The two roosters strutting around first base at the neighborhood ballfield have a special skill.

“These birds, they fight on command,” said the man standing between them and the dugout gate.

The man called himself Cain. He wore rubber boots and gripped a long wooden staff and said he takes his roosters to Mountain View Lions Park to exercise and show them off.

Cockfighting is illegal in Alaska. It can earn you thousands of dollars in fines and jail time, so Cain is careful. He’ll sell you a “highly temperamental,” well-trained bird that knows all the commands. What you do with it is on you. And it will cost you. The roosters are only a few months old. When they’re fully grown and fully trained, they’ll bring in around $5,000 each, Cain said. 

“You want the best trained, you’ve got to pay for the best,” he said.