Learn All About Shamo Roosters
The Shamo gamefowl breed is arguably the strongest fighting rooster breed and is well-loved in the Philippines for this reason. This breed originated from Japan and became renowned worldwide for their long legs and muscular build.
Today, Japan breeds Shamos for both cockfighting and as ornamental birds while other breeders use this to develop their own gamefowl breeds and bloodlines.
Brief History on Shamos
This breed became rare by the 1940s and the Japanese government started creating laws to preserve it. Naturally, this meant that the breed shouldn’t be found outside of Japan, but American G.I.s brought home some birds and eggs, resulting in Shamos being available in the US. A few other Shamos were also exported from Japan by the 50s and European breeders saw the breed again after the initial import on March of 1884.
Today, Shamos are growing in popularity worldwide, but Japan still takes care of its own Shamos. It officially recognizes seven breeds.
Key Features of Shamo Roosters:
Shamos can be distinguished through the following:
This is a generally tall breed and is second to the Malay gamefowl. However, some Shamos may come in smaller sizes as they’ve been bred in large, medium, and bantam sizes.
How Shamos Fight
Shamos are known for being ferocious and courageous and are prized for their endurance and accurate strikes. Couple these with their muscles and you’ll get exciting fights from sturdy birds. Basically, Shamos are bred for stamina fighting.
With how well the Shamos are bred, they’re arguably the strongest fighting rooster breed as they possess powerful and aggressive characteristics. Shamos can also be classified as part of the following:
Shamos in the Philippines
Shamos are in wide circulation in the Philippines, with breeders using them alongside Asils to breed new gamefowls. New gamefowl breeds from this breed are easily distinguishable through the thick feathers.
There are no well-known Shamo bloodlines in the Philippines, but Japan has officially recognized seven breeds of this bird.
Different Shamos in Japan
The Shamo is still well-known for naked-heel cockfighting in Japan, and there remains a tradition to eat the losing Shamo. Additionally, Japan officially recognizes seven different Shamo breeds, which are the following:
All the varieties listed above are recognized as Natural Monuments of Japan.
Conclusion
Overall, the Shamo is an exceptional gamefowl breed favored by many breeders due to how strong it is. This resulted in many breeders attempting to develop their own breeds and bloodlines using this breed to harness some of their ferocity.
Online sabong bettors should keep an eye out for Shamos in the cockpits in case a breeder brings some to fight. Seeing it get paired to a weaker breed should result in an easy win for a bettor. Keep an eye out for birds that look like Shamos, especially those with thick feathers, and bettors should have a decent chance of spotting these birds.
