Sankranthi cockfight season kicks off in Kothagudem with roosters ready for battle

Rooster farms in the villages turn busy as prospective buyers from bordering villages in AP, Chhattisgarh and Odisha come calling

Kothagudem: The Sankranthi festival has arrived early for cockfight organisers in villages on the borders of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in Kothagudem and Khammam districts as the roosters are being warmed up for the festive season.

Rooster farms in the villages have turned busy with prospective buyers from bordering villages in AP, Chhattisgarh and Odisha visiting the farms in Aswaraopet, Alligudem, Gangaram, Panduvarigudem, Mandalapalli, Bhadrachalam, Dammapet, Aswaraopet, Sathupalli and Mulakalapalli in the district.

There are more than 100 gamecock breeding farms in the district. They are mostly set up near agricultural fields or in oil palm fields, which have large open areas available.

Speaking to Telangana Today, a bird breeder, Satyanarayana of Dammapet, said that even before the season begins, a majority of the gamecocks are sold. Before buying, the buyers make video calls to ensure that the birds are healthy and are in good shape for the Sankranthi festival fight season.

Special menu for roosters

The birds are fed a special protein rich diet that includes boiled eggs, almonds, cashew nuts, and millet. Ashwagandha powder is added to improve stamina while B-complex tablets are mixed with water for better health. The fight roosters are given weekly swims and hot water baths to maintain better health condition, he noted.

The price of the fight roosters range from Rs.20, 000 to Rs.1 lakh each. Roosters of an age of one and half year to two years are usually used for cock fighting. The roosters are classified into four categories such as Nemali (multi-colour), Kaki (black), Dega (red) and Kodi (white) going by the colour of the bird. There are also sub categories like Rasangi, Abrasi and Parla, he added.