- Kadaknath, a native breed of chicken originally found in certain jungles of Madhya Pradesh, is visually distinctive for its black feathers, skin and blood.
- Popular for its nutritional and market value, the GI tagged fowl is rich in protein and iron and is believed to be climate resilient.
- Driven by high market demand, Kadaknath chicken farming has expanded across India creating a valuable source of income for farmers.
Farmer Veer Singh (44) calls out, using the sound of scattering grains from a filled basket, “Kut-kut, kut-kut.” Within moments, several dozen black chickens run towards him from all directions. It’s early morning in Chhotaguda village in the Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh. It is at this time that Singh releases the fowl from their coops to roam freely and peck at the grains.
“If the chickens roam freely, they are happier and healthier, and their feathers shine differently,” says Veer Singh.
Singh has been raising chickens for the past 12 years. These are not typical poultry farm chickens; they are Kadaknath, native to the Jhabua district. What makes them distinct, apart from their native status, is their colour — Kadaknath chickens are black. It’s not just their feathers and skin; their blood is black as well. The black colour is due to the deposition of melanin pigment in the connective tissues of their organs and dermis.
“Our forefathers used to say there was a black chicken in the jungle known as ‘Kalamasi’. I never saw anyone raising them when I was young. Later, with the help of scientists, I started raising them,” Singh shares.
Kadaknath chicken was once found only in the jungles of Kathiwada and Para Jhabua and Alirajpur. The native Bhil and Bhilala tribes domesticated them and soon enough, Kadaknath chickens started to hold significant importance in their customs and traditions.
In 2012, the meat of Kadaknath was awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) tag under the name “Jhabua Kadaknath Black Chicken Meat.” There are three varieties of Kadaknath: jet black, golden, and pencilled.
Taming a jungle fowl
Veterinarian A.S. Diwakar is busy managing the government-run Kadaknath farm, ensuring the chickens are protected from infections with necessary medications. He explains that the Madhya Pradesh government has established a state farm in Jhabua for Kadaknath breeding.
Diwakar, the farm manager, shares the journey of the fowl from forests to farms: “Earlier, Alirajpur district was a part of Jhabua. Residents of the Kathiwada forest in Alirajpur used to catch black chickens from the wild. The government took notice of this in the 1980s and efforts were made to raise them on farms. In 1985, the government established a center where their breeding began.”
The centre, however, faced a major challenge soon after. “Unlike farm-grown poultry, this wild chicken did not sit on its eggs to hatch them. Hatchery machines were arranged to overcome that. Traditionally, other native breeds are used for hatching, a practice commonly followed by tribals in this area,” he says.
Four decades later, Kadaknath is now raised not only in Jhabua but across the country. “The chickens and eggs from our farm reach every corner of the country. Besides the government farm, several private farms have also opened in Jhabua,” Diwakar informs Mongabay-India.
In addition to the efforts of the Madhya Pradesh government, the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) operated by Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Agricultural University, Gwalior, in Jhabua has also played a significant role in bringing Kadaknath to the market.
Jagdish Maurya, head and senior scientist of Krishi Vigyan Kendra shares that work on Kadaknath began in 2009. “We started with 50 chickens and began distributing them to farmers. Now, we supply chicks and eggs to other states such as Gujarat, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Maharashtra, and Himachal Pradesh,” he says.
A nutritional analysis of Kadaknath meat by the National Institute of Nutrition reveals that Kadaknath meat is low in fat and cholesterol and high in protein and iron content. According to the data, Kadaknath contains 24% protein per 100 grams, compared to 18-20% protein in regular broiler chicken. It has a fat content of 1.94% to 2.6%, whereas broiler chicken contains 13% to 25% fat. Similarly, the cholesterol content in Kadaknath meat is 59-60 mg per 100 grams, while in broiler chicken, it is 218.12 mg per 100 grams.
Climate change adaptability
“The bird is popular among the adivasis, mainly due to its special capabilities such as adaptability to the local environment, disease resistance, and the quality, texture, and flavour of its meat,” Diwakar says. The name “Kadaknath” originates from the Hindi word “Kadak”, meaning strong, indicating the breed’s sturdy nature.
Some distinctive features of this breed have been highlighted in the GI Journal, published in March 2018: “The eggs of this breed are light brown. This breed tolerates extreme climatic conditions, enduring both summer heat and winter cold with minimal stress. They thrive under minimal management inputs such as poor housing, no health care, or supplementary feeding, and exhibit a higher degree of disease resistance than other exotic fowl breeds.” However, some drawbacks include poor egg production, slow growth rate, smaller body size, and late sexual maturity.
Kadaknath is believed to be climate resilient. Various studies conducted by government institutes have found evidence of Kadaknath poultry’s adaptability to different climates. Due to its resilience to diseases and climate variability, Kadaknath poultry was recommended to farmers under the National Innovation on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) initiative.
A 2022 study by the Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR), Leh, Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR), a branch of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) concludes that Kadaknath chicken is high on nutritional and medicinal value, potentially making it a “super-food” at high altitudes. The study notes that due to its hardiness, disease resistance, and nutritional benefits, Kadaknath poultry is recommended for backyard poultry farming in remote areas with harsh climates, including Ladakh, to ensure fresh meat production.
In the same year, another study published in Foods Journal recommended native chicken meat as it is healthier due to native chickens’ slow growth. The study also highlighted that native chickens are environmentally friendly, as they do not require antimicrobial or antibiotic growth promoters, a common practice in poultry farms for rapidly growing broilers.
“The weather in Jhabua is hot, but Kadaknath can be easily raised even in extreme heat,” says Maurya. Jhabua receives an annual average rainfall of 855.5 millimeters, and daytime temperatures in summer can exceed 40 degrees Celsius. A report by the Madhya Pradesh government agency, The Environmental Planning & Coordination Organisation (EPCO), indicates that Jhabua is among the districts in Madhya Pradesh expected to experience adverse effects of climate change. In this scenario, Kadaknath farming could be a viable option for job and food security. Kadaknath is also mentioned in Madhya Pradesh’s draft state action plan on climate change as a breed suitable for adaptive husbandry practices based on its sensitivity to environmental factors.
Scientist Chandan Kumar, who has conducted extensive research on Kadaknath chickens with the Krishi Vigyan Kendra Jhabua, highlights that the breed can withstand the impacts of climate change. “Kadaknath is a native breed and is well-adapted to the local climate. Native birds adapt to increasing heat,” says Kumar, who is currently an associate professor at Uttar Pradesh Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Veterinary Science University and Cattle Research Institute, Mathura.
“Its growth rate is slower compared to broilers,” explains Diwakar, which helps it survive temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius. In contrast, broiler chickens require cooling arrangements to stay alive in such temperatures. At the same time, he acknowledges that considering Jhabua’s temperatures now reach up to 45 degrees Celsius, measures must be taken to protect Kadaknath from such extreme heat.
Recognising Kadaknath’s climate resilience, Krishi Vigyan Kendra has provided chicks to farmers in several villages to help them cope with climate risks. They have also offered new employment opportunities to farmers in four villages, including changes in farming practices and Kadaknath rearing under the National Innovations on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) programme. “Kadaknath is well-suited for Jhabua’s climate. It can withstand the heat here, has a low chick mortality rate, and sells at a good price, increasing farmers’ income,” says Anil Kumar Sharma of KVK Jhabua.
DIHAR’s 2022 study investigating the feasibility of raising Kadaknath chickens in high altitudes found evidence of their suitability in regions like Ladakh. The research revealed that while raising other chicken breeds presents numerous challenges, Kadaknath’s slower growth rate allows it to thrive on less energy, resulting in a lower mortality rate in such environments.
Challenges of cross-breeding
Despite its multiple benefits, farmers face the challenge of a long waiting period of five to six months for the breed to mature for sale. Experiments are underway to overcome this, including creating new breeds by crossbreeding Kadaknath with other varieties. The Central Avian Research Institute has developed a new breed called CARI-Shyama by crossing Kadaknath with the CARI Red chicken. Similarly, the Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Science University in Jabalpur has created Narmada Nidhi, by breeding Kadaknath with Jabalpur colour chickens. However, many scientists express concerns that such experiments may compromise the authenticity and unique characteristics of pure Kadaknath chickens.
“A pure Kadaknath weighs about one to one-and-a-half kilograms, whereas a cross-breed that physically resembles it may weigh up to three kilograms. Many sellers in the market mislead consumers by falsely labelling cross-breeds as Kadaknath,” says Kumar.
Diwakar emphasises the efforts to maintain the purity of the breed: “To preserve the quality of Kadaknath, we regularly source chickens from villages in the forests and breed them to improve the stock,” he says.
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Booming market
Due to its high nutritional value, Kadaknath and its eggs fetch a good price in the market – Rs. 800-Rs. 1000 for a kilogram of its meat and Rs. 20-35 for an egg.
Veer Singh is very pleased with his business. “Three months ago, I sold my chickens to a trader from Gujarat for Rs 27,000. The cost accounts for 30%, and 70% is profit. You need to feed the chickens well for five to six months, and then they are ready for sale.”
Pushpa Dhohare from Antarvelia village in Jhabua also started raising Kadaknath after receiving training from KVK. She began with 500 Kadaknath chickens in 2021. Now, she has over 2,000 adult chickens and a hatchery with a capacity of 10,000.
A 2022 study that analysed the value chain of Kadaknath in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh revealed that 38% of Kadaknath farmers sell their chickens to traders, while 33% sell directly to customers. About 39% of the birds purchased by traders are exported to other districts, while 31% and 22% are sold to dhaabas (usually highway restaurants) and consumers, respectively.
To support entrepreneurs like Pushpa Dhohare and Veer Singh, the Jhabua district administration has created a portal called Jhabua Kadaknath under the “One District One Product” initiative for buying and selling Kadaknath chickens. Several dozen entrepreneurs use this portal to sell Kadaknath eggs and chickens.
Singh warns that the intense June heat could harm the chickens. As the morning sun rises, he calls out once again — kut-kut, kut-kut — as he moves towards the coop. On cue, the chickens swiftly gather from the surrounding fields and seek refuge inside the coop to shield themselves from the scorching summer sun.
This story was first published on Mongabay Hindi.
Banner image: Kadaknath chicken at a government farm in Jhabua. Its colour is black, every part of it, including its blood. Image by Manish Chandra Mishra/Mongabay.
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