Asil Chicken

     The Asil, or the Aseel, is a breed of Chickens, that was bred in India for over two thousand years ago. It’s one of the oldest game chicken breeds, and the gamiest of them all. The name Asil is an Arabic name, and means ‘of long pedigree’.

     Asils are fighting birds, with strong muscles and heavy bones. These birds have a great amount of stamina and courage, and are noted for their pugnacity as well. Interestingly, Asil chicks often fight when they are just a few weeks old, while mature roosters will fight to death. The hens can also be very aggressive, but they usually become mellower when kept with less aggressive breeds. The Asil has a pea comb, red earlobes, tiny wattles and mostly yellowish legs.

     Asil hens are not good layers, but are excellent sitters and protective mothers. In fact, they may be used as foster mothers for other breeds’ eggs. Laying depends on the Asil variety, but in general, larger Asil can lay around 40 eggs per year, and smaller varieties may lay much less.

     There are many varieties for the Asil, some are standardized for shows, and others are simply named after the area where they were bred in the first place. Examples of common varieties are; the ‘Madras Asil’ which is used for cock fighting, also the ‘Long Tail Parrot Beak Asil’ which is mainly an ornamental bird. The bird has a wide range of colors, and a bantam version is available too.