Est. 1928

The Pinnacle
of Poultry

Four generations of gamefowl — Indian Game and Aseel — bred for type, vigour and character.

Pencil drawing of a Sindhi Aseel broodcock standing on a tree stump

Introduction

A Breeder's Passion

My name is William Juul, and gamefowl have been part of my life for as long as I can remember. What began as a family tradition on the farm has grown into a lifelong passion — more a calling than a business. Under the Juul Gamefowl name I keep and breed two great old fowl: the Indian Game (Cornish) that my family has held since 1928, and the Aseel (Asil), the ancient fowl of the East.

I breed on a small, deliberate scale. Every bird is selected by hand for type, bone, feather quality, hardiness and temperament, and every pairing is made with the next generation in mind. I would rather raise a handful of birds that are truly correct than a yard full of birds that are merely adequate.

Pencil study of a tall Sindhi Aseel stag

Since 1928

The Juul Family & Indian Game

The Juul family's story with Indian Game begins with my Danish grandfather. Arriving in South Africa from Denmark in the years between the wars, he brought with him a farmer's eye and a deep respect for good, honest livestock. In 1928 he imported his first Indian Game from the United Kingdom — birds bred out of the great Cornish yards, shipped by steamer and carried inland by rail to the farm.

Those imports were hard-won. The birds travelled for weeks, and only the strongest arrived fit to breed. From that small foundation he built a line suited to the African sun: broad, low and immensely powerful, with the wide skull, thick beak and short, close-fitting feather the breed is known for. That original blood has been kept in the family ever since — culled hard, out-crossed carefully, and never allowed to drift from type.

Nearly a century later, those same Indian Game still walk our yards. Keeping them is a duty as much as a pleasure: they are a piece of British breeding history, preserved in South Africa by a Danish family.

Pencil drawing of a broad, low-set Indian Game bantam cock

Since 2009

Aseel — The Pursuit of Perfection

I have kept various strains of Aseel since 2009. The Aseel is the oldest of the game breeds, and in my view the most demanding to breed well. A good Asil must have the head, the eye, the bone and the carriage — and above all the unmistakable proud, upright bearing that cannot be faked.

Working with several strains allows me to compare, select and keep only what improves the yard. I breed within strain wherever possible, record every pairing, and judge my birds honestly against the standard rather than against my own hopes. Perfection in breeding is the goal — it is never reached, which is precisely what keeps the work worth doing.

The Yard