Asil Chicken Breed and Price in Pakistan
The Asil chicken, popularly spelled the Aseel chicken, is a legendary breed known for its strength, endurance, and richly unique history. Originating from the Indian subcontinent, the Asil chicken has been bred for centuries for cockfighting, deepening it in the list of the world’s oldest and most powerful gamefowl breeds. In addition to this fighting reputation, the Asil hen is also much admired for its appearance, intelligence, and role in developing modern poultry breeds. Aseel chicken are not only relegated to historical importance and for fighting today, but are also kept for ornamental purposes, exhibitions, and as genetic resources for improvement in other asil chicken breed.
The Asil chicken strikes because of its muscular body, upright posture, and ferocious disposition. It has a cultural presence that is more than just a presence in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka; it has also exercised influence over poultry advances in the rest of the world. The Aseel chicken is extremely aggressive towards other chickens and, at the same time, very loyal to and, at times, affectionate towards its human handlers. Such qualities thereto make it an interesting fascination for poultry lovers and historians alike.
آسیل مرغ اپنے مضبوط جسم، سیدھے قد و قامت، اور جارحانہ فطرت کی وجہ سے نمایاں ہوتا ہے۔ اس کی ثقافتی موجودگی صرف بھارت، پاکستان، بنگلہ دیش اور سری لنکا تک محدود نہیں بلکہ اس نے دنیا بھر میں مرغیوں کی افزائش پر بھی اثر ڈالا ہے۔ آسیل مرغ دوسرے مرغوں کے لیے انتہائی جارح ہوتا ہے، مگر انسانوں کے لیے وفادار اور بعض اوقات محبت کرنے والا بھی ثابت ہوتا ہے۔ یہی خصوصیات اسے مرغیوں کے شوقین افراد اور تاریخ دانوں کے لیے دلچسپی کا باعث بناتی ہیں۔
Physical Characteristics of the Asil Chicken
The Asil chicken is instantly recognized due to its robust and athletic build. Unlike most domestic chickens, the Asil has a compact, muscular body, broad shoulders, and a deep chest, all of which are adaptations for fighting. Its legs are thick, strong, and set wide apart, providing stability and power during combat.
Key Physical Qualities Include:
- Head and Beak: This has a large, broad skull with a pronounced brow, giving it a fierce expression. The beak is short, stout, and slightly curved, ideal for gripping and striking.
- Comb and Wattles: The Asil typically sports a small pea comb and has very small wattles which k,eep it from unnecessary injury during fights.
- Eyes: Bright, alert., Asil’s eyes are often said to be “hawk-like,” reflecting intelligence and determination.
- Feathering: The hard, glossy, and tight body feathers minimize a target area during fights and reveal the muscular structure of the bird at the same time.
- Tail: Carrying low, relatively short in size when compared with the tail of other breeds.
- Size: A male adult rooster weighs between 3–4 kg, while a female adult hen weighs about 2.5–3 kg.
Aseel Chicken Recognized Variety
There are several different Asil chickens recognized varietieg to colour patterns and regional origins. And they are usually identified in beauty contests and poultry exhibitions for these wotheirand perishable appearances.
Main Recognized Varieties:
- Black-breasted red: This is the most popular variety with very dark plumage, a bright reddish-brown under colour and a l,ot of dark markings.
- Dark: Very dark in plumage, with greenish-black iridescence.
- Spangled: Marking spangles with white or light color spots upon a dark back.
- Black and White mottled: These are black feathers and white mottled.
- White: Although rare, the award-winning specimen of the Asil chicken variety has pure white feathers and is said to be highly prized because the feathers symbolize purity and nobility.
- Other Local Varieties: These are features of other local strains such as Kulang, Reza, Madras, and Sindhi in India and Pakistan, which have different characteristics and fighting styles.
Each of them is given certain standards in terms of color, size, and conformation, and most breeders are known to specialize in maintainingthe purity and excellence of a certain variety. The white, in particular, has been an object of desire to collectors and hobbyists for its lack of availability and beauty.
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Development and Care
Asil chicks are found to be quite early in taking on the form typical of the breed-in vigor and assertiveness-whereas other commercial types only show such attributes at maturity. Unlike commercial breeds, Asil chicks are slow in achieving maturity but develop strong bones and muscles from an early age.
Basic Elements in Rearing Asil Chicken
- Aggression: At about 3 weeks old, chicks already start sparring against each other and much,h like adults would fight. This will call for keen observation later on, as it often necessitates early separation to prevent injuries.
- Development Rate: Growth rate of Asil chicks is much slower compared with commercial broilers; however, in this particular growth development stage, the chicks readily develop a sturdy frame and good muscle mass.
- Feeding: Protein feeding amounts can be core for good physiological development in addition to vitamin and mineral supplementation for amplified bone and muscle development.
- Brooding: Asil hens are good mothers in that they guard their chicks jealously. In a big flock, however, artificial brooders can be used to reduce fighting among chicks.
- Housing: It provides enough space for the chicks themselves so that it does not stress them and promotes aggressive behavior. Overcrowding usually leads to increased fighting marks and eventual injuries.
Asil Chicken Eggs
Asil chickens are poor egg producers, and most breeders do not focus on the eggs. Nevertheless, certain special characteristics make the eggs appealing under unique conditions.
Egg Description
- Quantities: Asil hens lay anywhere from 6 to 40 eggs in a year; the exact number depends on the variety and the individual bird. This short list of productivity contrasts heavily with that of commercial egg-laying breeds.
- Size and Color: They are said to be small to medium, and their usual color is a light-brown or cream shade.
- Broodiness: Asil hens make great broodies, being prone to sitting after a clutch of eggs. Their strong maternal instincts permit them to act as natural incubators for any breed’s eggs.
- Egg Quality: Not a major producer of eggs, Asil is known for the hard shell and rich flavor of its eggs.
Asil Chicken Fight: Tradition versus Controversy
The Asil chicken fight carries a centuries-old tradition in South Asia, where cock fights have been observed for centuries. The beauty of this is that the chickens are nurtured and developed for this specific purpose. Up to now, they hold the reputation of being the strongest game birds in the world.
Cockfighting Traditions
- Training: Birds are very carefully conditioned through exercise, diet, and controlled sparring. Only the strongest and the most aggressive are selected to fight.
- Fighting Style: Asil chickens are such formidable fighters, armed with both skill and endurance, that their fights often stretch as long as hours. Their hardest-hitting legs are matched only against a sharp beak apparatus in battle.
- Cultural Event: Cockfighting usually takes a prominee in the festival, rituals, and other forms of assembly. Glory is achieved by the winning birds and their owners, sometimes even in monetary terms.
- Controversy: The controversy comes with animal welfare implications of the game which have made it catch much fire in the last few decades. Most countries have outlawed or restricted it, although it remains a tradition in some places.
- They will always remain the subject of conflict. However, this culture has been of great influence on the nature of breeding, the price at which these birds are traded, and human perceptions among enthusiasts all over the globe.
Asil Chicken Price in Pakistan
Asil chicken price in Pakistan keeps changing and is affected by many important factors. Asil chickens are, however, different from normal commercial broiler chickens in that they are valued for their antique bloodlines, physical features, and honor. The pricing factor, therefore, changes from the usual way used for valuing commercial broiler chickens. Here are general market prices:
Chicks:
They are generally offered within the range of Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 per chick according to the variety and other qualitative parameters.
Adult Birds:
With some rare cases of prices even going higher, prices for adult Asil chickens can be between Rs 7,000 and Rs 30,000 per bird.
General Listings:
Selling Asil chicks and adults via popular platforms like OLX is reported with offers from Rs 1,000 ascending to Rs 30,000 or more, depending on the quality of the pedigree. You can also read about broiler chicken rate in Pakistan.
Key Factors Influencing Asil Chicken Price
- Breed Variety and Recognition: Recognized extra rare varieties, such as the white Asil chicken, demand more pria higherwing to their rarity and demand by collectors and breeders.
- Lineage and Bloodline: The more pronounced the lineage given to the birds, the more value they have in terms of bloodline recognition-from strains that produce champion fighters.
- Age and Health: Healthy birds mature and in top condition will demand a lot of money. Chicks or juvenile birds are not expensive, but the quality determines their price.
- Physical Attributes: Size, color, feather quality, and overall conformation to breed standards directly impact the price.
- Purpose (Ornamental vs. Fighting): Birds bred and trained for fighting, or with a history of winning fights, can be sold for much higher prices than those kept for ornamental or breeding purposes.
- Market Demand: Prices fluctuate with demand; during cultural festivals, local competitions, or trends in backyard poultry keeping, this demand may rise.
- Feed and Production Costs: Increases in feed price (like soybean and canola shortage) adversely affect every kind of poultry, Asil chickens included, bringing all chickens under a single pricing. This means feed will determine bird prices.
- Location: Urban centers like Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad often see a high price due to increased demand and higher transportation costs, while rural areas may bring down prices.
- Regulatory and Economic Factors: Government policies, taxes, and intervention in the poultry sector might influence some pricing trends, as seen in recent interventions that stabilized the chick price.
Origin and History
Asil chicken hails from above two thousand years ago, it is supposedly the oldest documented chicken breed. Also, through ancient texts and carvings from the Indian subcontinent, the layer’s description tallies with that of Asil, referring to the roots of player culture and tradition in the long past. Meticulously developed in the Indian subcontinent and the Sindh area of Pakistan.
It is mainly bred for cockfighting. It is a sport. It has some status attached to it among nobles and villagers. Besides that, it is specialized as it is named “Asil”, meaning “pure” or “noble” in Arabic, and it is valued as pureblood and for fighting prowess. Over time, this breed has diverged into many sub-varieties, tuned to different regional preferences and fighting styles.
Conclusion
The Asil chicken stands out quite distinguished in fighting, but it has an inscription in the living form of history, culture, and resilience. As an impact on global poultry genetics, particularly Cornish breed development, history would long outlast the fighting that subsequently gave way to the declining Asil still prized by breeders, collector, who appreciate the strength, beauty, and historical significance of the bird.
