by Jennifer Floyd |
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| What do Asils look like, and
where are they from? Well, Asils are the ancestors of the Cornish breed,
so they look sort of like a more slender, athletic Cornish. The Asil was
developed in India as a fighting bird, but different than the English
games - an Asil is like a boxer (versus a fencer) and is valued for
stamina. They are heavy boned, heavy muscled, very hard feathered birds
(bare breastbone), with somewhat of an upright carriage. The eyes are a
sort of pearl white with a greenish tint and heavy brow ridge (like a
hawk). Both sexes have a small pea comb, but no wattles, and the sloping
tail tends to fan horizontally rather than vertically. Hens are poor
layers, but very tenacious setters, and will brood for months on end (I
usually use Asils to hatch most of my chicks, as they are the most
reliable). Asils are usually very tame and easy to handle, and one of mine
("Ana") is a particular pet that likes to follow me around looking for
handouts. |
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| Dark Asil
pair |
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The main drawback to this breed is that they are
pugnacious to an extreme - my hens have learned to leave each other alone, as my
dog will interrupt fights, but two-month-old chicks will fight until their eyes
swell shut and they can’t stand up. "Gez" (the dog) tries to help,
but she can handle just so many at a time, and while she picks one up and
carries it away, another couple will be going at it. Fortunately, they are also
very hardy, and seldom cause fatalities when young. Are they a nuisance
sometimes? Yes. Are they interesting and unique birds that I enjoy anyhow? Yes,
to that too! I’ll never have lots of them, but I’ll always keep a few. |
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| My Asils are of North Indian (Kulang)
bloodlines, and average around 7 pounds, with some individuals being larger or
smaller. Most are dark, or dark red, and I still get some lighter reds with
wheaten hens. The blacks have a small infusion of Shamo (black Gowdy lines) in
them, so are a little taller with more feather, and occasionally some red in the
hackle. |
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| Black Asil
pair
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| For Additional Information & Resources: | |
More Asil history |
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FeatherSite - Asils |
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Asil poem |
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