DELAND -- The killing of about 100 fighting cocks was delayed Wednesday after an accused owner contested an agreement to give the fowls to the county.

Volusia County wants ownership of 120 roosters, hens and chicks seized Dec. 20 in DeBary. Becky Wilson, county animal services director, said most of the birds are too aggressive to adopt and they would be killed by lethal injection.

At a county court hearing Tuesday, Lucio C. Perez of Zellwood voluntarily surrendered five fighting cocks. A conditional agreement was negotiated with attorney Jose Alvarez for his client Braulio Barrientos to surrender the remaining 115 birds seized on his property on Fort Florida Road.

Barrientos objected to paying $1,351 in $100 monthly installments for care of the birds and court costs, said an aide to county attorney Tura Schnebly. The county is filing for another hearing next week.

Barrientos previously pleaded not guilty to felony charges of baiting animals. Perez missed his arraignment Wednesday on charges of possession of cocks for fighting and having implements used in cockfighting, State Attorney's Office spokeswoman Linda Pruitt said.

The office is reviewing felony complaints against a dozen other people sheriff's deputies detained and interviewed at the Dec. 20 raid, Pruitt said.

Florida last year increased the penalty for many cockfighting-related activities from misdemeanors to felonies. Potential fines increased from $1,000 to $5,000 and jail sentences increased from one to five years.