Aseel Strain · United Kingdom / Western Aseel line
Atkinson
The well-known Western Aseel line, bred for type, hardiness and consistency.
The Atkinson Aseel is a Western line established from imported Eastern stock and refined over many years of careful, closed-flock breeding. It is prized for consistency — birds come true to type generation after generation.
The phenotype is the traditional Sonatol type developed by Herbert Atkinson. The line I keep comes originally from Duncan Unsworth, and the stock traces to the original import stock that Barney Barnard obtained in the 1970s.
They are hardy, thrifty and settle well in our climate, and they cross usefully with the Eastern strains without swamping their character.
In my hands the Atkinsons are held as a clean, well-recorded line, culled hard and never bred simply to fill a pen.
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