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ask is doubly difficult。 When I worked out a regular diet for Omar's flock of Roundheads and Clarets； he objected bitterly。
〃Damn it； Frank；〃 he said； shoving my list of feeding instructions back into my hand； 〃I feed my cocks three times as much as that！〃
We were looking over Omar's chickens at the runs on his farm； so I tried to show him why the new feeding schedule was necessary。 I picked one of his Claret roosters out of a nearby coop； felt his meaty thighs with a dour expression on my face； handed him to Omar； and nodded for him to do the same。
〃He's hard as a brick；〃 Omar said defensively； squeezing the Claret's legs。
I shook my head； picked up a stick and printed FAT！ on the ground with the point of it。 Omar rubbed out the word with his toe； returned the cock to the coop； and pawed through his beard。
〃All right。 If you say so； Frank。 But he doesn't feel fat to me！〃
Although Omar had been fighting cocks for four years； it was evident that he had never 〃felt〃 a truly conditioned game…cock。 The right feel of a gamecock is indescribable。 Maybe it is an instinct of some kind； but if a man ever gets the right feel of a perfectly conditioned gamecock in his f ingers； his fingers never forget。 The exact right feel is an incorporeal knowledge； and once the fingers memorize it； they are never satisfied until they find it again。 When a gamecock has the right feel； it is ready for the pit。 Omar thought my regular diet was drastic； but I had to get the excess fat off his birds before I could put them on my special conditioning diet。
I checked the list again： 1 tablespoon of 2/3 cracked corn and 1/3 whole oats； once a day； tossed into scratch pen。 One…fourth of an apple every four days。 Two ounces of hamburger every ten days。 Plenty of grit and oyster shells available at all times。 Keep the water cups full。
This was a good diet； a practical feed I had learned through long apprenticeship。 The chickens wouldn't starve； and they wouldn't get fat。 If they had any fat when they were put on it； they would lose it in a hurry。 And as long as this diet was maintained； any cock could be switched to a battle…conditioning diet and be ready to fight within ten days。 By weighing them daily； any sudden； dangerous weight loss would be detected； and the feed could be increased slightly。 But Omar had to begin somewhere； and the new diet was the first step forward in his professional education。 I returned the list to my unhappy partner； and this time he accepted it。 The Claret crowed deeply； anxious to get some more attention。
〃You'd better crow now；〃 Omar shouted at the gamecock。 〃By this time next week you'll be too damned hungry to crow！〃
The conditioning of game fowl is not a job for a lazy man。 To condition five gamecocks for the hack ing up was easy for me； but I don't think Omar had ever worked as hard in his life。 The way he groaned and plained was downright funny。 Just wait； I thought； until we start condi tioning twenty or thirty at a time。 In order to get six cocks ready for the Tifton derby； we would have to condition at least twenty。
After I rousted Omar out of bed at his farm at four thirty two mornings in a row； he brought a cot and his sheets over to my shack and bunked there。 There was an old Negro couple； Leroy and Mary Bondwell； who looked after Omar at his farmhouse。 During the two weeks Omar lived with me； Leroy fed Omar's cocks with the new diet。 Every afternoon Omar drove home to check and weigh his birds； returning to my place for the evening conditioning sessions。
Buford dropped by for an hour or so every day； and I would put him to work changing straw in the coops； painting coop walks with creosote； or give him some other kind of odd job。 But Omar and I； on a strict time schedule； did everything else。
I wakened Omar daily at five。 I shaved and Omar fixed breakfast。 By five thirty； at the latest； we were in the cockhouse。
During the entire conditioning period； the cocks were each kept in a separate stall in the cockhouse。 The wooden slats on each door were close enough together so the chicken couldn't stick his neck between them and jump up and down。 They were so hungry； they thought they were going to be fed every time a man entered the cockhouse。 If they were allowed to bounce up and down； with their necks between the slats； they would bruise the top of their dubbed heads。
While Omar crushed two hard…boiled eggs； shells and all； into the feed pan； I measured out cracked Flint corn and pinhead oats。 When the mixture was blended； each of the five cocks got one heaping teaspoonful。 We never mixed more than enough for one feeding； and they all got a second feeding that night。 Every other morning I tossed three or four large chunks of marble grit on the floor of their stalls。
When the chickens finished eating； and they ate fast； a cup of water was put in each coop。 As long as they were drinking they were left strictly alone； but the moment they quit drinking or lost interest in the water； the cup was removed。
By six thirty they were ready for the foam…rubber mattress workbench。 It was firm and only slightly springy； and it was covered with an Army surplus shelter half。 I ran the cocks first； one at a time； of course； from one end to the other； and then back again； twenty times the first day； thirty the second day； increasing the number of runs ten each day until they reached a hundred。 A cock fights fast so I ran them as fast as I could up and down the workbench。
Following the runs； the cocks were flirted。 Flirting forces a cock to flap his wings to maintain his balance； and his wing muscles are strengthened。 Like the runs； they started with twenty flirts the first day； and were increased ten flirts every day until they reached a hundred。 Once a man gets the hang of it； flirting isn't really difficult。 A conditioner must remember to always be as careful as he can so the cock won't get bruised。 If a cock is flirted roughly； he will soon get stiff； even if he doesn't get bruised。 Omar was good at flirting； so I usually took the runs and let him fly them back and forth between his big hands。 It was a pleasure to relax with a cigarette and watch Omar work。
With his left hand on the cock's breast； he would toss the bird deftly back for about a foot and a half； catch him with his right hand； and then toss him back。 Omar started slowly； but once he caught the rhythm the cock was flying back and forth from one hand to the other so fast it looked like the cock was running in place。 He had a definite flair for careful flirting； and he was proud of his ability。
Every other day； following the flirting period； we heeled a pair of the cocks undergoing conditioning with sparring muffs； and let them fight each other in the pit for about a minute and a half。
If one of the cocks appeared to be too tired； I didn't spar him。 There is always risk involved in sparring。 Even when a bird is armed with soft chamois muffs he can get hurt。 But by watching two sparring cocks closely； I can observe how well their stamina is building up。
After the sparring period； the cocks were allowed to rest for fifteen minutes； and then we washed them with