Asils were first used for cock fighting. Aseel is noted for its pugnacity. The chicks often fight when they are just a few weeks old and mature roosters will fight to the death. Hens can also be very aggressive towards each other.
Towards humans Asil are generally very tame and trusting. There are anecdotes where they have come to their keepers for other things than food, for example to get the keeper to open the door to the coop so they can get to roost.
The hens are not good layers, but are excellent sitters. Laying depends on the Asil variety, the small Asil are known to be very poor layers, sometimes laying just 6 eggs a year, whereas larger Asil can lay around 40 eggs a year.
In the U.S., the breed is listed as Critical by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. Aseel breed is found in almost all states of India, but abundant in Andhra Pradesh.
Breed Standard
The Asil has a distinctive upright stance, drooping tail, and well-defined musculature. The comb and wattles are much smaller than in most other breeds. The color ranges from white to black with black breasted red being the most common.
Asil head
The ideal Asil head is more or less round-shaped and broad, the eyes pearl white and protected by protuberant eyebrows and cheekbones, a small low set pea or walnut comb (except the single-combed bhaingam variety) with a relative short and thick beak. The color of the face is generally red. Asil with a dark-colored face are seen on South Indian Asil. Wattles should be absent only rudimentary presence is allowed.
Asil comb types
Asil show a variation in comb types and beak shapes. In generally we can say that North Indian Asil types such as the Reza Asil have (triple) peacombs only. The South Indian varieties such as the Malay and the Madras Asil show (triple) peacombs as well as walnut combs.
Asil beak types
North Indian type Asil have (triple) peacombs and a fairly large beak with the shape similar to an eagle. The birds from Southern India generally show a short but massive triangle shaped beak.
Asil eyes
All Asil must show a pearl-white colored eye. Red or orange-colored eyes are a fault. Pale yellow-colored eyes can be seen in young birds which lighten with age into a pearl-white colour. Sometimes pearl-white colored eyes are seen showing tiny blood veins running in the eyes, so called "bloodshot" eyes. In some areas these are regarded as a sign of vitality.
Asil legs
The main leg colors within the Asil breed are ivory white, yellow, black,grey and blue. The dark-colored leg colors are generally seen on the South Indian Asil. Some Asil show very rough scales pointing a little bit outwards. The shape of an Asil leg should not be round but angular.
Asil body description
The Asil should have broad shoulders and wings are carried against the body. The body of an Asil is very muscular but also compact.
Varieties
There are many varieties of Asil, some are standardized for shows such as the Reza Asil in the UK, some are simply named after the area where they are bred such as the Mianwali Asil from Pakistan or the colour, red/wheaten Asil are generally knows as "Sonatol".
There are also hen-feathered Asil knows as "Madaroo" these are found in various colours, but the cocks come with feathers in hen colour, don't have sickle feathers in the tails and miss the large hanging feathers on the saddle. This variety is very rare.
Asil with feather beards under their beaks known as "muffed" and with tufts on the top of their heads known as "tasseled" are also seen, but are very rare especially outside India/Pakistan.
Bhaingam Asil variety have a have a large single comb but confirm to all the other Asil standards.
Broadly speaking, Asil in Europe are categorized and shown under these three types:
Reza Asil
Height: Up to 50 cms tall. Weight: Maximum weight for the hens is 1.8 kg, max weight for the cocks is 2.7 kg.
This type is standardized by the Asian Hardfeather Society in the UK and is seen at shows throughout the UK, but is quite rare.
This group of Asil reached worldwide popularity due to books and articles written by gamefowl experts such as Herbert Atkinson, Siran and Paul Deraniyagala from Sri Lanka and Carlos Finsterbusch from Chile. The Reza Asil family according the old (Western) gamefowl literature is subdivided into following strains: (Amir) Ghan (Dark-Red), Sonatol(Light-Red), (Siyah) Rampur(Black), Kalkatiya (Kaptan)(Speckled-Reds) and Jawa(Duckwing). All these strains are identified by their specific color, these colors do not necessarily correspond with the area where the birds come from.
In colonial times other colors such as whites, spangles, golden etc. were regarded as inferior. At present day the "classic" strains and names given mentioned by Atkinson are more or less forgotten. The native people in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka only know the Reza-type Asil by their local names.
Kulang Asil
Height: Up to 75 cms tall. Weight: 5 to 7 kg.
The large Asil are divided into sub-varieties : North Indian, South Indian and Madras type. The North and South Indian varieties don't differ much. Only type of comb, shape of the beak and body shape are different. For example : Northern type = slender, Southern type = heavier build. The Madras Asil however is significantly different. They have a lower station, are heavier build and stronger boned. These birds often come in a bluish colour. This variety is found in the deep south of India, the Tamil Nadu state.
Bantam Asil
Weight: Up to 0.75 kg.
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