"Asil" is an Arabic word meaning "pure" or "thoroughbred, and is also spelled 'Aseel'. It is a very old game breed from the INDIA/PAKISTAN area and has been bred there as a game bird for many centuries, specifically for its aggressive behaviour. They established the Asil for gaming and also developed their beauty. It is recognised as the oldest established breed of gamefowl, and this family of birds is a large one with many regional variations in size and type. Asil were developed primarily as a fighting bird, and this aspect of their development has had an overpowering influence on the breed's structure, constitution, and temperament as well as influencing its role in the development of more modern breeds. They are also known for their intelligent defensive and tactical thinking to keep power for long times in a endurance fight.
General characteristics:
Type and Carriage: Upright, standing firmly on strong legs. Sprightly and quick in movement. When seen in profile the eye should be directly above the middle toenail.
Body: Viewed from above, the body should appear to be heart-shaped, with broad shoulders tapering to a fairly narrow but very well developed stern, strong at the root of the tail. The body should be hard and muscular, feeling remarkably flat in the hand.
Breast: Wide and well thrown out
Back: Broad and straight.
Wings: Carried well out from the body at the shoulders. Muscular where they join the body but otherwise carrying little flesh. Wing feathers hard and tough with rather short quills.
Tail: Sickle feathers narrow and scimitar-shaped, drooping from the base. Saddle feathers pointing backwards.
Head: Skull broad with large square jaw bones, and large cheek bones covered in tough leathery skin. Beak short, thick and powerful, shutting tight.
Eyes bright and bold set in oval pointed eyelids.
Comb triple, very hard fleshed and set low. No wattles.
Neck: Medium length, carried slightly curved giving a short appearance. Thick and very hard to the touch, covered with short, hard, wiry feathers.
Throat clean-cut with bare skin extending well down the neck.
Legs and feet: Shanks thick and square with a noticeable indentation down the front where the scales meet. Thighs not too long, but round, hard and muscular and when viewed from the front should be in line with the body, not the shoulders.
Plumage: Very short and wiry, difficult to break, and with little or no underfluff. Patches of bare skin showing red are to be seen on the breastbone, wing joints and thighs.
Handling: Extremely firm and muscular. Heavier in the hand than appearance would at first suggest.
