In news- The Kadaknath breed of chicken is changing lives of people in Odisha in the dark days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Key updates-
- The fear of COVID-19 has made many in Odisha to eat the meat of Kadaknath to increase their immunity.
- Kadaknath chicks are supplied to farmers from the Central Poultry Development Organization in Bhubaneswar.
- Large numbers of COVID-19-hit returnee migrant workers and self-help group (SHG) members are busy rearing and selling Kadaknath after getting financial help from the organisation.
About Kadaknath chicken:
- The Kadaknath breed is popular for its black meat and known as BMC (black meat chicken).
- It is famous for its meat quality, texture and taste.
- These birds bear great medicinal value in homeopathy and are useful in treating a particular nervous disorder.
- They are mainly reared by tribal communities in Bhil and Bhilala in the districts Jhabua and Dhar in the state of Madhya Pradesh(MP).
- Kadaknath chickens are best suited for backyard farming rather than growing on commercial scales.
There are 3 different breeds of Black Meat Chicken (BMC) available in the world.
- Kadaknath – Native to Madhya Pradesh, India.
- Silkie – Native to China.
- Ayyam Cemani – Native to Indonesia
Benefits of Kadaknath Chicken breed:
- Its meat is textured and flavoured.
- The breeds are adaptable to any kind of environment.
- The meat helps to increase blood cells and haemoglobin and aids in curing pulmonary problems.
- The Kadaknath birds convert feed quickly into meat (feed conversion ratio is high).
- Its eggs are used to treat headaches, post delivery problems, asthma and nephritis.
- The Kadaknath breed is hardy and highly resistant to diseases.
- Unlike broiler chicken, these can survive even on kitchen waste.
- These birds’ meat has more protein, less fat, and low cholesterol when compared to similar kind of poultry breeds.
- Their meat costs about 600 to 800 Rs/kg, these bird eggs are also nutritious, they are sold up to 40 to 50 Rs/egg in the market.
- Its eggs are brown in colour.
- Because of the high feed conversion ratio, these birds can gain a body weight of 1.10 to 1.25 kg in 100 to 125 days.
- Kadaknath chickens may require a little more care initially to grow in a controlled environment and later they can be left freely in the open field.
Source: DownToEarth
