INTRODUCTION TO ASEEL STANDARDS
The following are the standards of the Aseel as per manuscripts of the 19th century and still rigourously followed by us in Calcutta.
BEAK
short, thick, powerful, the colour of ivory and shutting tight. The upper mandible should be straight.
EYES
bright, rather prominent, iris white and pearl like, the eyelids a pointed oval, a yellow or bloodshot tinge in the irises is seen in some birds.
COMB - pea or triple comb, short, thick and low (except "Bihangam" strain).
WATTLES - totally absent (except "Bihangam" strain).Face and earlobes red.
HEAD - large and slightly elongated like that of a mongoose, jawbone and cheekbones large, lean covered with a little flesh, the skin tough, the throat not prominent and with as little dewlap as possible, the hackle feathers beginning low beneath it in front.
NECK - medium length, inclined to short, the neck bone next to the skull prominent, thus giving it the shape of a cobra's open hood. The neck bones small, the ridges fleshless, thick to feel, especially 2 or 3 inches (5 to 7½ Cm) below the head. On the whole strong like an iron rod, covered with wiry feathers.
BACK - broad and flat. Viewed from above back and wings are heart shaped.
WINGS - carried well apart from the body and held high in a fit bird. They must be muscular and fleshless, with hard strong rather strong quill feathers.
CHEST - Thrown out, wide, muscular, hard, the flesh where showing through the feathers on breast, thighs and shoulder joints.
STERN - The belly small, "the Pope's Nose" large, broad and very strong (IMPORTANT POINT !), the sickle feathers narrow, scimitar shaped, wiry, pointed, drooping from the base, less curved than other breeds, feathers irridescent, not carried above the horizontal, close together, but not shut up, cloak and and saddle feathers pointing backward than in other breeds, tough, pointed and beautiful.
BODY - compact and muscular
THIGHS - Not to long, large, round, hard muscular, and sparsely feathered (the flesh often shining through), in line with the body, and not so wide as his wings when the bird faces you, as such a bird would be unable to strike properly.
LEGS - Thick and square, down the front, not round in matured birds. The meeting of the scales makes a straight line slightly indented. White is the only colour acceptable, but the legs often turn yellow due to feeding of green plants.
TOES - Straight, thick, yet tapering and strong, nails very broad, strong, curved and white.
APPERANCE - the carriage of the Aseel has to be upright, standing firmly and well on its legs, the bird handsome, sprightly and shapely, and quick as a cobra in its movements. A standing bird viewed from the side should have its eye and middle toe nail in a parallel line.
CHARACTERISTICS - the crow of the Aseel is unlike that of any other breed, being short, as if cut off at the end. The plumage has little or no underfluff. The weight of an adult cock in proper condition should not exceed 3 Kilograms (7 Lbs). The hen with exemptions for sex typical physical points , should resemble the cock in all points. The Aseel when tickeled or touched lightly near the vent at once begins to preen and oil its feathers. This characteristic behaviour applies in lesser degree to birds who are only a remote cross with Aseel blood. The purebred Aseel hens go with their chicks from 6 months to 1 year. This unlike the ordinary hens doing this for 6 weeks. Aseel hens lay around 2 clutches of eggs in a year.
Aseel cocks are quiet easy to handle and are never savage in the hand. When one snaps one's fingers, an Aseel cock will put its wing down and dance around, as a cock circles round a hen. It loves being handled and stroked and one can pick up an Aseel at any time when at liberty.
