Kadaknath Chicken Farming

An average backyard poultry farmer has 5-50 chickens on a farm. The setup is moderate to minimal and the birds scavenge for feed. Commercial broiler chicken and other breeds used for commercial chicken cultivation are not preferred due to high maintenance and problems with the birds’ health itself. Maintenance costs for commercial breeds of chicken are high. 

With Desi chickens breeds or native chicken breeds, maintenance is much lower and feed is moderate to none as they scavenge. The native breeds of chickens also have the advantage of high prices in the market for eggs and meat. But with the right variety of birds, small and marginal farmers can double the profit from the same number of birds.

Enter Kadaknath Chicken, the black chicken famed for its health benefits and low cholesterol level. Apart from some medicinal benefits, The meat of the Kadaknath chicken is preferred for its taste and is considered exotic. While commercial chicken costs 100-200 Rs per kilo, the desi chicken costs 400-500 Rs kilo. But then with the Kadaknath, the price for one kilo of meat goes as high as 900 rs. 

The price margin is much higher with the efforts being the same, making Kadaknath one of the few profitable farming businesses for small households and backyard poultry farmers. Kadaknath chickens are perfect for free-range chicken farming. They are good scavengers, require a similar amount of feed as to desi, native chicken, and grow a bit faster than other breeds of native varieties of chicken. They lay a bit more eggs than native varieties too. Overall, the Kadaknath Chicken farming is one of the few profitable poultry which can be incorporated with little change, yet yield a considerably bigger profit. 

To assess the difference lets take a farm of 100  chickens in desi/ native variety and the same number of Kedarnath chicken side by side to know the difference

Cost / Expense of Kadaknath farming (100 Birds)

Desi ChickenKadaknath Chicken
Shed Construction (60X20 Feet)1400014000
Cost of chicks25005500
Feed and Medicines60006000
Total Expense2250025,500

Revenue From Kadaknath vs Desi Chicken Compared

Desi ChickenKadaknath Chicken
Sale of chicken after 6 months (fully grown)80,000180,000
Sale of Eggs1200030,000
Total Revenue92,000220,000
20% Mortality1840044,000
Gross Profit after Mortality73600176000
Net Profit First Year51,100150500
Net Profit Second Year65100164500

Mortality rate of chicken in free-range could vary from 10% to 50% depending on the housing of the chicken and other management practices including diseases. The average range of mortality among chickens in free-range is approximately 10%. We have calculated a higher amount at 10%. The price of desi chicken meat could range from 400-500 rs per kilo and the price for Kadaknath chicken could range from 800-900 rs per kilo. The price of eggs is 8 and 12 rs respectively. 

The average egg yield for desi chicken is roughly 30 in free-range conditions and 50 among Kadaknath chickens. The calculations are considering a very moderate amount in consideration and it is still very profitable with a good management system and housing in place for the birds.

Kadaknath chicken and its Farming in free-range conditions.

To begin poultry farming, it’s important to understand the characteristics of the bird you intend to farm. When it comes to Kadaknath chicken there are a few things you need to know as a farmer. To begin with, Kadaknath does best in open farms. 

Myths about Kadaknath Chicken and farming

Considering all the facts, it is important to analyze if Kadaknath chicken farming is profitable. With all the data provided by farmers and government statistics, it is evident that Kadaknath is fighting a losing battle. Fortunately, this is the reason why most farmers should undertake Kadaknath farming vigorously. The chances of the Kadaknath chicken prices going high is evident. The possibility of increased profit with more production and better marketing is possible with technology. Kadaknath eggs sell at record high prices and the meat too is slowly being recognized by consumers. Taking all these into consideration, it is a favorable time for farmers to start poultry farming with Kadaknath chicken.

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