Grey Rooster Fighting Style and the Top Grey Gamefowl Breeders

The grey gamefowl or grey rooster (Talisayin) is a very popular color of fighting rooster in the Philippines. There are a number of bloodlines coming from different breeds and crosses but there are few that stand out from the competition.

Gamecock is not just about winning but also about having reliable fighting roosters with bloodlines that stand the test of time and these breeders are well-known owners and developers of grey gamefowl bloodlines.

If you are into cockfighting or even online sabong and your favorite color is grey, you should know the origin of the fighting cock before you put your money into it.

The following are some of the most popular and successful owners and breeders of grey gamefowls.

Rafael “Nene” Abello – Bacolod City

If you are into sabong, you know who Nene Abello is. He is one if not the most successful and most popular breeders in the Philippines and abroad.

Abello’s Regular Grey is said to be a combination of three grey families: the Law Grey, the Sweater Grey, and the Plainhead Muff Grey. Regular Greys come green-legged, sometimes with yellow, silver duck wings and straight comb. They are medium to low-stationed and are known for power and gameness. Breeders note that they are as powerful and dead game as the Bluefaced. Because of these, many breeders have made Regular Grey their foundation line.

Joel Lacson – Circle L Gamefarm, Mambukal, Murcia, Negros Occidental

Not far from Nene Abello’s farm is the Popeye Hatch Grey developed by Joel Lacson. It is said to be the cross of Regular Grey x High Action Mclean Hatch. It is known for its athletic ability and powerful fighting style on and off the ground.

The original Regular Grey from Harold Brown can withstand years of inbreeding and line-breeding and this is the reason why after a series of the breeding process, the Popeye Hatch Grey still carries the ability of the Regular Grey from Harold Brown.

Mayor Jesry Palmares os Passi City, Iloilo

Palmares get his grey from Bobby Fairchild of Clear Creek Farms in Hulbert Oklahoma, USA. The Bobby Fairchild Grey once dominated the US gamecock world and is very popular after winning world championships for years.

JGA Farm – Bacolod City

Former Bago City Mayor Juancho Aguirre and his JGA Farm developed one of the most popular grey gamefowl bloodlines called Duke Hulsey Grey. Duke Hulsey Grey possesses good timing and is a powerful ground fighter. Many Filipino breeders use Duke Hulsey Grey as their base breeders due to the bloodline’s popularity.

Boy Jiao of Rk Patrick Farm in Silang Cavite

Boy Jiao got his greys from Johnny More and Oscar Akins. Jiao used these greys to cross with Sue Wilson’s greys resulting in a formidable grey bloodline that become his main product. Boy Jiao’s grey is one of the most sought-after greys in Luzon.

Tonio Mica GF Romulo – Muntinlupa City

Tonio Romulo is a popular breeder and his Frost Grey is one of the best greys. Tonio developed his grey from Bobby Joe Manziel Greys. Tonio’s greys are available in two different variations – the yellow-legged grey and the green-legged grey.

Grey Fighting Style

In most gamefowl fights in the past, the ‘Texas’ or the red gamefowl, often an imported American bloodline or cross was the llamado in betting circles. Odds were always against the white-feathered rooster or the so-called Talisayin when matched with a Texas. Urban legend has it that a Talisayin is the stronger fighter ONLY during a Full Moon (snicker) and the First Quarter Moon of the month. and that one should avoid fighting bright red gamefowl because the power levels are evenly matched for both gamefowls. Yeah right. Other nonsense included: fight only with green or black-legged because yellow or white-legged gamefowl is lazier during this time.

Some of the biases against the Talisayin have been expressed by pundits like a slur against the bloodline:

“In general, off-colored birds are weaker because there are fewer of them.”

“These gamefowls are chosen and bred by those new to the sport and their breeding methods lack the solid foundation of proven and pure bloodlines which are the base of most red birds.”

“Off-colored birds are like regressive offspring and mostly unpredictable (hence the full moon superstition).”

“Kung manalo Talisayin sa iyo, SUWERTE mo!!”

“Uniformity of traits and genome stability is rather rare in off-color birds.”

Now everything is different. No matter the match-ups, the Talisayin always is the sure bet, especially if the game farm fighting one already has a winning tradition. And more often than not, the Talisayin also gets the lucky wins like the so-called last hit. You now get really good fighting gamefowl and more than a sure chance at winning with Greys.

Greys or the Talisayin (talisayon) have had a resurgent winning streak to become the current dark horse sure bet in most gamefowl circuits. Maybe it is because they now have Sweater and Hatch infused in them to make them stronger and more relentless. And the infusion into pure stock Law Greys and Harold Brown Greys as the foundation, already known for power hitting, created a new kind of Talisayin with speed and quickness to boot to fight even better.

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