Fighting chickens are a general term for breeds of chickens raised for the purpose of cockfighting. These fighting breeds are usually healthy and have attractive appearances.
According to Huinongwang, a Chinese agriculture website, China is one of the countries with a long-standing tradition of raising fighting chickens, boasting many excellent breeds. Among them, the Central Plains fighting chicken (from the Central Plains region of China) is the most famous.
China’s Number One Fighting Chicken Breed
The Central Plains Fighting Chicken is one of the four major fighting chicken breeds in China and has a history spanning thousands of years. This breed is primarily raised in the Yellow River Plain in Central China, with Henan Province being the largest producer.
The Central Plains Fighting Chicken has an attractive appearance, a small comb, and almost no meat wattle under its neck. (Image: Huinongwang).
The Central Plains Fighting Chicken is known for its beautiful appearance, small comb, and minimal meat wattle under its neck. The average weight is about 3.5 kg; hens are lighter, weighing around 2 to 3 kg. This breed has stable hereditary traits.
The greatest advantage of the Central Plains Fighting Chicken is its tenacious fighting spirit. These chickens are aggressive and begin fighting soon after hatching, particularly during the critical period from 20 days to 2 months old. This aggressive behavior complicates the breeding process due to a high injury rate among the chickens.
The Central Plains Fighting Chicken is raised either for decorative purposes or for competition. With characteristics such as agility, precision, ruthlessness, and aggression, most adult male Central Plains fighting chickens will fight to the death rather than concede defeat.
Historically, the Central Plains Fighting Chicken was bred from royal fighting chickens that were smuggled out to the general populace during the feudal era. They have a majestic and fierce appearance, along with a strong fighting nature, making them highly favored among Chinese fighting chicken enthusiasts.
But Vietnamese Fighting Chickens Are Even Stronger
According to Huinongwang, although Vietnamese fighting chickens are not as robust as the Central Plains breed, due to their very long necks, tall skeletal frames, and slender legs, Vietnamese fighting chickens possess many “unique” skills in combat such as “head kicking,” “double side crushing,” and “running parades” that many other breeds lack.
According to several agricultural news sites in Vietnam, Vietnamese fighting chickens are typically categorized into two main types: the “dorn” (or heavy) chickens and the “cua” (or spur) chickens. The “dorn” chickens are mainly raised in the North and Central regions; the “cua” chickens are more prevalent in the South.
Northern Fighting Chickens. (Image: Mactech)
The “dorn” chickens weigh around 2.8 to 4 kg, using their feet to strike opposing chickens until victory is achieved. The “dorn” breed is characterized by a bare neck and is an ancient breed; it has long legs and a large skeletal frame, used for either smooth leg fighting or spur fighting. This breed is considered the ancestor of fighting chickens. “Dorn” chickens are relatively large compared to other breeds, courageous, and robust; although not as agile as the spur breed, their strikes are powerful.
According to Farmvina, Vietnam may be the only country with a breed of bare-necked “dorn” chickens, often seen with a fierce appearance. In recent decades, Vietnamese fighting chickens have been exported to neighboring countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and China…
The “cua” chickens are primarily raised in the Southern region. The chickens used for fighting either have natural spurs or metal spurs attached to their legs. “Cua” chickens generally weigh around 3 kg. Spur fighting is considered a form of high-stakes gambling. People often buy steel spurs to attach to the chickens’ legs or sharpen real spurs to a fine point. Spur fighting tends to focus on betting rather than appreciating the skill of the chickens.
Origins and Distribution of Vietnamese Fighting Chickens
The art of cockfighting in Vietnam is a long-standing cultural tradition that has been documented for at least 700 years.
There is still much debate about the origins of Vietnamese “nòi” chickens. Some believe that these breeds were domesticated about 8,000 years ago in Southeast Asia, in a vast region that includes Thailand and Vietnam, where the red junglefowl still resides today.
Through selective breeding and crossbreeding, several well-known fighting chicken breeds have emerged in Vietnam that are favored by cockfighting enthusiasts.
- In the North, there are Thổ Hà (Bắc Giang), Đồ Sơn (Hải Phòng), Nghi Tàm, Nghĩa Đô, Vân Hồ (Hà Nội). Additionally, many other localities such as Bắc Ninh, Thái Nguyên, Phú Thọ, Sơn La, and Đô Lương (Nghệ An) also have their own distinct nòi breeds.
- In the Central region, there are several well-known farms: Ninh Thuận has Phan Rang chickens; Khánh Hòa has Vạn Giã and Gò Dúi chickens; Quảng Ngãi has Sông Vệ and Sa Huỳnh chickens; and Bình Định is especially famous for its “dorn” fighting chickens.
- In the South, there are Chợ Lách (Bến Tre), Cao Lãnh (Đồng Tháp), Châu Đốc (An Giang), and Bà Điểm chickens. However, spur fighting is primarily practiced in the South.
Southern Spur Chickens. (Image: Mactech)
According to some cockfighting enthusiasts, producing good fighting chickens requires knowing how to choose quality hens, alongside excellent roosters for breeding. Hens must have a strong and aggressive appearance to pass on their robust traits to the chicks. Roosters, on the other hand, need to have good physical condition, courage, and agility to evade strikes.
