Aseel Australorp and Brahmas Chickens

This group of chickens are some of my favorites. Over the years I have raised forty seven breeds and varieties of standard chickens. On my poultry yard I had thirty breeding pens and kept meticulous records in my efforts to improve the breeds. Each year I culled very deeply saving only my best breeders and selling the rest. Never went to poultry shows outside my own state because farming kept me too busy. Got my start of Aseels back in 1968 when I was ten years old. They were a birthday gift from my uncle who knew how much I liked his chickens. They are very intelligent birds that never seem to quit moving about. The hens are the best incubators in the bird world. So if you want to hatch off some rare pheasants this is your breed. As mothers they are super protective running off stray cats and rodents that may want to feast on your chicks. Aseels are very long lived many of my birds lived to be twelve or thirteen year old. Many of my Aseel hens laid eggs until they were eight years old although it was only a few dozen per year. They are an ancient breed having been bred in India for the past three thousand years. They will survive and flourish where other breeds will die. Coyotes had bitten large chunks of flesh from my setting hens and they always recovered without medical assistance. Several times my Aseel roosters have knocked hawks off fence posts and killed them. Stray dogs and coyotes are the only predators which have made off with my Aseels. They are good at killing snakes that eat eggs in the hen house. They dont do real good in northern climates because their toes tend to freeze. Started out with the short leg type reza Aseel called Ghans of which I have two families eight pound cocks and six pound cocks. My larger ones are the best table fowl in the world in my opinion coming in ahead of my Dark Cornish and Silver Grey Dorkings. The flavor is intense and unforgetable. Australorps were my first successful show birds. They have beautiful plumage that catches the judges eye beetle green sheen on black feathers. They are bred from Orpingtons to be smaller and trimmer. Laying is an area they excell in. They are terrific mothers and seem to lay right through cold weather. One of the best brown egg layers. My roosters weighed around nine pounds and my hens weighed near seven. Must keep the eggs gathered or the hens will go broody too often. The meat has a mild flavor. This breed is often crossed with leghorns. Brahmas and Cochins have the personality of pet cats because they follow you around hanging out around your feet. Both love to be stroked and hand fed grain. They come running when they see you bonding closely with humans. Brahmas are clumsy birds partly because of their long legs. They are big eaters until they reach maturity. They can be difficult to pick if you plan to butcher yours. So we always skinned ours. The feathers on the shanks and toes can be soiled with manure or mud. So you must keep the hen house clean and keep them inside during rainy weather making them high maintenance fowl. They are perfect for all parts of the country doing well in both heat and cold. My brahma roosters ranged from twelve to thirteen pounds and the hens weighed around nine pounds. Large chicken breeds are not safe around small children. More than once as a child I was pecked in the eye by large chickens. Thankfully there was no permanent damage. Jersey Giants are the same way so if you have toddlers you might want to pick a smaller breed. Big breeds like brahmas like to eat dog food and sometimes choke on it. Rub their neck downwards until the dog food goes into the crop.