Cockfighting is illegal in the United States. But this doesn’t stop people from breeding roosters and prodding them to fight to the death—a blood sport that has been around for more than 3,000 years.
Before a fight, a rooster may go through several months of training, including obstacle courses and treadmill running. Right before the fight, a breeder will pluck off most of the bird’s feathers and cut off the wattles—the fleshy structure that hangs below the birds beak.
These birds often fight with knives or sharp attachments strapped to their legs, which increases the possibility of injury and can lead to punctured lungs, and broken bones. While a rooster does not have to die in a cockfight for the fight to be over, death is often the outcome.
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