Nowadays there are plenty of lines of pureblood or combat Kelso roosters (if they can be called “lines”), I would rather call them families. I know there isn’t a fully correct explanation since every breeder has made their own Kelso rooster family in their own way, but I’m going to give you my particular opinion about how I see this rooster race, starting with the fact that they are very fighting and intelligent.
Kelso gamefowl history
Started by Walter Kelso, the families that he used for initiating this race were the Clarets, Murphy hiteHacle, Roundhead, Hulsey, Brown Red and some of the first prototypes for the Kelso’s. As you can see, there are several bloodlines the ones that have to do with the conformation of the Kelso roosters, which makes their phenotypes very varied.
Characteristics of the Kelso roosters
What is undeniable about this race is the great value that it has in the current times. The most well-known are colored and yellow feathered, with white and yellow legs, round and square headed, with saw and turkey crests; there also exist some recessive genes that allow the White Kelso species, a white colored animal. This diversity in the phenotype is due to the amount of bloodlines with whom this family was composed, divided in three groups as we previously established.
Most popular lines
This lines has been the most successful of all, that’s why we should name: Colored feather of white and yellow feet, and yellow feather of yellow feet. This lines have had success since they were created and they have kept alive since then. This is more important that having a quality bird that can be passenger, believe me. Their surprising abilities to be crossed with other lines is what keeps them alive until nowadays because they can be successfully crossed with almost every other race.
A very complete family with a careful combat style similar to the one owned by their western ancestors, to whom they also owe that magnificent cutting ability. With just the right level of speed and a very liberal spirit, these assets allows them to develop a very effective fighting style and this, along with their surprising development, makes them a very complete family. A multifaceted one actually, that can use the Philippian knife, gaff, Mexican cutting knife and Centro American knife.
As you can see, the Kelso fighting cocks are another of the most developed families and one of the highest operative capacity with artificial weapons. It’s a basic race in any raising system, belonging to a program of genetic improvement, since the own constitution of the family allows to take it to very consanguineous and advanced programs without losing their structure. This is very important since there are a lot of lines that can be degraded over the time the mating are been done. Luckily, this isn’t the case with the Kelso’s.
Colored feather and white legged Kelso’s
In Mexico, breeders like George Foster can insert themselves in the Mexican market with colored feather and white legged Kelso’s after achieving big accomplishments in the United States. This extreme quality birds tolerate any amount of punishment and with a good posture they got to be famous winners in our country.
Jumper Kelso roosters
Another line of successful Kelso roosters are the ones with yellow feathers and white and yellow feet from the amazing breeder Johnnie Jumper (also called “out & out”) with round and square heads and saw and turkey crests. In Mexico, one particular family was the one that caused the same sensation that had already been caused in United States, from this family of the Kelso roosters are developed other families under this amazing legacy that started to outstand with other breeders that weren’t quite known. This was due to the falling down in Mr. Jumper’s health.
Plenty of their breeding gardens have taken the part of the market that was left behind by this awesome breeder. This is why the Kelso roosters are considered another successful family, because of their great constitution and permanence in the derbies, becoming winners themselves.
Combat Kelso roosters
The Kelso fighting cocks are a very crossing race, they are very well crossed with the sweater rooster bloodline, hatch, radio and brown red roosters (this last one mostly in the Philippines), generally they combine with almost any other bird line.
Here in Mexico they are one of the most used families, that for, without any single shadow of doubt, I can say that you’ll see this birds playing in almost every derby. It must be mentioned that if you want to have good results with this and other lines you should use the best food for fighting roosters, for the animals to have a better development.
Pure blood Kelso Stallion
First of all, I want to make clear that there isn’t any pure blood race, and many people tend to make the error of saying “pureblood Kelso roosters” when we start out in the business, when it’s better if we just say “Kelso stallion”.
Talking about the Kelso’s, I consider them to be very good crossing birds, especially with the Sweater’s (a classic mating here in Mexico). Like I said before, they are extraordinary birds for the breeding since they allow us to cross with almost every other races. We just have to be careful when we select our stallion while we look for the characteristics that we want for out bird line.
Some Kelso’s are good floor-fighters while others are good in the air, that’s why we have to keep in mind what style does this family has before we acquire it.
I invite you to continue visiting more interesting articles that I have you can see some of these:
I hope that you have enjoyed the article of the Kelso roosters, and I invite you to visit the article about the fine Hatch roosters. Remember: the small details make the great breeders.