Chicken Breed Focus - Aseel/Asil

[JRNash]

The story goes that the Rajahs, as in rulers of India, were above attending events involving so common an animal as a chicken. They had elephants and tigers for such activities. But I always figured that the Rajah Murgh's name implied that he was the king of all fowl.

Exactly right,the name seems to be a slick marketing move way back.
The guy I purchased the hatching eggs from has beautiful birds. No matter what yo call them.

 

[varidgerunner]

Nice!! I'd like to get some Ga Noi but I just can't see paying what Greenfire wants.They kill you on their minimums

I don't believe they have Ga Noi. I saw talk of them getting Ga Dong Tao, different bird. My experience on Asil has been, that if you make acquaintance of a breeder and display any degree of dedication to breed preservation, they can become quite affordable.

 

[Phoenixxx]

This is "Lucky" a Raja asil.Out of 12eBay eggs he was the only survivor after a incubator malfunction. He was Lucky to survive,and as Luck would have it...he has become a pet..an inside pet. Lucky,is destined to mix his blood with my Dark Cornish. He is super intelligent,words I never thought to use describing a chicken. All attempts at introducing others into HIS space have been met with extreme violence,he is very territorial and does not like other chickens getting around me. He is a wonderful bird,with lot's of personality.

Ebay? Really? I never thought to look there!

On another note, how are they with dogs? Like, will they be buddies in the same way that I'm reading they are with humans?

 

[JRNash]

@Phoenixxx I have no idea. You have to understand that "Lucky" is NOT your typical asil. He stays inside with me. Since I live alone he has the largest part of my attention. He knows his name. I talk to him constantly,he talks back.

Don't get me wrong, I am sold on this breed. The merits of having them in your flock are numerous.

 

[varidgerunner]

After being around Asil for awhile I am convinced they have more vocalizations than other chickens, I have heard Cornish make the "duck noise" that that Asil make. I have had them out and heard them give different alarm noises, distinctive to whether they saw something on the ground or in the air, one for big birds, one for little birds, one for slow moving grazing animals and one for faster moving animals like dogs. If I was an over the road trucker, I would definitely fix up a perch for one so he could look out the windshield, I figure after a while they would start alerting when they saw cars swerving or speed traps. I let mine perch on the handle of my dash to go run errands sometimes, messes people up.

 

[JRNash]

Lucky has started making a trilling noise. It sounds like a happy sound.

 

[cubalaya]

a pair of broodfowl, a nice pullet, and great stag

 

[varidgerunner]

Those look nice. The stag you sent is doing great, I'll try to get some pics of him on here.

 

[cubalaya]

I would like to see him. I imagine he is pretty good sized

 

[varidgerunner]

Earlier I heard the dogs barking and went outside and faintly smelled skunk. I was about to go back inside and I heard the sound of a chicken kicking something and I stood there and listened and I heard a squawk. It was coming from a pen that has a small asil hen, can't be over four pounds and two 3 month old chicks a stag and a pullet. When I looked in I saw a skunk, an asil hen and stag standing in the middle of the pen and the little pullet was up in the highest place she could roost. The skunk looked like he was trying to find a way out. I guess it's a good thing the moon was out so she could see to defend herself. He dug under a two foot apron of wire around the pen. I guess he was hungry. If there had been something besides an asil in there he would have probably gotten a meal. I saved him from the hen.