Do you remember the famous ad “Sunday Ho Ya Monday Roz Khao Ande”? This campaign was started by Dr. BV Rao after finding inspiration from AMUL founder Dr. Kurien. This led to a revolution in the Indian poultry industry and helped in increasing the consumption of eggs. Today, eggs have become an important part of our diet, and there is even a separate category of people called Eggetarians. Although eggs are a staple item on many grocery lists, a surprising number of people are unfamiliar with the type of chickens that produce these eggs or the specific breed of chicken that the meat comes from. Surprisingly, there are many chicken breeds, some of which are indigenous to India, with each having some unique traits. Top 10s Only brings you the carefully curated list of the Top 10 Native Indian Chicken Breeds that are popular in India and renowned for their unique characteristics and qualities. Read on!
List Of Best Native Chicken Breeds Of India
India is home to a variety of chicken breeds that are raised for their meat and eggs. There are many types of Indian chicken breeds, some of which are popular for their egg-laying capabilities, while there are some which are popular for their meat. Let us take a look at the top 10 Indian chicken breeds in India.
1. Vanaraja
vanaraja
Vanaraja is a breed that was developed by the Project Directorate on Poultry (ICAR) in Hyderabad and is one of the indigenous chicken breeds in India. The speciality of these breeds is that they can be grown in backyards as well as in rural areas and can survive on insects as they are scavengers. The meat and eggs they produce are dependent on the rearing and feeding practices. Another important feature of these birds is that they can protect themselves from becoming prey to predators, making them one of the 10 best chicken breeds found in the Indian subcontinent.
Also Known as
PD 2
Breeding Tract
The Vanaraja native Indian chicken breed is found in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and is supplied to many states from ICAR, Hyderabad.
Physical Traits
They are multicoloured and attractive, and they lay eggs that are brown in colour. They have a rapid growth rate and produce more eggs. The meat they produce is tasty and lean.
Plumage Pattern And Colour
They have multicoloured plumage with a pied feature pattern.
Skin Colour
They have yellow-coloured skin and shank.
Age At Sexual Maturity
160 to 175 days
First Egg
175 days
Annual Egg Production
190 to 215 eggs
Egg Weight At 40 Weeks
55 gm
Feed Efficiency
NA
Body Weight At 72 Weeks
2 to 2.2 kg
Adaptability To Environment
The birds can be reared in free-range conditions and feed on insects. It can also be reared in farm conditions. They have better immunity to common diseases that affect poultry. They perform well even with less nutritious food.
Livability At 6 Weeks
97%
Main Use Of The Vanaraja Native Indian Chicken Breed
Vanaraja chickens are reared for their meat and eggs.
2. Ankleshwar
ankleshwar
The Ankleshwar cocks and hens, indigenous to the Gujarat region, are considered one of the best Indian breeds of chicken and are traditionally raised by local tribal communities. These are unique as they are hardy and can be reared without any medication or vaccination. They maintain very good fertility and survive on very little grain. They are scavengers and have good feed efficiency.
Also Known as
Desi Chicken
Breeding Tract
The native breeding tracks are in the Narmada and Bharuch districts of Gujarat. The breeding also extends to Tilakwada, Nadod, Jmabusar, Hansot, and Zagadia.
Physical Traits
Ankleshwar breed of chickens are birds that are small or medium-sized. The hens are relatively small, while the cocks are larger in size. They also have bearded feathers and feathered legs. The shanks are yellow or black in colour with white ear lobes.
Plumage Pattern And Colour
The plumage pattern can be striped or spotted. The body plumage is frizzled, or some may have normal. The plumage of hens is commonly black, and that of cocks is predominantly yellow. The pattern of their plumage is spotted, solid, spackle, or stripped.
Skin Colour
They have yellow to pinkish-coloured skin.
Age At Sexual Maturity
154 days
First Egg
179 days
Annual Egg Production
81
Egg Weight At 40 Weeks
34.3
Feed Efficiency
Reasonable feed efficiency and can survive on 25 to 30 g of grains.
Body Weight At 72 Weeks
1.6 to 1.7 kg
Adaptability To Environment
They are hardy and well-adapted to the environment they live in. They are reared in a free-range backyard system.
Livability At 6 Weeks
97%
Main Use Of The Ankleshwar Native Indian Chicken Breed
The Ankleshwar chicken breeds are raised for their meat and eggs.
3. Aseel
aseel (asil)
The Aseel chicken breed is one of the indigenous chicken breeds in India and is very popular across the country. These breeds have a majestic gait, high stamina, and pugnacity. However, because of their quarrelsome nature, they are also considered among the best Indian fighting chicken breeds.
Also Known as
Asil
Breeding Tract
This native Indian chicken breed originates from Punjab as well as the South Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the popular country chicken breeds in Tamilnadu.
Physical Traits
Often lauded as one of the best indigenous chickens in India, the Aseel chickens are known for their majestic appearance, broad shoulders, and chests. They have a well-muscled body with curved beaks, long necks, and short legs. They have black colour eyes and red ear lobes. They have a comb that is the pea-comb type and is small in size. They have tail feathers that are drooping downward and are glossy and long, and this adds to their beauty.
Plumage Pattern And Colour
The plumage colour is predominantly golden, black, or brown. They have solid feature patterns.
Skin Colour
They have a white skin colour, and the shank colour can be yellow, black, or white.
Age At Sexual Maturity
196 days
First Egg
210 days
Annual Egg Production
40 eggs
Egg Weight At 40 Weeks
50
Feed Efficiency
5 g of feed for every gram of body weight.
Body Weight At 72 Weeks
The Aseel rooster weighs 3 to 4 kg, and the Aseel hen weighs about 2.5 to 3 kg.
Adaptability To Environment
They typically like dry conditions and dislike cold conditions.
Livability At 6 Weeks
96%
Main Use Of The Aseel Native Indian Chicken Breed
The Aseel breed is reared for its meat and is even used in cockfighting events.
4. Busra
busra
Busra is a native Indian chicken breed commonly raised by tribal communities residing on the Gujarat-Maharashtra border. They are birds that are of medium size and are alert by nature. They come in a variety of colours. Busra chickens are not great egg layers. However, they are one of the top 10 most popular chicken breeds in India due to their exceptional meat production.
Also Known as
Desi
Breeding Tract
The native breeding tract of these birds is in the Surat and Nasik districts of Maharashtra and Dangs in Gujarat.
Physical Traits
These hen breeds in India are birds that are small in size and come in many body colours. They have black features on the tail, neck, and back. Shoulders and wings have reddish-brown feathers. The earlobe is white, and the eye ring and the wattles are red.
Plumage Pattern And Colour
The plumage colour is predominantly white mixed with black The plumage pattern is spotted.
Skin Colour
These birds have a pinkish skin colour.
Age At Sexual Maturity
168 to 174 days.
First Egg
210 days
Annual Egg Production
40 to 55 eggs
Egg Weight At 40 Weeks
28 to 38 g
Feed Efficiency
They have an efficient feed conversion rate.
Body Weight At 72 Weeks
The cock weighs around 0.85 kg to 1.25 kg, and the hen weighs about 0.8 kg to 1.2 kg.
Adaptability To Environment
They are well adapted to tropical conditions and have good disease resistance.
Livability At 6 Weeks
97%
Main Use Of The Busra Native Indian Chicken Breed
The Busra cocks and hens are reared for their meat and eggs.
5. Haringhata Black
haringhata black
The Haringhata Black chicken is one of the top 10 breeds of native Indian chickens and is known for its mothering ability. It can be used as a foster mother and is found in almost all of Bengal. This is one of the breeds that were extinct but was rescued through genetic purification. Due to their broodiness, they can hatch other birds’ eggs.
Also Known as
Desi and Kalo Murgi
Breeding Tract
The Haringhata Black Chicken is a native Indian chicken breed found all over West Bengal.
Physical Traits
They have a body that is compact, which is neither too small nor too big. The wattle and the earlobes are red. A single comb is present, and that is red in colour with a grey shank. The hens produce eggs that have a light brown colour.
Plumage Pattern And Colour
The plumage colour is black, and the pattern is self-black.
Skin Colour
These birds have yellow skin colour
Age At Sexual Maturity
171 days.
First Egg
120 days
Annual Egg Production
130 eggs
Egg Weight At 40 Weeks
55 g
Feed Efficiency
They have a good feed conversion rate.
Body Weight At 72 Weeks
The cock weighs around 1.5 kg, and the hen around 1.2 kg
Adaptability To Environment
They are reared in a free-range system and are highly disease resistant.
Livability At 6 Weeks
96%
Main Use Of The Haringhata Black Native Indian Chicken Breed
The Haringhata Black chickens are reared for their meat and eggs.
6. Nicobari
nicobari
The Nicobari chicken breed, as the name indicates, is an endemic breed from the Nicobar group of islands. It is well suited to the island milieu and has maintained its unique genetic identity because of the natural topographic barrier. It is closely related to the Red Jungle Fowl. These are one of the top 10 chicken breeds for eggs, as they have a high yield.
Also Known As
Takniet Hyum
Breeding Tract
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Physical Traits
The Nicobari native Indian chickens are birds that have short legs and medium-sized but compact bodies. These are mostly single-combed, which is red in colour, and have thick and short necks. Their breasts bulge to the front, and they have a tail that has long saddle feathers. Their earlobes are pinkish, and the eye ring is orange, black, or brown. They have short limbs or shanks.
Plumage Pattern And Colour
The plumage colour is brown, and the pattern is solid.
Skin Colour
These birds have a brownish, matte skin colour.
Age At Sexual Maturity
186 to 205 days.
First Egg
188 days
Annual Egg Production
150 eggs
Egg Weight At 40 Weeks
49 g
Feed Efficiency
They have a good feed conversion rate.
Body Weight At 72 Weeks
The cock weighs around 1.2 kg, and the hen around 0.9 to 1 kg.
Adaptability To Environment
They are well-adapted to the island environment, which has a humid climate. These are resistant to common poultry diseases.
Livability At 6 Weeks
96%
Main Use Of The Nicobari Native Indian Chicken Breed
The Nicobari chickens are reared for their meat and eggs.
7. Kaunayen
kaunayen
The Kaunayen are indigenous chickens that are native to Manipur. The name is derived from Kauna, which means kicking or fighting, and Yen, which means hen. It gets this name because they are fighting birds. They are usually grown in backyard systems, and men usually manage these birds. These are one of the top 10 chicken breeds from India that can live on local feeds as well as kitchen waste, and no commercial feed is given.
Also Known As
Koman, Coman, and Kwakman
Breeding Tract
The Kaunayen native Indian chicken breed is found in the whole of Imphal, which includes the Bishnupur district and the west and east Imphal districts. They are also found in the hill regions of Tamenglong, Chandel, Senapati, Churachandpur, and Ukhrul districts.
Physical Traits
These are birds that have elongated bodies with rose-coloured, long, hard, and bare necks. They have a chest and thighs that are hard and bare with no features and are rose-coloured like the neck. The limbs, or shanks, are long, and the spur is sharp and long in cocks. The eye ring is red in colour and has a pea comb that is red in colour. Cocks have bluish feathers on their wings, tail, breast, and thighs.
Plumage Pattern And Colour
The plumage pattern is solid in females and patchy in males. The plumage is black in colour.
Skin Colour
These birds have a white skin colour.
Age At Sexual Maturity
170 days
First Egg
150 days
Annual Egg Production
35 eggs
Egg Weight At 40 Weeks
42 g
Feed Efficiency
They have a good feed conversion rate.
Body Weight At 72 Weeks
The cock weighs about 2.4 to 3.8 kg, and the hen around 1 to 2.9 kg
Adaptability To Environment
They are well-adapted to the local climate.
Livability At 6 Weeks
NA
Main Use Of The Kaunayen Native Indian Chicken Breed
These are used mainly for cock fighting. They are good contributors to poultry keepers to generate income.
8. Kadaknath
kadaknath (kali masi)
It is one of the top 10 chicken breeds for meat in India that is native to the country. The breed has high demand as it is said to have many health benefits due to its special characteristics. It has black meat as well as black organs and hence is called black meat chicken. This colour is because of hyperpigmentation due to fibrogenesis. Because of the high consumption, there is a threat of it becoming extinct.
Also Known as
Kali Masi
Breeding Tract
It originates in Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh, from the Alirajapur jungles.
Physical Traits
These have bodies that are completely black in colour, and the eggs are light brown with a pinkish hue.
Plumage Pattern And Colour
The plumage can be jet black, golden, or even pencilled.
Skin Colour
These birds are greyish-black all over
Age At Sexual Maturity
180 days
First Egg
185 days
Annual Egg Production
105 eggs
Egg Weight At 40 Weeks
49 g
Feed Efficiency
They have a high feed conversion ratio.
Body Weight At 72 Weeks
The cock weighs about 2.4 to 3.8 kg, and the hen around 1 to 2.9 kg
Adaptability To Environment
They have great climate tolerance and grow even in backyard-rearing systems.
Livability At 6 Weeks
95%
Main Use Of The Kadaknath Native Indian Chicken Breed
These are used mainly for meat, eggs, and also medicinal purposes. They are also used for ritual sacrifices.
9. Chittagong
chittagong (malay)
There are many fowls that are of different colours, shapes and sizes and resemble jungle fowls. But there are only a few pure breeds that are found in India and one of them is the Chittagong chicken. These are dual-purpose birds that are hardy and strong with a quarrelsome temperament. It is one of the tallest breeds of chicken and also one of the top-rated fighter chicken breeds in India.
Also Known as
Malay
Breeding Tract
North Eastern States that border Bangladesh
Physical Traits
These are birds with large bodies. They have shoulders that are broad and long necks. They have yellow-coloured beaks that are long and wings that are high and project at the shoulders. The chest is fleshy, deep, and broad. They have combs in the shape of a pea and resemble tiny warts and are red in colour. They have featherless and yellow shanks or limbs. The tail is lowset but long. They have prominent overhanging ears that are small and red in colour. The wattles are hardly visible but red.
Plumage Pattern And Colour
The body plumage can be normal or frizzled. The pattern is firm, short, and glossy.
Skin Colour
They can be grey, dark brown, black, white, or buff.
Age At Sexual Maturity
NA
First Egg
NA
Annual Egg Production
They have poor mothering ability
Egg Weight At 40 Weeks
NA
Feed Efficiency
They have a high feed efficiency.
Body Weight At 72 Weeks
The cock weighs about 3.5 to 4.5 kg, and the hen around 3 to 4 kg
Adaptability To Environment
They are well adapted to the local environment.
Livability At 6 Weeks
NA
Main Use Of The Chittagong Native Indian Chicken Breed
It is a game fowl breed and is used for poultry competitions. Its meat is also useful.
10. Kalasthi
kalasthi
These are one of the chicken breeds that are reared mostly for their meat. The cocks are used occasionally for fighting. These birds are reared using backyard poultry farming and play a vital role in the livelihood of the tribal and rural communities. These are one of the most popular chickens native to India, known for their meat production.
Also Known as
Desi
Breeding Tract
Andhra Pradesh districts of Chittor, Nellore, and Cuddapah.
Physical Traits
These are breeds that have golden features with long necks. The legs are long and proportionate to the body. They have brown feathers on the neck and dark brown or bluish-black on the tails. There are no wattles, and the comb is pea-type and red. The spur is small sized, and the wings are set dorsally, and that exposes the thighs. Both the earlobe and the eye ring are red in colour.
Plumage Pattern And Colour
The body plumage is peacock-type, and the colour is brown or bluish-black. They have a patchy plumage pattern.
Skin Colour
It is pinkish or white
Age At Sexual Maturity
170 days
First Egg
210 days
Annual Egg Production
30 to 42 eggs
Egg Weight At 40 Weeks
43 g
Feed Efficiency
They have a good feed efficiency ratio.
Body Weight At 72 Weeks
The cock weighs about 2.5 kg and the hen around 1.9 kg.
Adaptability To Environment
They are hardy and well-adapted to the local environment.
Livability At 6 Weeks
97 to 98%
Main Use Of The Kalasthi Native Indian Chicken Breed
These are reared mostly for their meat. The cocks can be used occasionally for fighting.
Conclusion
Chickens are a great source of eggs and meat but can also be reared as a pet. Finding the right chicken breed is about knowing the various types and also figuring out your needs. Using the above top 10 best chicken breeds found in India, you can find breeds that are easy to create a new flock and integrate into the existing one. Whether you want eggs, meat or want to simply keep them as pets, the above are great options for chicken breeds.
If you found this article on native chicken Breeds of India informative and interesting, we encourage you to check out our article on Top 10 Native Indian Cow Breeds. If you prefer smaller farm animals, check out this article that lists the Top 10 Best Native Indian Goat Breeds. Learning about the diverse breeds of domestic animals in India can help us appreciate the rich cultural and ecological heritage of this country.
Frequently Asked Questions About Native Chicken Breeds Of India
1. Which is an Indian indigenous chicken breed?
An Indian indigenous chicken breed refers to a chicken variety in India that is native to a specific region or country, often exhibiting unique characteristics and adaptations to local environments. These breeds have typically evolved over generations, adapting to local climates, feed availability, and cultural practices. In India, Kadaknath, Asil, Busra, etc., are popular indigenous chicken breeds. Some popular native American chicken breeds are New Hampshire, Ameraucana, Rhode Island Reds & Whites, California Gray and Dominique.
2. Is native chicken healthy?
Native chickens, also known as indigenous or local chickens, can be healthy and nutritious. They have adapted to local environments and are often raised in free-range or backyard systems, which can contribute to their overall health and well-being.
3. Which state is famous for poultry breeds in India?
India is a diverse country with various states contributing to the poultry industry in their own unique ways. Several states in India have made significant contributions to the growth and development of the poultry sector. Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and West Bengal are well-known states in the poultry field.
4. Which are the popular indigenous Indian breeds of poultry?
There are several indigenous chicken breeds in India that have adapted to local climatic conditions and are known for their unique characteristics. These desi chicken breeds in India are known for their hardiness, disease resistance, and flavorful meat and have been traditionally raised by small-scale farmers and rural communities in different parts of India. The most popular chicken breeds in India are Aseel, Nicobari, Kadaknath, Vanaraja, etc. More details are given in the article on this page.
5. Which chicken breed originated in India?
India is home to several indigenous chicken breeds that have evolved over time in response to local environments, feed availability, and cultural practices. Some Indian chicken varieties include the Kadaknath, Aseel, Nicobari, Chittagong, Kalasthi, etc.