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Kadaknath (MP, Jhabua GI) black-meat chicken Photo: placeholder pending image-fill pass

Kadaknath (MP, Jhabua GI) black-meat chicken

Kadaknath, locally known as Kali Masi (black-fleshed), is a fibromelanotic indigenous chicken breed of Jhabua district in western Madhya Pradesh. It is registered with the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR) and was granted a Geographical Indication tag in 2018 in the name of Jhabua, anchoring the brand to its home tract. Conservation, pure-line breeding and germplasm distribution are conducted by ICAR-Directorate of Poultry Research (ICAR-DPR), Hyderabad and ICAR-Central Avian Research Institute (ICAR-CARI), Izatnagar. See also the parallel entry Kadaknath.

Origin and distribution

The breed is native to the tribal-belt districts of Jhabua, Alirajpur and Dhar in western Madhya Pradesh and adjoining parts of Gujarat. It is propagated outside the home tract through ICAR-DPR, ICAR-CARI and state poultry farms, and is increasingly distributed under National Livestock Mission (National Livestock Mission) and state tribal-development schemes.

Morphology

Plumage is uniformly black with greenish iridescence; eyes are grey. The defining trait is fibromelanosis — a dominant gene that deposits melanin in skin, muscle and connective tissue, so beak, comb, wattles, shanks, meat, bones and viscera all appear dark grey to black, even after cooking. Adult cocks weigh 1.5-2.0 kg and hens 1.0-1.5 kg, making Kadaknath a medium-frame indigenous chicken.

Performance

Hens lay 120-140 eggs per year with fertility around 90% and hatchability of 70-74% under good incubation. Eggshell colour ranges from light brown to tan. Meat protein content is reported at 25-27%, higher than that of commercial broiler (Broiler Chicken) and most country chicken meat, with correspondingly lower intramuscular fat. The breed is hardy under low-input village conditions and shows useful resistance to common poultry diseases. The dressed bird commands a premium of three to five times the broiler price in tribal and urban specialty markets.

Management

Kadaknath is reared in semi-intensive backyard systems (Country Chicken Nattu Kodi) with deep litter (Deep Litter System) and open-sided shelters (Open Poultry Shed). Day-old chicks are brooded (Brooding Chicks) for 4-6 weeks, then released to a fenced run or scavenging area. A 5-6 month grow-out on a starter-grower ration supplemented with kitchen waste and grain is typical (Self Mixed Poultry Feed). The long grow-out exposes birds to a wide infection window, so vaccination against Newcastle disease (Ranikhet Newcastle Disease), fowl pox and infectious bursal disease is essential. Crossbred derivatives such as CARI Shyama (Cari Shyama Kadaknath Cross) extend the black-meat trait into more productive synthetic lines for non-tribal commercial buyers.

See also: Vanaraja Rural Dual Purpose Chicken, Gramapriya Rural Layer, Aseel Indigenous Cock Fighting.

References

  1. Kadaknath — NBAGR breed profile. ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources.
  2. Geographical Indications Registry — Kadaknath. Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks.