description, their origin, distribution and current day breeding status worldwide, is a long needed work while nothing like it has been published for over fifty years. This book provides in detail educational information about the ancestors of domestic chickens, whereby it traces the origin of many ancient poultry breeds, how and where they were developed many generations ago for the purpose of sportsmanship before cockfighting was banned in most countries. But that has not stopped enthusiasts and fanciers to save many of these species from extinction and rather promoting them through a worldwide interest in exhibitions competitions, whereby in Germany alone are national poultry exhibitions with over 40,000 and even to 60,000 entries every year excite the public in tough competitions as covered in this work. Moreover, the reader will learn everything essential about purposeful breeding and preserving these breeds for future generations to come. The over 250 pictures of some 35 breeds shown in this book have been collected from various sources worldwide, many are of birds bred and photographed by the author giving the reader information not available elsewhere, which includes a today's analysis of the sport of cockfighting as well as extensive information on genetics of the rarest species.

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