American Asil

History

The Asil or Aseel is a very ancient bird and was bred in India over two thousand years ago as a fighting bird. The name Asil is Arabic and means of long pedigree. They were brought to Europe around 1750. They are natural fighting birds with strong muscles and heavy bones and they have great stamina and courage. They have a distinctly powerful upright stance and the skin is yellow or white with a small pea comb and no wattles. Their eyes are pearly white and they have a heavy brow which is reminiscent of a hawk. They are hard feathered and the breastbone is bare while their beaks are strong and yellow. There is also a ¼ size bantam which are exact miniatures of the large fowl.

Behaviour

The females do not lay very well at all but make wonderful mothers as they are apt to become broody and make excellent sitters and protective mothers. The chicks are slow to mature and will often fight with each other from a very early age. These need to be broken up quickly as they will fight to the death if given the chance. Asils need plenty of space to allow escape during disputes. Despite being fighting birds, they can be tamed very easily and will eat from your hand quite happily. They prefer dry conditions and do not do well in a cold climate. They are not particularly flighty despite their strength. They are rare birds now and totally pure Asils are hard to find. Males weigh in around 4-6lbs while the females are 3-5lbs.

Varieties

There are no specific colours for the Asil although there are white, partridge mottled, wheaten, fawn, black white mottled, dark red, red wheaten, grey, spangled, duckwing, pile and silver necked blue varieties.

Status

Rare Asil Chickens for sale

There are no breeds of this type currently available for sale

Latest Breed Reviews

3.5 Out of 5 Stars Great for pets, shows - 18 May 2009

Asil are bad layers no question about it as most hens lay just enough eggs for reproduction. And they like to demolish your plants too.

However they are naturally tame and intelligent as they were originally a game breed, and therefore were bred to be handled by trainers. If you are looking for a pet breed that is tame and intelligent or want to show birds, these are a great choice.

They don't eat a great deal of food as cocks as max 6 lbs.

Remember that the cocks fight, so a cock and 2 hens is best to keep. Generally they are OK with other chicks but it depends on the line so always ask the owner, as some lines you can only keep one cock and one hen together!

Summary: Great for pets, shows and people that want fowl with a long history