When a cockerel is dubbed, the wattle, the earlobes and the comb are removed using sharp scissors. It is best if two people handle the task. The bird is wrapped in a towel or other cloth so that only it’s head is visible. Then one person holds it while the other cuts. The scissors are sterilized with alcohol and some kind of blood stop should be on hand – just in case. First, the wattle is cut from front to back, then the earlobes, and finally the comb from back to front. It is important to remember that, once the skin is cut away, it cannot be put back. Most experts recommend cutting less instead of more. Why Dub Chickens? Dubbing of game birds has a long history and there are a couple of reasons it is done today. One of those reasons is simply An Old English Game cockerel that has been dubbed tradition. As the name “game” implies, these are chicken breeds that were traditionally bred for fighting purposes. During a fight, the wattles, combs and earlobes were almost like handles for the opposing rooster to grab hold of, and terrible wounds could result if they were torn off. As chicken fighting is now illegal, no one needs to worry about that anymore. However, the look of a dubbed cockerel is still appealing to many. While the birds are not actually fighting, lots of people like them to look like they could win in a fight. It makes sense that if, all of your life, you’ve seen game birds dubbed you would think that’s the way they should look. The second reason people maintain that dubbing is good for game birds is more reasonable. If a bird lives in a cold climate and is not dubbed, frostbite can cause serious problems. However, there is fault in the logic of dubbing only game birds in cold climates because other birds with similar wattles, combs and earlobes can suffer frostbite as well. No one suggests that other breeds should be dubbed. In a temperate country like the UK, there is really no need for this practice to continue and, all the signatures on this petition believe so. It is nothing more than butchering an animal for aesthetics or, illegal fighting.