Roundhead
Better Red Than Dead
Better Red Than Dead
This fine fighting gamefowl is one red that cuts deep,
is relentlessly game, and when crossed with power,
becomes a natural born killer. For broodstock owners,
a Roundhead bloodline gives them all the RED they need.
Roundheads
always perplex inexperienced breeders because when good specimens are
made, they fight extremely well, but when the offspring is off, they
lose just as spectacularly. The only guarantee is to know the bloodline
so that you know it well enough to know its strengths and weaknesses.
Roundheads
were crossed with Clarets to make the McClanahans that Walter Kelso
used in his initial cross. So you know that the part of the Kelso's
smarts and cutting come from the Roundhead. The Typewriter McClanahan
were known to hit powerfully and have desperate gameness.
Bloodline History:
There
are hordes of Oriental-American crosses that come peacomb and are
called Roundheads which contain not a drop of the original Allen
bloodline.So now it is used more as a generic term for pea comb fowl
than as the name of a specific breed. Most of the Roundhead gamefowl
around were straight comb. The ubuiquitous Boston cock had very strong
peacomb genes to give that characteristic to his offspring and
descendants for generations to come to this day.
Some
Roundhead fowl were known to be Irish Whitehackles-bred just like the
more common English Whitehackles with pea combs. Oriental crosses
increased the size of the Roundhead to around 5 lbs. Fred Saunders and
crossed Roundheads over some hens that were a blend of Redquill and
Grist Grady. These Oriental bloodlines were then added to the early
English fowl. Over the years, in the 50s to the 70s, a close focus on
breeding pure was made for most Roundheads. Until a cross with power
hitting fowl like Hatches increased the winnings of the breed that it
became a de- facto mating choice to infuse pure Roundhead with power
Hatch or other power gamefowl like the Sweater.
Lacy Roundheads
Judge
Ernest Lacy of Jasper, Alabama, started his gamefowl in 1916. The Lacy
Roundhead was basically a mix of Allen and Shelton bloodlines.
Mr.
J. T. Shepler of Uniontown, Pennsylvania, a "stickler" for deep
gameness provided an Albany-Claret cock which was crossed by the heir
of Lacy to pure Lacy hens and bred fighters with very deep gameness in
the half Lacy-half Albany-Claret stags. The cross of the Shepler
Albany-Claret into Lacy Roundheads infused the right new blood which
"nicked" with and invigorated the Lacy bloodline of reds.
All
throughout the history of the bloodline, the Lacy Roundhead was crossed
only with other Roundheads, from fowl breeder friends of the Lacy heir,
keeping the stock fairly pure in its own right. The Lacy Roundhead
breeder himself kept a close line breeding program to keep his gamefowl
bloodline intact.
A
friend of the heir of Ernest Lacy, Carl Davis experimented with Lacys
crossed with power blood with impressive success in the pit. Carl's
best fighters were Lacy-Hatch and other crosses with power blood. Maybe
taking a hint from Walter Kelso's instinct to cross his fowl with the
best fighter he could lay his hands on. The powered-up Lacy Roundheads
were some of the best gamefowl to be found in Alabama during the time,
attracting attention among breeders and winning consistently in all of
the major Alabama pits.
When
these Lacy fighters went to the drag pit with a power cock in a fair
and even match, they would win four times out of five on cutting ability
and gameness. Carl's success with his power crosses made gamefowl
breeders in Alabama begin wanting roundheads again. Until then, almost
the only thing wanted by breeders of red gamefowl was pure power blood.
The Roundhead has made a comeback of sorts recently as a true threat to any other bloodline after constant infusions and crosses have increased its vitality and fighting prowess. Remember, the Kelso was evolved from this bloodline.
