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Cockfights are held
before an arena of
cheering spectators
who often wager large
sums of money on the
outcome

Birds peck and maim
one another with their
beaks and weapons
until one rooster is
dead or too weak to
fight

The loser, and often-
times winners of cock-
fights are consigned
to the trash, sometimes
while still alive

Natural spurs of the
roosters are sawed 
off and replaced by
razor-sharp steel
blades or gaffs up to
three inches long

Gaffs used in cockfighting