Read: Sweater Gamefowl Origin/History

One of the breeds of gamefowl most in demand today are the “Sweaters”. There are several versions of how they originated. The following account of their origin is “straight from the horse’s mouth”. It comes from Johnny Jumper and another respected cocker who knew the parent fowl; when, where and by whom they were bred.The following is their version how the Sweaters originated.Sweater McGinnis gave Walter Kelso a yellow legged Hatch cock whose bloodlines are thought to trace back to Harold Browns McLean Hatch. Mr. Kelso bred this cock to his Kelso hens and the offspring from the mating proved to be outstanding pit cocks.Cecil Davis, who was a friend of Mr. Kelso, walked cocks for him and had access to Mr. Kelso’s best fowl. Cecil got one of the cocks which Mr. Kelso raised from the Sweater McGinnis Hatch cock and his own hens. Cecil got this cock from Doc Robinson, who also walked cocks for Mr. Kelso. The cock was yellow legged and pea combed. Cecil bred him to five of his out-and-out Kelso hens. The offspring from this mating were the foundation of the Sweaters.

They were called Sweaters because the Hatch cock from Sweater McGinnis was their grandfather. As the above indicates, in breeding, they would be ¾ Kelso-¼ yellow legged Hatch.The original Sweaters were bred by Ira Parks, who was Johnny Jumper’s brother-in-law, a very fine man and an excellent breeder of gamefowl. Ira, Johnny and Cecil were at the hub of a group of cockers in northern Mississippi and Tennessee who were friends and cocking partners. Several of this group got Sweaters from the original mating. Some of these friends have bred the Sweaters without addition of outside blood and have them in their purity today. Other breeders have added infusions of other blood to their Sweaters.The line of Sweaters which is bringing the breed such popularity today came from Roy Brady, who got some of the first mating of Sweaters, to Sonny Ware, to Odis Chappell, to Carol Nesmith and the Browns of Mississippi. Odis Chappell let a number of friends in addition to Carol, have his Sweaters, so the blood has been distributed rather widely in central Alabama in recent years. It has been excellent blood for all who got it. This line of Sweaters produces occasional green legged offspring, usually pullets. When asked about his, Roy Brady said that at one time some Hatch was bred into this line. This line is said also to carry small amount of Radio blood.

The Sweaters described in this article are typically orange-red to light red in color, with yellow legs and pea combs. Of interest, however, Dolan Owens of Booneville, Mississippi, acquired some of the early Sweaters and has bred them to come uniformly dark, wine red in color, straight comb and white legged. In looks, these two lines of Sweaters show almost no resemblance. This is an example of how a family of fowl can be bred toward different standards by different breeders and In a few generations the two lines will be like two different breeds.
Sonny Ware bred some Radio into the Sweaters making them pumpkin in color. Most people like this color better and breed to that end.

Sweaters
By: Bluff Creek
from Harold Brown,Marvin Anderson

Marvin Anderson was born 1878 and died in 1976.while servin in the army he became aqainted with mr sanford hatch from newyork.they both were cockers and became friends at this time.this was during ww1he fought birds in alabama and goergia.during these times people that fought birds traveled by wagon trains to southern towns where cockfighting was a week long event.they fought there fowl and mains was on there way out.the decided to weigh at fight them in order till one fought his birds out,almost like ten cock hack fights.they served food and stayed all week in the towns and always had some one stay with there birds.MR maguiness had fowl as well, harold brown told me that he had a family of the left nose hatch,given to him by mr mike kearny,and he crossed them on 1/2 ew law grey,1/2 madiagn calarretts,they was as good of fowl that he had.after meeting a young cocker from alabama named harold brown they became acuainted he gave him some fowl none as his sweater left nose greys.horld said in the early 40s and early 30s they were greys and bred back to the brother and sister mating they became red,being 1/2 hatch blood 1/4 clarrett blood and 1/4 greythe law birds was a dark legged grey blood to start with.I know fro a fact i seen some in the early 70s that threw a grey every now and then.harold also said he gave some of this blood to mr walter kelso for the orlando tounament and to meet some persons in a derby at the agusta tournament.they where the sweaters blood.in turn they won both tournaments .

MR gilbert coutua was the feeder from louisianna,a friend of harolds and marvins.marvin was breedin the yeller legged birds from sanford and harold kept the ones that was crossed on the kerny blood and where green legged he got from theodore maclain,the green legged fowl was more plumage and thats the ones harold could sell.marvin and horold decided to keep the yeller legged fowl in alabama,only letting them out to jus the locals -runt camp+scott house-barnetts.in thhe 60s harold brown was beating a young cocker from texas named joe good and his brother.then became acquainted with a young cocker named johnny jumper,he was fascinated with the fowl.harold talked to walter and told him to let this young man have some of them birds because he knew he was prettymuch a upand comming cocker and harold and curtis liked him.they beat him alot but he had a good show of birds and always took care of the ones that was fought.through the years breeding of this cross fowl they all became the color of red roosters light red in color with white in the tails,being a breeder and selecting fowl harold sold some of these fowl, carol later obtained some of the yeller legg blood from buddy barnett,bruces older brother.dink fair got some from johnny ,and some from carol.

MARVIN ANDERSON TOLD ME THE MAKE UP OF THOSE SWEATERS WERE AND I BELIEVE TILL THIS DAY ARE MOSTLY THE 1/2 YELLER not yellow LEGGED HATCH.1/4 MADIGAN CLARRETT 1/4 EW LAW DARK LEG GREY. BRED BACK TO THE YELLER SIDE WHICH WOULD BE DOMINENT LINE AND INBREEDEDING like all the old timmers done to keep there birds.most sweaters being a battle cross are alil mean unless handled at early stages of there life……

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