Introduction of Amroha Aseel
Amroha is actually the name of a breed of chickens found in India. This breed was named after the town of Amroha because people there are fond of eating fish. Amroha is located about 40 kilometers from Rampur. Rampur, originally famous for its noble lineage, gained prominence in the early 20th century due to changes in the way cockfights were conducted. In earlier times, people used to tie the spurs of their purebred roosters before fighting them.
Later, a trend emerged where people preferred to fight with their spurs untied. The Rampuri Aseel, known for its tied spurs, became famous among purebred rooster enthusiasts. Around 1925-1930, the enthusiasm for roosters with tied spurs began to decline. The main reason for this was that many traditional enthusiasts began to lose interest because they felt that these roosters were being mishandled.
These enthusiasts were passionate about maintaining the breed in its original form. They used to employ servants to take care of the roosters to ensure they were well looked after. As long as this breed remained in the hands of a few select individuals, it retained its original characteristics. However, when it fell into the hands of inexperienced individuals, they did not care for them properly, and the breed lost its original qualities.
Cross breeding Effects in Amroha
Some people who had pure Amroha Aseel roosters, and a few Aseel clubs working with them, crossed this Amroha Aseel breed with other chickens. As a result, its appearance started to change. Its face and shape became smaller. However, its round eyes and small beak did not change much. Now, after being crossed with others in various places apart from Amroha in India, many chickens like this can be seen with round eyes, small beak, and round eyes. Some chickens completely changed and kept their level steady.
Status of Amroha Aseel after coming to Pakistan
When Pakistan and India separated in 1947, many people and families migrated to Pakistan. Some of them brought their birds to Pakistan, just as Afghan people were brought to Pakistan, and similarly, when people migrated from India, they did the same. People from each locality started naming their birds after their respective places.
Over time, in Pakistan, this Amroha Aseel was crossed with Reza Aseel chickens. This resulted in the loss of their distinctive identity and original qualities. Crossbreeding was necessary because the number of chickens was very low. If crossbreeding had not been done, they would have completely disappeared. Now, it is not just difficult but nearly impossible to identify which bird belongs to the Amroha Aseel. These birds have also disappeared from India because Indian enthusiasts prefer fighting birds, so they did not value these smaller birds much.
Originality of Amroha Aseel
As we mentioned earlier, it is difficult to find Amroha Aseels in their original form in Pakistan today. However, only a few people possess Amroha Aseels in their original form, among whom the most respected are the people of Mianwali. Among them is Peer Syed Shah Alam Shah. Even today, people remember him fondly, although he is no longer with us. When a few members of his family were interviewed recently, they mentioned that Peer Syed Shah Alam Shah neither gave away nor kept any Amroha Aseels in their original form. He was involved in creating a new breed by crossing Amroha with other breeds. Therefore, anyone claiming to have original Amroha Aseels today would be lying.
Characteristics of Pure Amroha Aseels
Here’s a simplified and rephrased version of the description of Pure Amroha chickens:
Pure Amroha breeds are closely related to the Rampuri breed. Nowadays, they are mostly dark red with a blackish tint, but a few decades ago, they were also found in solid black.
Key characteristics of Pure Amroha chickens include:
| Eyes | They should have pearl white, small eyes. |
| Beak | The beak is rounded, not too short. |
| Legs | They have solid, square, white-colored legs. |
| Color | The feathers are a dark red with blackish shades, and the birds are small in size. |
| Body Shape | Their shoulders are slightly raised, with a well-shaped chest and front, and good quality feathers. |
| Feather Color | They should not have any feathers other than black and red. |
Transformation of Amroha Aseel
Compare the pictures of the Amroha Aseel chicken taken in the 20th century with those taken in the 21st century to understand the differences that have resulted from crossbreeding.
20th Century:
21th Century:
Consclusion:
We have made every effort to provide you with accurate information. If we have made any mistakes, please feel free to contact us. We will try to gather more information about the history of Amroha Aseel and share it with you.
Note: Aside from this, visit the page on popular Aseel chicken breeds to gain knowledge about other true breeds.
Leave a Reply