GENETIC RESOURCES FOR FAMILY POULTRY PRODUCTION IN INDIA Dr.A.K.Thiruvenkadan and J.Muralidharan, Dr.R.Rajendran and Dr.R.Saravanan Professor and Head Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding Veterinary College and Research Institute Orathanadu-614625, Tamil Nadu, India Email:drthirusiva@gmail.com Traditional backyard poultry keeping has been practised since time immemorial in different parts of the world. Worldwide, this backyard poultry sector consists of chickens (63 %), ducks (11 %), geese (9 %), turkeys (5 %), pigeons (3 %) and guinea fowls (3 %). Raising of local poultry breeds in backyard is an important source of livelihood for the rural people of India. The growing demand for indigenous eggs and low investment in backyard sector provides opportunity for the rural poor particularly, women for more gainful supplementary income generation opportunities for the family. Backyard poultry in India is characterized by small flock size consisting of 5-10 predominantly non-descript birds maintained in extensive system under zero input conditions, but fetch the owners much needed animal protein and supplementary income. These birds are entirely raised in the backyards, spread across all categories of households. They largely subsist on scavenging in gardens, village alleys and surroundings of the farms by feeding on crop residues, insects, worms and green forage. The most preferred quality chicken meat and egg come from backyard poultry sector, which is sold at a premium market price. Small farming families, landless labourers and people who are below poverty line are able to raise the indigenous chicken with low inputs and harvest the benefits as eggs and meat via scavenged feed resources. Both heavy- and light-type native breeds exist in natural habitats. In heavy types, the adult female body weights are between 2.0 and 3.0 kg, whereas in light breeds, body weight ranges from 0.9 to 1.5 kg. The importance of backyard poultry is well recognized by Government of India and special programmes are formulated for its promotion. In addition to native chickens, there is a growing demand from the farmers for the exotic hybrids suitable to family production system. Hence, efforts have been diverted into producing simply-housed, dual purpose breeds and hybrids with the improved production profiles. Utilization of native chicken breeds for the development of suitable scavenging chicken has resulted in great success in our country. These hybrids are readily accepted by the rural farmers owing to their similarity of the typical appearance of the local birds and characteristically very low operational cost but significant returns under the existing methods of rearing in the rural areas. Hence, the commercial hybrid cross between a native breed and an exotic breed would be a good proposition for the ideal replacement of native scavenging chicken in the backyard poultry keeping.

1. GENETIC RESOURCES FOR FAMILY POULTRY PRODUCTION IN INDIA
Dr.A.K.Thiruvenkadan and J.Muralidharan, Dr.R.Rajendran and Dr.R.Saravanan
Professor and Head
Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding
Veterinary College and Research Institute
Orathanadu-614625, Tamil Nadu, India
Email:drthirusiva@gmail.com
Traditional backyard poultry keeping has been practised since time immemorial in different
parts of the world. Worldwide, this backyard poultry sector consists of chickens (63 %), ducks
(11 %), geese (9 %), turkeys (5 %), pigeons (3 %) and guinea fowls (3 %). Raising of local poultry
breeds in backyard is an important source of livelihood for the rural people of India. The growing
demand for indigenous eggs and low investment in backyard sector provides opportunity for the
rural poor particularly, women for more gainful supplementary income generation opportunities for
the family. Backyard poultry in India is characterized by small flock size consisting of 5-10
predominantly non-descript birds maintained in extensive system under zero input conditions, but
fetch the owners much needed animal protein and supplementary income. These birds are entirely
raised in the backyards, spread across all categories of households. They largely subsist on
scavenging in gardens, village alleys and surroundings of the farms by feeding on crop residues,
insects, worms and green forage. The most preferred quality chicken meat and egg come from
backyard poultry sector, which is sold at a premium market price. Small farming families, landless
labourers and people who are below poverty line are able to raise the indigenous chicken with low
inputs and harvest the benefits as eggs and meat via scavenged feed resources. Both heavy- and
light-type native breeds exist in natural habitats. In heavy types, the adult female body weights are
between 2.0 and 3.0 kg, whereas in light breeds, body weight ranges from 0.9 to 1.5 kg. The
importance of backyard poultry is well recognized by Government of India and special programmes
are formulated for its promotion. In addition to native chickens, there is a growing demand from
the farmers for the exotic hybrids suitable to family production system. Hence, efforts have been
diverted into producing simply-housed, dual purpose breeds and hybrids with the improved
production profiles. Utilization of native chicken breeds for the development of suitable
scavenging chicken has resulted in great success in our country. These hybrids are readily accepted
by the rural farmers owing to their similarity of the typical appearance of the local birds and
characteristically very low operational cost but significant returns under the existing methods of
rearing in the rural areas. Hence, the commercial hybrid cross between a native breed and an exotic
breed would be a good proposition for the ideal replacement of native scavenging chicken in the
backyard poultry keeping. The introduction of different exotic crossbreds like Vanraja, Giriraja,
Nadanam, Grampriya, Hitcari, Upcari, which resemble indigenous fowl in body conformation,
multi coloured plumage, dull shanks, pink skin and single comb, to scavenging in small scale

2. poultry operations by both public and private sector organisations, have generated new
opportunities for poultry production in rural areas. These improver birds have more economically
viable characteristics which are of great importance for village production of eggs and meat.
Promoting improved strains of birds would make an impact on development programmes for small
scale poultry keeping. The availability of leaner, tastier and less watery poultry meat has attracted
the attention of the semi-urban and urban consumers, resulting in more local hatcheries adding a
semi-commercial component in the rural poultry keeping. The ‘quick return’ scheme for raising
meat chickens and the ‘gradual return’ scheme for egg production, whilst maintaining traditional
scavenging husbandry practices using replica indigenous or synthetic hybrid prototype birds, has
generated new hopes in rural-based family poverty alleviation programmes.
Key words: Family Poultry production, indigenous chicken breeds, backyard
1. INTRODUCTION
Traditional backyard poultry keeping has been practised since time immemorial in different
parts of the world. Worldwide, this backyard poultry sector consists of chickens (63 %), ducks (11
%), geese (9 %), turkeys (5 %), pigeons (3 %) and guinea fowls (3 %) (Besbes, 2009). In most of
the developing countries, indigenous poultry genotypes constitute between 80 and 99 % of the
poultry populations that are kept in villages (Sonaiya and Swan, 2004). There are two forms of the
traditional backyard systems:
• Unimproved backyard system: Use of low-input, low producing native birds, brooding,
scavenging, no regular water or feed supply, little or poor night shelter, no vaccination and
medication .
• Improved backyard system: Use of genetically improved birds, scavenging, regular water,
supplementary feeding, improved shelter, care of chicks in the early age, vaccination against
prevalent diseases and deworming (Gueye, 2005).
Being called ‘Family Poultry’, ‘Smallholder poultry’, ‘Scavenging poultry’, or “Village
poultry” the different systems of poultry rearing with various levels of intensification are now
adopted by poor, marginal as well as richer members of the society with intensification according to
their economical status and requirements (Singh, 2007). .
Raising of local poultry breeds in backyard is an important source of livelihood for the rural
people of India. The growing demand for indigenous eggs and low investment in backyard sector
provides opportunity for the rural poor particularly, women for more gainful supplementary income
generation opportunities for the family. Backyard poultry in India is characterized by small flock
size consisting of 5-10 predominantly non-descript birds maintained in extensive system under zero
input conditions, but fetch the owners much needed animal protein and supplementary income.
These birds are entirely raised in the backyards, spread across all categories of households. They

3. largely subsist on scavenging in gardens, village alleys and surroundings of the farms by feeding on
house hold waste, crop residues, insects, worms and green forage. The most preferred quality
chicken meat and egg come from backyard poultry sector, which is sold at a premium market price.
The importance of backyard poultry is well recognized by Government of India and special
programmes are formulated for its promotion (Khan, 1984; Sonaiya, 1996). Therefore, different
states in India have taken steps for strengthening of Departmental Poultry & Duck farms under
Centrally Sponsored Scheme and District Poultry Hatcheries under SGSY Infrastructure
Development Fund in order to promote the low input technology birds in the backyard sector.
Through this, the States expects to enhance food security at household levels and improve
nutritional status (Khan, 2002).
2. GENETIC RESOURCES FOR RURAL POULTRY
2. 1 Indigenous Breeds of Chicken in India
India is rich repository of chicken genetic resources with 18 breeds of fowl along with
various indigenous breed crosses. The breeds habituated in different agroclimatics zones of India
have evolved more through natural selection than through deliberate intervention by man. These
breeds are important to rural backyard poultry keeping due to their better adaptability and better
disease resistance (Khan, 1984; Sonaiya, 1996; Kitalyi, 1996; Sheldon, 1998). Small farming
families, landless labourers and people with below poverty line are able to raise these chickens with
low inputs and harvest the benefits as eggs and meat via scavenged feed resources (Robert and
Gunaratne, 1992; Sonaiya, 2005). Both heavy- and light-type native breeds (Tables 1 and 2) exist
in natural habitats. In heavy types, the adult female body weights are between 2.0 and 3.0 kg,
whereas in light breeds, body weight ranges from 0.9 to 1.5 kg .
Table 1. Classification of indigenous breeds of chicken
Breed
Type
Breeds and distribution area Characteristics
Heavy
Type
Aseel (Central India), Chittgong (Eastern India),
Deothigiri (Assam), Danki (Andhra Pradesh);
Ghagus (Karnataka), Tellichery (Kerala), Punjab
Brown (Punjab).
Body weight
Male - >=3.0 kg
Female - >=2.0 kg.
Egg Production : 30-60 eggs
Light
Type
Ankaleshwar (Gujrat), Bursa (Gujrat, Maharashtra),
Hirranghatta Black (West Bengal), Kadaknath
(Madhya Pradesh), Kashmir Faverrolla (Kashmir),
Miri (Assam), Naked neck (West Coast), Nicobari
(Andaman Nicobar), Kalasathi (Andhra Pradesh) and
Tani, Titri (Uttar Pradesh)
Body weight
Male - 1.6 to 2.0 kg
Female - 0.9 to 1.4 kg.
Egg Production : 40 - 90 eggs
Source: Khan (2008)

4. Table 2. Performance of Indigenous chicken breeds
Parameters Aseel Danki Punjab
Brown
Ghagus Kadaknath Kashmir
Favorolla
Naked
Neck
Body weight -Cock
(kg)
4.00 3.1 2.2 2.16 1.60 1.9 1.8
Body weight -Hen
(kg)
2.59 2.2 1.6 1.433 1.13 1.4 1.0
Age at sexual
maturity (days)
196 180-
240
150-
180
150-
180
180 210 201
Annual egg
production (number)
92 25 -35 60-80 45-60 105 60-85 99
Egg weight (40 week)
(g)
50 46.16 46 40.25 49 45.76 54
Fertility (%) 66 - - - 55 - 66
Hatchability FES (%) 63 60-85 60-80 81.36 52 64 71
The special features of these native breeds are:
• Well adapted to traditional backyard farming
• Low or no inputs and survive well on scavenging and leftover feed
• Hardy and better resistance to diseases
• Thrive well in harsh conditions and from predation
• Good mothering ability
• Adaptive advantages of coloured plumage, smaller body size, alertness and fighting
qualities
• Tastier meat when compared to broilers.
• Supplementary source of income to the rural poor and contribution to family nutrition
In spite of the above advantages the major limiting factors are:
• Low egg production and
• Slower growth rates
Because of the above shortcomings in rearing of the native breeds, there is an increasing
demand from the farmers for the exotic hybrids suitable to family production system. These birds
need to be multi-coloured and their eggs must be brown for the better acceptability from the
farmers. More importantly, they must have the ability to grow fast and produce fairly good number
of eggs. In addition, they should have the ability to evade predators, disease resistant and thrive
well in village free range conditions with the scavengeable feed resource. Hence, efforts have been
diverted into producing simply-housed, dual purpose breeds and hybrids with improved production
profiles.

5. 2. 2 Commercial Hybrids Developed in India
The need for development of varieties suitable for backyard production in India was
visualized by poultry breeders during eighties and the research in this field has been made for
production of the improver varieties suitable for the rural areas under backyard environment. A
large number of commercial hybrids both for eggs and meat have been developed and tested with
good success by the various institutions in India (Table 3) and Bangladesh and similar approaches
are being practised in China and African countries. In India, the release of Giriraja variety can be
viewed as the first initative by poultry breeders to develop varieties suitable for backyard rearing.
Due to heavy demand from the farmers for the improved varieties, many institutions developed
different hybrids (Table 3) suitable for backyard production viz. Vanaraja and Grampriya (Project
Directorate of Poultry, Hyderabad). Nandanam chicken-I and Nandanam broiler-II (Tamil Nadu
Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu), Gramalakshmi and Gramasree
(Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Pookot,Kerala) and Cari–Nirbeek, Cari–
Syhma, Upcari, Hitcari (Central Avian Research Institute, Izatnagar, Uttar Pradesh). Majority of
these chicken varieties resemble the native chicken, grow fast and produce more number of eggs
(Table 4), require low input (like feed, management, health care, housing, etc.) and sustain different
vagaries of the climatic and environmental changes (Khan, 1994; Khan, 2008; Singh, 2002).
Table 3. Commercials hybrids developed in India for backyard poultry rearing
Name of hybrid Type Feather
pattern
Place of origin
Duel/meat
Giriraja White Plymouth Rock x
Red Cornish x New
Hampshire
Graded Brown Karnataka Veterinary and
Fisheries University, Bidar,
Karnataka
Vanraja Red Cornish x Random
bred meat control
Graded Brown PDP, Hyderabad, Andhra
Pradesh
Nandanam Chicken 1 Developed from Rhode
Island Red breed
Mixed Brown
TANUVAS, Chennai,
Tamil Nadu
Nandnam Broiler 2 Breed cross Mixed Brown
Gramalakshmi Australop X White
Leghorn
white in colour
with black
speckles
KVASU, Pookot, Kerala
Caribro-Vishal Broiler cross White
CARI, Izatnagar
Cari-Rainbro Broiler cross colourd broiler
Caribro-Dhanraja Broiler cross Multi-coloured
Caribro-Mritunjai Broiler cross Multi-coloured
Caribro-Tropicana Broiler cross Multi-coloured

6. Egg type
Cari-Nirbheek Aseel x Delhem Red Brownish
CARI, Izatnagar
Cari-Shyama Kadaknath x Delhem Brown
Cari-Devendra Synthetic broiler line x
Rhode Island Red
Graded Brown
Upcari Frizzel x Delhem Red Multi Colour
Hitcari Naked Neck x Delhem Brown
Cari-Sonali WLH x RIR Whitish Brown
Cari-Priya Superior male and female
lines of White Leghorn
White
Grampriya Random bred control
population x White
Leghorn
Whitish Brown
PDP, Hyderabad, Andhra
Pradesh
Gramsree WLH x RIR Whitish Brown KVASU, Pookot, Kerala
Source: Ayyagari, 2001; Singh, 2002; Khan, 2008
Table 4. Performance of broiler hybrids of India
Name of the
hybrid
Body weight
at 7-10
weeks (kg)
Dressing
percentage
Livability
percentage
Feed
conversion
ratio (6
weeks)
Egg production
Giriraja 1.3 - 1.4 - 95 - 98 2.4 120-150/500 days
Vanaraja 1.12 - 1.57 - 95 - 98 - 147 eggs /annum
Gramalakshmi 1.7 - >96 - 180-200 eggs
Caribro-Vishal 2.0 to 2.2 75-80% 97-98 1.7 to 2.10 -
Cari-Rainbro 1.6 73% 98-99 2.3 -
Caribro-Dhanraja 2.0 to 2.2 80% 96-98 1.75 to 2.10 -
Caribro-Mritunjai 1.8-2.0 75-77% 97-98 1.7 to 2.10 -
Caribro-Tropicana 1.8 74% 97.0 1.9 -
Source: Ayyagari, 2001; Singh, 2002; Khan, 2008
Table 4. Performance of layer hybrids
TRAIT Cari-
Nirbheek
Cari
Shyama
Hitcari Upcari Cari-
Priya
Cari-
Sonali
Gramapriya
Body weights at 20
weeks (g)- Male
1800-2000 1800-
2000
1800-
2000
1600-
1900
- - 1200
Body weights at 20
weeks (g)-Female
1200-1400 1050-
1200
1200-
1400
1185-
1300
- -
Age at sexual
maturity (days)
174 167 168 162 17 to 18
weeks
18 to 19
weeks
Annual egg
production
(number)
160-180 180-200 180-
200
190-
210
> 298
eggs*
> 280
eggs*
180-200*
Egg weight at 40
weeks (g)
53 54 59 58 57 54 53-55
Survivability (%)
after 6 weeks
90-95 90-95 >90 >90 96 96 >96
Source: Ayyagari, 2001; Singh, 2002; Khan, 2008
* Up to 72 weeks

7. Utilization of native chicken breeds for the development of suitable scavenging chicken has
resulted in great success in our country. These hybrids are readily accepted by the rural farmers
owing to its similarity of the typical appearance of the local birds and characteristically very low
operational cost but significant returns under the existing methods of rearing in the rural areas.
Hence, the commercial hybrid cross between a native breed and an exotic breed would be a good
proposition for the ideal replacement of native scavenging chicken in the backyard poultry keeping.
The promising features of these commercial hybrids are
• Colour of the bird: A majority of people in rural areas has a strong liking for coloured birds,
not from the aesthetic point of view but from the survival point of view. Compared to white or
light coloured birds the coloured birds escape from the predators by being camouflaged by their
colour. Because of the multi-coloured plumage pattern the commercial hybrids phenotypically
look like their original native breed
• Morphology and temperament of the bird: Due to their relatively lightweight, long shanks,
high stamina and aggressiveness, the commercial hybrids are capable of protecting themselves
from predators. In backyard areas where there is always presence of predators, a lighter
chicken with long shank and strong wings has a greater chance of escaping from predators by
running fast and flying till they reach a safer place.
• Productivity of the birds: The commercial hybrids have improved productivity (both egg and
meat) with larger size coloured eggs under free-range conditions in rural and tribal areas. They
lay brown coloured tinted eggs, which is having great demand in the market In addition, the
commercial hybrids have better feed efficiency even with diets containing low energy and
protein and it can perform better in backyard conditions by eating green grass and insects
available in the fields.
• Disease resistance: The commercial hybrids are sturdy and resistant to most of the common
poultry diseases because of their high immune competence.
• Adaptability to the tropics: They can perform better even in adverse environmental
conditions and better adaptable to the backyard/free range rearing. They have better survival
rate and thrive under low or negligible input cost.
• Self Propagation: Self propagation capability is also an important characteristic of these
commercial hybrid germplasm. This is an essential requirement for the scavenging bird. In
remote areas and due to financial constraints of the weaker members of the population it might
not always be possible to get the replacement chicks from the hatchery. Broodiness may
therefore be considered as one of the important characteristics which is essential for self
propagation.

8. 3. BENEFITS OF BACKYARD POULTRY REARING
The traditional free range system is the main component of the family poultry production
and is based on limited inputs which result in low outputs. Hence, broiler/layer hybrids have been
introduced to replace the non-descript low producing birds under this system of managment. The
benefits of the family poultry production are
• Generation of self-employment, women empowerment and gross increase in family income
• Ready availability of cheap source of protein to combat the malnutrition.
• Source of backyard eggs to the nearby panchayats
• The egg and meat production has been increased.
4. FUTURE NEEDS
Most of the work in backyard poultry breeding was carried out at ICAR /SAU research
institutes and the genetic material is available only in limited quantity . In future when scaling up is
planned, research institutes may not be able to meet the demand. Hence, Public-Private
Partnership (PPP) initiatives need to be planned for future.
Improved varieties so far available also need supplementary diet, health care and
prophylactic measures for optimum performance. Hence developing location specific package of
practices for each of the variety is need of the hour.
As the requirement of individual farmer is very small and are scattered in an operating area,
promotion of chick rearing units as separate enterprise for rural youth may yield desirable results in
scaling up the backyard poultry production.
5. CONCLUSIONS
The introduction of different exotic crossbreds like Vanaraja, Giriraja, Nadanam,
Grampriya, Hitcari, Upcari, which resemble indigenous fowl in body conformation, multi coloured
plumage, dull shanks, pink skin and single comb, to scavenging in small scale poultry operations by
both public and private sector organisations, have generated new opportunities for poultry
production in rural areas. These improver birds have more economically viable characteristics
which is of great importance for village production of eggs and meat. Promoting improved strains
of birds would make an impact on development programmes for small scale poultry keeping. The
availability of leaner, tastier and less watery poultry meat has attracted the attention of the semi-
urban and urban consumers, resulting in more home hatcheries adding a semi-commercial
component in the rural poultry keeping. The ‘quick return’ scheme for raising meat chickens and
the ‘gradual return’ scheme for egg production, whilst maintaining traditional scavenging
husbandry practices using replica indigenous or synthetic hybrid prototype birds, has generated new
hopes in rural-based family poverty alleviation programmes.

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10. SONAIYA, E.B. (1996) Employment income generation & skill development through rural poultry
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