Telangana fertile' for breeding AP's prized cocks

KAKINADA: Andhra Pradesh’s prized cocks raring to go for the Sankranti season fights are being reared in Telangana soil as it was considered suitable and healthy’ for them. With the season set to start, these birds were set for their Andhra Pradesh journey in the first week of January. After bifurcation of the state, it was felt by many that the two Telugu States should cooperate because of the linguistic and cultural bonds. Cockfights were a regular feature in Andhra Pradesh during Sankranti.

Huge amounts of money running into crores changed hands during the season by way of betting on the prized cocks. But over last few years, police had been getting strict in cracking the whip as it saw the sport to be gambling. The authorities were more severe during the last two years on the breeders of these cocks. This was said to be reason for the breeders choosing Telangana to rear the prized birds.

Estimates were that more than 1,000 birds were now ready in Telangana to be transported to Andhra Pradesh, especially Godavari districts, during the season which begins from the first week of January. Many Andhra families settled in Hyderabad other parts of Telangana are engaged in rearing these birds. A few Kshatriya families and other sections were rearing the birds in their farm houses on the outskirts of Hyderabad and other parts of Telangana.

The birds were said to grow well in Telangana compared to Godavari districts owing to the favourable climactic conditions. The birds were being fed mutton, cashew, almonds and other nutritious items. They have grown bigger and more aggressive than the ones bred in Andhra. Breeds such as parla, dega, pachcha nemali, kaki, nalla kaki, kethuva and other 25 others are  being reared.

Pachcha nemali was particularly ferocious and many gamblers bet on that and kaki as the two engage in fierce fights. A breeder from West Godavari said the birds are ‘gobbling up’ Hyderabad biryani, mutton and other locally available dishes. They needed to be bathed on a regular basis to keep them cool.