Clarets (Mandigin Clarets)

The Mandigin Claret Game Fowl is one of the American born Game Fowl and Foundation Bloodlines of many modern and currently used Game Fowl Lines today.  Known for its Smart and Accurate attacks, these birds are the staple bloodlines of the Cock Fighting world.

With more than 90 years of history the Claret blood can be found in almost any new Modern day Fighting Cock. Widely used in breeding in the US and the Philippines, the Claret is the Predecessor of the Lemon 84, another well known Bloodline Developed by Duke Hulsey and Don Paeng Araneta.

Deep Red Claret Cock

Clean White Claret Cock

Deep Red Claret Hen

Clean White Claret Hen

Commonly characterized as a Straight Comb High stationed bird with Deep Red Color, White to Yellow legs and a Pure White Bird with White to Yellow Legs. It was first developed from a Straight Comb Wheaton Duryea Hen, with White hackle, presented to John H. Madigin by Col. Andrew P. O' Conor. This Hen was out of Hail Stone Spangle Duryea hen bred to her Son.


While Foundation Cock used was a black red white legged lemon hackled cock that defeated Hanky Dean 6 times. Dean bred this " Red" son to the Duryea hen. The first 9 sons were the color of Claret Wine thoughfore their name "Clarets".



In 1917 Madigin and Dean bred a cock "Black Spur" a cock of the New Hope strain from Mr. O'Conor. The New Hopes were a Mansell Pyle, Picket, Kearney- Duryea blend.


The Pickets were a combination Black & Tan and John Hunter Black Brass Back.
In 1918 Madigin Bred a Lawman Whitehackle ito the Black Spur Claret family.


In 1928 Madigin bred a Duryea cock into the line. The Clarets have two infusions of white blood, both from Mansell Pyles which were White Cocks from England known for their cutting.




Numerous lines went into creating the Clarets, but mainly Whitehackle and Pyle, both yellow and white legged. Clarets can and will throw dark reds, light reds, spangles and whites they are all the same as genetics is concerned what's essential is the body shape and fighting style remain the same.

Spangle Claret Cock and Hen

Light Red Claret Cock and Hen with white Banner

Origins of the Game Fowl

Two thousand years ago the Red Jungle Fowl, possibly from China or Indo China, possibly through the silk road, reached the ports of Rome, Egypt and Greece.

These fascinating and very pugnacious yet flighty fowl was initially offered as sacrificial and royal gifts and tributes by local leaders to the Great Kings, Pharaohs and Emperors that lived across the ocean and whom they will never see.

Due to the territorial nature of the Jungle Cocks, of being totally entranced by each other during territorial battles, this made it possible for man to capture and domesticate this naturally elusive member of the Pheasant Family.

Divided into 5 main Species, Red Jungle Fowl, Green Jungle Fowl, Grey Jungle Fowl, Ceylon or Sonnerat's Jungle Fowl and the possibly extinct Sumatran Jungle Fowl.

Red Jungle Fowl

Indian Grey Jungle Fowl

Green Jungle Fowl

Ceylon Jungle Fowl

Black and Blue Sumatra thought of as the descendants of the Extinct Sumatra Jungle Fowl


The Wild Jungle Fowl family and its many hybrids and mutations are the ancient ancestors of our ever useful, fascinating and all purpose bird...The Chicken.

The Rainbow of Assorted Colors of Asian Domestic Fowl Direct Descendants of Jungle Fowl Hybrids


No other breed of Domestic Animal has made itself so indispensable to man than that of the Chicken. Used for Eggs, Meat, Feathers, Economy in the form of Ancient Currency, Pets, and for Gambling and Recreation.

The Latter purpose of the Chicken is really what taps into the true nature of Chickens and most especially its males. Male jungle Fowl, about 15 inches in height and 25 inches from beak to tail, is a Gladiator of the Jungle floor. Once Existing all throughout the eastern part of India, Lower parts of the Himalayas, Indo China, Mid to Northern China, Southern and East Asia, their widespread distribution and ease of keep made them the most accessible form of fowl in nature.

What is believed and is still its endearing nature is the male's Gameness, their territorial behavior that is both Passionate, Agressive, Pugnacious, Barbaric, Beautiful and Enthralling.
Two male Cocks locked in mortal combat, paintings, murals and carvings have been found as early as the 1st Dynasty in Egypt. This was the Ancient ESPN of the Rock age men, watching nature's machismo dance with death and ever throbbing libido.

Men did not have TV in those days so they spend their time watching nature, but most of nature is boring and his hard to find, so when men come back into camp bringing with them a catch of two male Jungle Fowl and Possible a hen that was trapped in its nest, this becomes a cause of celebration because now they have something to watch.

Neck feather's erect and head and beak lowered, jiggling it slightly up and down, this is the male cock's way of making himself look intimidating to his opponent, oh how the Ancient people must have felt watching as two Jungle fowl males clash, fly and claw at each other on and on and on until one tries to run away bloodied and humiliated.

The Victor must have been kept alive, and the female was given to him as his reward and new companion. Kept in woven stiff fiber cages and fed with rice and scraps, this is how ancient men and some isolated South East Asian villagers domesticated and raised Jungle Fowl for the purpose of Cock Fighting.


The looser, though its not his fault, because dinner, this of course would possibly be his fate in nature, being injured and reeking of blood he will be an easy target for predators partial to Jungle Fowl meat. While the winning male gets to crow his heart out and attract all the females within the reach of his hearty crow.

Cock Fighting has its roots in nature that is most obvious man being its catalyst for fast track evolution and specialization. Creation of countless Breeds specific only for the game and gamble of Cock Fighting, games that might have entertained Kings, Pharaohs a Emperors of times long forgotten.

But Such games are often viewed as inhuman and violates animal rights, such may hold some truth because of man's pollution of nature's purity of purpose, adding money, politics, aggression, drugs and other completely human activities. But deep down why are Chickens and Jungle Fowl born and evolved to have these Behaviors and natural weaponry of hard beaks and leg spurs if not to use them in combat, ignore and forget the human activity of cruelty and purposeful gambling and other forms of evil that surrounds the Game itself, just focus on the purest of all struggles in nature, two birds proving each other the Superior and the other the Inferior.

For many Cock Fighters and Game Breeders, a Cock Fight is the very purpose of a Male's birth, to prove himself and the genes of his great ancestors in the Arena, in the Arena of 1 on 1 combat against an opponent chosen or is believed to be his equal and only a clash of wings, spurs and beaks can prove otherwise. Such Gameness and Aggression is hard wired into the  blood of all Chicken Breeds nothing else about them is more natural than to prove himself the victor and his enemy the looser of nature's genetic lottery.

Lemon 84 a bloodline of Philippine Game Fowl developed by Don Paeng Araneta

Due to Science and thousands of years of Animal Husbandry, passion and love by the generations and generations of men and women dedicated in the development of the game and the birds, the jungle fowl has now transformed into hundreds of breeds and bloodlines. Specialized for combat, developing body shape, behavior in battle, gameness and intelligence.

Lemon Roundhead Blue a battle cross of three Asian Game fowl Bloodlines

Bombay Boles Red Asil a battle cross of Oriental Asils

Modern International Cock Fighting is a multi million dollar industry, with its main stars coming form the Game fowl. Game Fowl as they are called, are divided into two types, the Asian Game Fowl and the Oriental Asils.

Lapier Hatch Game Fowl Bloodline

Lemon 84 Game Fowl Bloodline

Washington Blue a Bloodline of Game Fowl

Asian Game Fowl have similar body built and hard plumage type to that of the Red Jungle Fowl. But these specialized birds are larger, faster maturing and have developed fighting abilities that have been selected through generations of selective and specialized breeding.

Philippine Native Chicken (Bisaya)

Cubalaya

Black Sumatra

Old English Game Fowl

China Game Fowl

Asian Game Fowl were descended from chickens taken from the Philippines, Sumatra, China and other South East Asian countries, later taken to Cuba, England and other colonies by the Conquistadors.

The Cubalaya and Black Sumatra as well as the Chinese Game Fowl are great examples of these ancestral bloodlines and they look very similar to the Modern American Game Fowl, Philippine Game Fowl and Asian Game Fowl.

Kelso a Bloodline of American Game Fowl