Chicken Talk
By Manny Pinol
There is a breed of chicken in the Southern Philippines which is called “Parawakan” and variably referred to as Basilan or Jolo depending on which area they came from.
In the West, they are also called as “Orientals” or “Aseel,” an Arabic word meaning “pure” or “genuine.”
They are found in East Asian and Southeast Asian countries where old folks use them both for meat and naked heel fighting.
Japan has its own version called “Shamo,” a chicken which closely resembles the Aseel in features and size.
As fowls used in naked heel fighting, the Aseels are ferocious and could go on fighting until he is blinded or his skull is broken by the other rooster.
As meat chicken, the Aseels have rather coarse and tough meat but they are resistant to diseases and could survive in the direst conditions.
They huge and sometimes could weigh as much as 5 kilos with the average rooster weighing between 2.5 to 3.5 kilos.
They stand upright with their breast out, especially the roosters and the biggest among them could be as tall as 36 inches.
The hens are poor layers but they are very protective mothers.
Today, the “Parawakan” is found mostly in the predominantly Muslim areas of the Southern Philippines where the roosters are considered prized possessions, especially among those involved in naked heel fighting.
I have started gathering the best breeding materials and the purest among the “Parawakans” because I believe that this breed of chicken must be preserved for the future generation.
Currently, I am breeding two “Shamo” roosters which I acquired from my nephew, Adnan Shamir Pinol, son of former Cong. Jun Pinol, with pure “Parawakan” hens.
At the same time, I am perpetuating the “Parawakan” breed with the help of my Muslim friends who are scouring the remotest areas of Mindanao to look for the best and purest breeding materials.
I believe that in the future, the outstanding qualities of the Philippine “Aseel” would be put to good use in developing a backyard poultry breed for the discriminating taste of the Filipino chicken meat
(Photo caption: A large Shamo rooster is bred to a “Parawakan” hen in the Braveheart Farms in Kidapawan City.)
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