.
Oat groats
The husk is already removed, it becomes the most easy to digest and the softest grain. Don’t give this soaked, if soaked this will make your game fowl’s body watery making them slower.
Jockey oats
Oats, not dehulled, is a high in fiber grain, this is used to make the gamefowl lighter, given at 10 to 30 percent. In the coditioining We give it 10percent . We don’t give them more than 10% in the last week, in fact we don’t use it in the last 3 days. And in precon 30% is given initially until they got to get 10 percent when they are almost with no fats at all.
Mixed grains
consisted of tapilans, lupins, peas, wheat, oat groats, jockey oats, safflower, barley, corn, some may have beans and other seeds.
Why mixed already? The main reason they formulate this feed is to make ample source of different nutrients needed as possible. More nutrients could be provided. because of the thought that “to give a wide variety of nutrients, specially minerals, if give a wide variety of source”. So why grains? Because this fibrous feed is the type chickens eat more naturally and comes with quality and economically for the gamefowls.
Mixed grains may have 14 to 18 percent crude protein and comes with vitamins and minerals that helps for a generally healthier gamefowl, but may not be enough or still lack of energy needed for power and endurance.
Barley
We don’t usually add this grain, the barley mixed in the mixed grains will suffice.
Grain | Protein % | kcal / 100 g | Fiber % |
---|---|---|---|
Corn (Whole) | 9.4 | 365 | 7.3 |
Corn (Cracked) | 6.45 | 355 | 3.2 |
Whole Wheat (White) | 11.3 | 342 | 12.2 |
Whole Wheat (Quaker) | 11.8 | 333 | 9.9 |
Oat groats | 15.2 | 391 | 10.9 |
Jockey oats(2) | 8 | 253 | 12 |
Conditioning Pellets
Conditioning Pellets are made to add the other nutrition that the grains are lacking for the conditioning activities. Conditioning Pellets are formulated with a higher crude protein (20 to 22 percent), portified with higher calcium and other vitamins and minerals to raise the amounts to at least the minimum level needed by the gamefowls in the conditioning period. Usually given 30% to 40 % of the whole diet.
It is common that conditioning pellets come with Phytic Acid Neutralizer (PAN) to prevent the negative effect of phytic acid on muscle contraction.
Animal Proteins
Animal proteins are supplemented to the gamefowls to raise the protein of the diet. Also adds vitamins and minerals available on the particular animal protein.
You must give them some protein supplements because of their activities in the conditioning process. Tissues are destroyed and must be repaired again and make more. Creating more muscle and muscle density. In order to accomplish this you need to supplement them with animal proteins. As animal protein have lots of amino acid essential on creating muscle tissues compared to the plant source counterpart.
Eggwhite
Creates a lean muscle as it is cholesterol and fat-free. But the main use of eggwhite is to add (and balance) moisture to the feed. It is because eggwhite ,may be high in crude protein but, contains only few amino acids.
Eggwhite must be cooked or at least somehow treated with heat, this will resolve the anti nutrient problem on the egg-white, if given raw egg white is useless.
Eggyolk usually given to gamefowls not in the conditioning stage, or eaten by handlers :).
Beef
Beef has a higher crude protein than eggwhite and pork. And contains many amino acids, specially what the gamefowl needed comes the first few buckles (Phosphagen System). Read more about Phosphagen System.
Beef liver is best in the precon and conditioning while beef is best on the last few days before the fight.
Milk
The problem is the chickens are not a mammal and don’t have lactase an enzyme that breakdown lactose into glucose and galactose. So the energy isn’t absorved or assimilated. Many use powder milk or fresh milk without knowing this but the thing is this milk gives the chickens moisture and this is the only benefit of their milk.
You could ferment the fresh milk, to breakdown the lactose into simplier form and may be assimilated by the game fowl. We use ½ part Lactic Acid Bacteria pure culture mixed to ½ part fresh milk.
Remember this is now a bit acidic unlike the raw milk, so remove other acidic supplement that you may be adding. These could give (rarely) gastro intestinal discomfort until the chicken can tolerate it.
Others
If on tight budget, like the common farmers in the mountain that askeds us what to replace the beef, we advise to look for available protein sources like frogs, hornet or wasp larvae. With this simple addition to their feeds, they win significantly higher than their opponents on their humble competion (tupada) on the high lands :).
Feed Processing
Soaking
Soaking the grains will eliminate the hazardous materials such as toxins and phytic acid. Phytic acid will make the muscle contraction lesser resulting to a poor power and extension. And soaking will significantly decrease, if not eliminate, the phytic acid.
Another great thing about soaking the grains, is the protein in the beans, peas, lupins, tapilans will be assimilated more than their dry counterpart. Chickens will absorb 30% more protein when soaked grains are given. Regularly we soak it 7 to 12 hours, soaked at 7:am and drained and washed at 3:30pm, then soak new batch at 4:30pm and drained and washed at 7:am the next day. And the activity of soaking continues.
Fermenting
Fermenting is soaking the grains for at least 48 hours with an effective organism, lactic acid bacteria solution or beneficial indiginous microorganism. This will give beneficial organism to the gamefowls and will make the fibers more digestable. This is the best procedure (for grains) for feeding conditioned gamefowls. This will result to a healthier gamefowl and contributes greatly to a great performance.
Germination
Germinating the grains, the process is soaking the grains for 7 to 12 hours and transferred to a dark area in a draining container, covered with towel or newspaper and let to sprout for 24 to 36 hours. This makes additional nutrients (vitamins) on the feed and make nutrients to be assimilated more by the chickens. This is the best feeding procedure (for grains) for feeding gamefowls except conditioned ones and chicks. Take note germination make the crude protein a bit less than the dry, soak and fermented counterpart.
Please be reminded that split-peas won’t germinate.
Cooking
When soaking, fermenting and germinating is forgotten the grain could be cooked and let to be boiled for some time. Gamefowls usually wont eat dry grains completely if used to the soak ones. And also the possibility of upsetting the digestion will be minimized. But don’t forget to soak again, please!
Beef and eggwhite should be cooked. Beef could be cooked rare and eggs should be hardboiled.
Grits
grits is very essential as they are the key to grinding the feed to be digested by the gamefowls. These grits are somehow like the teeth of the bird in the gizzard to grind the feed especially the grains and other hard stuffs. We put a feeding cup filled with grits so the gamecocks can have them anytime they want to. The reason we put it in the cups is it will be removed it in the last 5 days of the keep.
Supplements
In addition to these supplements, in liquid or powder form are added to the feed to make more certain that what they eat will have enough nutrients.
This liquid or powder supplements comes with variety of vitamins and minerals and other additional components that is helpful for the gamefowls in training and fight day.
With these supplements in right amount, assimilation of nutrient, release of energy, additional resistance to stress and diseases, and all functions of gamefowl’s body and mind are expected to work good.
Conditioning feed
Conditioning feed- this is different from pointing feed.
Mixing Procedure
- Rinse the soaked grains. If fermenting grains apropriately, you may not need to rinse the grains anymore.
- Drain the grains.
- Prepare the mixing bowl
- Chop the eggwhite to pecksize
- Add the grains to the mixing bowl
- Add the beef, eggwhite, milk and other supplements
- Mix the components in the bowl
- Add the conditioning pellets last.
- Mix again with all the ingredients added
Component | % | Remarks | |
---|---|---|---|
Corn (Whole) | 30 | 20 in hot weather and 30 on regular and cold/rainy season. | |
Wheat | 10 | ||
Oat groats | 10 | ||
Jockey Oats | 10 | aka: Racehorse oats, whole oats | |
Ready Mixed Grains | 10 | 20 on hot weather | |
Conditioning Pellets | 30 | 25 to 35, adjust per brand specs | |
Eggwhite> | 1 : 5 | 1 medium sized egg: 5 heads | |
beef | 3 pcs/head | 3 pcs of pea-sized/per feeding | |
Milk | 1 tbsp: 5 heads |
Amount of feeding
The usual amount is 40g to 45g totally with the supplements excluding the meat supplement. Don’t give them a uniform amount of feed. You must know how much they individually need in every given time.
Including that those that do not came in the right pre conditioning process give them 30 to 60 grams according to what they need, and according to the response of their body. Those still lack body give a little more about 50 to 60 grams and more on protein supplements. And those who think have more body than their optimum level you will give a little less about 40g to 30g and give a little less on the protein supplement. remember adjust accordingly to what their response is. Don’t listen that the best is 30g or the best is 60g. Again adjust accordingly for the optimum results.
Continued on Pointing Feed
You may read maintenance phase and feeding guide.
References
- U.S. Department of Agriculture (Nutrient Database)
- www.riverina.com.au
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10 thoughts on “Conditioning Feeds and Feeding”
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Just found this site very impressed .Great information. I will always read and learn all I can so thank you guys for sharing your knowledge
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Always trying to learn so every information is very appreciated thank you
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Learning more and more about breeding from egg to chick,up to became a figthing rooster pre con conditioning carboloading hard to get 100% knowledge especially on figthday what to do if there some troubleshoot, hope you tell me more strategies to have a very very good figth and maybe hard to beat by the opponent
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We love to hear your concern. Much assured we are finalizing such articles. Pls. feel free to message us on our facebook page for a faster response. Thank you 🙂
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It made what I already new,make alot of sence.thanks guys..I need just a touch to be great.i thank I found it
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Very nice, informative. Do you have book for sale? for future references..
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This is all great eat information, very well explained thanks a bunch! A. Ortiz
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Is dectrose powder. And wheat germ powder mixed in the conditioning feeds good? If ever recommend the quantity to add iin the feeds.
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Good day! yes, absolutely. it is good for your gamefowls in conditioning.. it is just there are many better options than the supplements you are, to which why we preferred those mentioned in the article. thank you
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Very interesting information,would really enjoy any additional information that could be provided. Sincerely Joseph Luciano