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CARI Debendra dual-purpose chicken Photo: placeholder pending image-fill pass

CARI Debendra dual-purpose chicken

CARI Debendra is an improved dual-purpose rural chicken developed by ICAR-Central Avian Research Institute (ICAR-CARI), Izatnagar. The variety is part of CARI's "synthetic dual" series intended for backyard and semi-intensive rearing under the Rural Backyard Poultry Development component of the National Livestock Mission (National Livestock Mission). It complements ICAR-DPR's Vanaraja (Vanaraja Rural Dual Purpose Chicken) and Gramapriya (Gramapriya Rural Layer) lines in the central rural-poultry portfolio.

Origin and distribution

ICAR-CARI Izatnagar bred Debendra as a coloured synthetic chicken using improved native and exotic germplasm and standardised it for low-input village rearing. Day-old chicks are produced at ICAR-CARI and at state poultry farms and distributed through KVKs, SHGs and state animal-husbandry departments to farmers in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand and other northern and eastern states.

Morphology

Plumage is multi-coloured, predominantly reddish-brown with black highlights, giving outdoor camouflage. The body is medium-heavy, with adult cocks weighing about 2.8-3.2 kg and adult hens 1.8-2.2 kg by 20 weeks. Shanks are yellow and the comb is single.

Performance

Under backyard conditions on scavenging plus a moderate supplement, hens lay 180-200 eggs per year, with semi-intensive units achieving 200-220 eggs. Egg weight averages 52-55 g and shell colour is light brown. Age at first egg is about 175 days. Cockerels reach 1.5-1.8 kg in 12-14 weeks, suitable for table use without the input cost of a commercial broiler (Broiler Chicken) cycle.

Management

Day-old chicks are brooded (Brooding Chicks) for 4-6 weeks on a starter ration before release to a homestead run or a low-cost open-sided shelter (Open Poultry Shed) with deep litter (Deep Litter System). Vaccination against Newcastle disease (Ranikhet Newcastle Disease), fowl pox and infectious bursal disease is standard. The variety is distributed alongside CARI Nirbheek (Cari Nirbheek Aseel Cross) (Aseel cross), CARI Shyama (Cari Shyama Kadaknath Cross) (Kadaknath cross), Vanaraja and Gramapriya through state and central rural-poultry schemes that target tribal households, smallholder women and SHGs. ICAR-CARI also operates training programmes for entrepreneurs setting up mother units that brood day-old Debendra chicks for 4-6 weeks before selling them on as field-ready stock.

See also: Country Chicken Nattu Kodi, Kadaknath Mp Jhabua Gi, Self Mixed Poultry Feed.

References

  1. CARI Improved Varieties — Debendra. ICAR-Central Avian Research Institute, Izatnagar.
  2. Rural Backyard Poultry Development. Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India.