Various breeds of poultry

Fowl

Indigenous Types

1. ASEEL

Aseel is a game chicken breed from India. It is scattered throughout most of India, especially in
the states of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and the Chhattisgarh region. They were
originally kept for cock fighting but nowadays they are kept for ornamental purposes. It is not
advisable to keep many roosters together because they will fight until death. They are friendly,
very tame and trusting towards humans. Aseel chickens are known for their distinctive
appearance with a muscular build, short and powerful legs and a small head with a large comb.
They come in a variety of colors including black, white and red and can have either smooth or
feathered legs. Both roosters and hens are very beautiful. Aseel chickens are a slow growing
breed but they are known for their flavorful meat. They have a high muscle to bone ratio. They
lay smaller eggs with a rich and flavorful yolk. Aseel chickens are used as a base for
crossbreeding with other breeds. They have also been used in traditional cultural events,
religious ceremonies, etc. Aseel chicken has a rich history. Their origin dates back to the Indus
valley civilization. They were highly priced for their fighting abilities and were considered as a
symbol of power and wealth.
2. KADAKNATH
Kadaknath, also called as Kali Masi (fowl with black flesh) is an Indian Native breed of
chicken. The birds originated from Dhar and Jhabua areas of western Madhya Pradesh; these
birds are mostly bred by rural people & Bhil tribals. Kadaknath birds are in demand due to its
meat quality, texture and taste. It is said to have some medicinal properties. Males and
females are black in colour with golden head and neck. The bird is entirely black, including
its skin, shank, and internal organs. The eggs of kadaknath are very expensive because they
are an excellent source of protein, iron and are low in fat. Male bird weighs from 1.8 to 2 kg
and the female bird weighs from 1.2 kg to 1.4 kg. Age at first egg is long (185 days), and this
breed has a considerably lower egg production capability (approximately 50 to 55 eggs in 40
weeks). 120 to 140 eggs are produced each year, on average. Nowadays, People are
preferring kadaknath chicken to lose weight because it has low fat. These birds have

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significant homeopathic medicinal potential and can help with treating neurological illnesses.
Additionally, it aids in the treatment of numerous pulmonary issues by raising blood cell and
hemoglobin concentrations. The health of ladies will benefit from eating kadaknath chicken.
Headaches, asthma, and nephritis are all treated with Kadaknath chicken eggs. When
compared to similar types of other chicken breeds, these birds' flesh contains more protein,
less fat, and lower cholesterol levels, which is their main advantage.
Various Breeds of Fowl
Exotic breeds
There are many “Classes” of chicken based on the geographical location from where they
originated; of these, American, Asiatic, English and Mediterranean are the most popular.
1. American Class-Rhode Island Red: The Rhode Island Red (RIR) originated from Rhode
Island of New England. They are cross of Red Malay Game, Leghorn and Asiatic native
stock. It has long rectangular body, back is flat and the breast is carried well forward. The
plumage is rich dark or brownish red in colour. The Standard weight for Cock is 3.8 Kg
and Hen is 2.9 Kg. The annual egg production ranges from 225-260 eggs per bird. The
Rhode Island Red is a breed of chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus). They are a utility
bird,raised for meat and eggs. They are a popular choice for backyard flocks because of
their egg laying abilities and hardiness.
2. Asiatic Class-Brahma: It is originated from Brahmaputra region in India where they were
known as "Gray Chittagongs". Brahmas are gentle giant with feathered legs and feet,
fluffy feathering. Originally from India, these birds were bred for meat production,
though the hens lay relatively decently and are great setters and mothers. This fancy
breed of chicken makes a great pet for its quiet and domestic nature, tolerance to the cold.
The body is circular shaped and massive in appearance due to profuse, loose feathering
and feathered legs and toes. The Mature weight of Cock is 5.5 Kg and Hen is 4.2 Kg.
3. English Class-Orpington: The origin of this breed is England. It has deep and well
rounded body. The Orpington originates from Great Britain. • It is the bird of English
breed but common in India. They have high fecundity and good quality of meat. Eggs are
bigger in size may lay about 200 eggs per annum. • It is a large fowl with soft feathering
that masks the body & it allow the birds to resist cold environment. • This fowl has a
deep breast with a curved back, short legs with thigh covered by thick feathers. • Has

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 either a single or rose comb, red wattles of white earlobes. The breast is full and back is
broad. The Standard weight of Cock is 4.5 kg and Hen is 3.5 Kg. It is considered a dual-
purpose bird for eggs and table meat.
4. Mediterranean Class-Leghorn: This breed is originated from Italy. It is the world’s
number one egg producer. It has small, oval and compact body, relatively long neck,
prominent breast and long shanks. The single comb of the male should be of medium size
and should stand erect with five uniform deeply serrated points. The front point of female
should stand erect; but remainder of the comb gradually slopes to one side. The Standard
weight of Cock is 2.7 Kg and Hen is 1.8 Kg. Annual hen-housed egg production per bird
is 290-320 eggs. The Leghorn was first imported into America around 1835 and then
later into England. It has an excellent feed to egg conversion ratio and is one of the
smaller standard breed chickens. They are alert, and lively. Their large flopped over
combs and wattles, and upward stance gives them a characteristic appearance. Leghorns
are becoming much more popular for small scale poultry keeping also. Varieties are
White, Black and Brown leghorn etc
Varieties of Duck
1. Nageswari ducks. The Nageswari duck is an indigenous egg-laying duck breed
originating from the Sylhet region, historically part of Assam (now in Bangladesh) and
also found in the Cachar and Karimganj districts of India. It is known for its black
plumage, a white stripe on its neck and breast. The breed gets its local names "Nagi" or
"Nagin" from its snake-like posture and the bluish tinge of its eggs In north-eastern India
(Assam), the age (days) at sexual maturity of Nageswari was 180-195 while the annual
egg production per duck was 140-150.
2. Kuttanad ducks. The Kuttanad ducks have specific physical characters, having grey,
brown, bronze, white, black colours and spots. Generally, the ducks are known as Chara
and Chemballi, Thoovella, Pulli, Pandi, depending upon the colours and spots. These
ducks require less management, have high adaptability and are suitable for nomadic duck
farming. Kuttanad ducks attain more than 2.2 kg at 8 weeks of age and the age at first egg
laying is about 129 days. They lay an average of 200 eggs per annum with average egg
weight of 70 g.

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3. Indian Runner ducks: The origin of Indian Runner is Indonesia and Malaysia. These are
egg type of ducks. Indian Runner ducks are also known as Penguin ducks or Baly
soldiers; as they stand erect like penguins (resemble penguins) and run rather than
waddling. There are three varieties of Indian Runner, i.e. fawn and white, white and
pencilled. The fawn and white variety of Indian Runner is fawn or grey or white colour
with a white neck and a lines of white strips running up to the eyes and extending around
the bill. The back, shoulders and the upper part of the breast and wings are fawn, but the
lower part is white with orange red shanks and toes. The bill of the young drake and duck
is yellow (later becomes greenish yellow) and yellow spotted with green (later becomes
dull green), respectively. The white variety of Indian Runner is white with yellow bill and
orange shanks and toes. In the pencilled variety of Indian Runner, the head of the drake
and duck is dull bronze green and white and medium fawn and white (with white
markings in plumage resembling the drake), respectively. The adult Indian Runner drakes
and ducks can attain body weight of 1.6-2.2 kg and 1.4-2.0 kg, respectively; and has the
potential to produce about 200-300 eggs per year with white egg colour.
Varieties of Turkey
The turkeys originated from Central and Northern America and were domesticated about 300
years ago by the Europeans colonized in North America. Among the various poultry species,
the turkey is reared mainly for meat purpose. This farming is almost non-existent in India.
Small flocks are available at some of the Agricultural Universities. The turkey farming has a
greater potential in India as its farming will help in accelerating the poultry meat production
and may bridge the gap between demand and supply of poultry meat. Since the turkey are
bigger in size, cut-up parts of turkey meat can be marketed in various attractive packaging
suited to the individual consumer.
Broad Breasted Bronze: It is the most popular and heaviest variety of turkey. As the name
indicates, it is having a broad and prominent chest region and bronze coloured feathers. The
males and females at maturity weigh 15-18 kg and 12-13 kg, respectively. Most of the
present day hybrid turkeys are crosses of different strains of Broad Breasted Bronze or Belts
Ville White. One of the common hybrid turkeys popular in North America is Nicholas
Turkey.

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 Quail
The quail production is an ideal alternative to boost poultry production in rural India. Its
farming in villages will also enhance the availability of animal protein in village and thus
solving the problem of malnutrition in villages. In India, quail is commonly popular as
“Bater”. Quail meat and eggs are table delicacy; contain less fat and more calcium. It is a
profitable enterprise in a shorter duration of time and low capital investment proposition.
In India, the species of Japanese quail was introduced by the Central Avian Research
Institute (CARI), Izatnagar, Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh) during 1974-76 by importing them from
USA. It has now spread to Central Govt. Poultry Organizations also. The females (150-180
g) are heavier than males (120-130 g). The meat type quails are ready for sale at about 5
weeks of age and meat is very delicious. The egg type quails come into production at 5-6
weeks of age and reach their peak production by 9-10 weeks of age. The average production
touches more than 250 eggs per l year. The average weight of an egg is 10 g and its chick
weight on hatching is about 6-7 g.
Various breeds of cattle
Indigenous varieties of cow
1. Vechur cow- Vechur cattle, once popular in southern Kerala (India) is on the verge of
extinction. By extensive search the few remaining animals could be traced. They are being
conserved by Kerala Agricultural University. The cow yields 2.5 litres of milk daily during
the lactation period of about 8 months. It has emerged as a sustainable cow to farmers. The
adaptability of the animal to the hot humid tropical countries has special significance as an
insurance for the future. It also has the potential to be a small good beef breed. The value of
the milk including the small fat globule size, presence of A2 beta-lactalbumin protein and
higher arginine content has been proven scientifically. The total population size in Kerala is
estimated to be 2000 animals. Cows are extremely small in size, i.e. weighing around 125
kg with a height of not more than 90 cm. Heat tolerance, disease resistance and general
adaptability are added qualities.
2. The Kasaragod dwarf cattle-is a small indigenous cow breed (average size 95cms) that can
survive on kitchen scraps and jungle forage. This allows people in the mountain jungles of
Kasargod area to nurture the cattle without having to grow or harvest hay or paddy stalks as
cattle feed. The Kasargod breed was a contender form a Guinness Book of Records entry for

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 its small size along with Vechur cows. But on an average, the former is slightly taller than
the latter. Kasargod cattle are low milk producing animals and the average yield is around
only one litre per day under average management conditions and this is usually just
sufficient to feed its calf. Kasargod cattle are generally used for the generation of manure by
Kasargod farmers as an integral part of homestead farming.
Red sindhi - Red sindhi is an important dairy cow breed of the subcontinent. The home
tract and origin of the breed is around Karachi and Hyderabad district of Pakistan. Due its
hardiness, heat resistance, good foraging and high milk yielding capacity they have spread to
many parts of India as well as other parts of world including America, Africa, Australia,
Phillipines, Tanzania, Srilanka, etc . Red sindhi have medium sized compact and well-
proportioned body with round dropping quarters. The colour of the breed is brick red with the
shed varying from dark red to light strips of white colour sometimes on dewlap and
occasionally on the fore head. Male are darker than female. Females are good milkers and
bullocks are suited for field work. The average height of a Red Sindhi cow is 116 cm with a
body weight of 340 kg weight. ` Males are darker than females and when mature may be
almost black on the extremities, such as the head, feet and tail. The average milk production of
this breed in India varies between 1300 kg to 1800 kg per lactation.

Exotic breeds of cow

1. Jersey- The breed originated on the Island of Jersey, a small Island off the English
Channel in the United Kingdom. The typical color is reddish-fawn. They weigh
about 900 pounds. They have a dished forehead and a compact, angular body. The face is
double-dished and has a black muzzle. Excellent udder shape and attachment. Horns are
small and curved forward. The tail has a black switch. This is one of the smallest and
oldest dairy breeds and was popular even in the 1700s due to its milk and butterfat
production. The breed is well adapted to Indian climatic conditions and is used for cross-
breeding programs, especially with Zebu cattle. The average milk yield is 4000 kg per
lactation period of 365 days. The milk has a fat percentage of 5.5.
● 2. Brown swiss - Mountain regions of Switzerland. The breed is uniformly brown in
color. Brown Swiss is a large, compactly built cattle breed that weighs around 900 kg.
Despite its large figure and ruggedness, these are docile and easily [Link]
have a large head with a black muzzle and a whitish area encircling the [Link]
loose skin with a black [Link] horns with black tips. Excellent quality crossbreeds
are obtained from breeding Brown Swiss with Indian cattle. They can produce 6000 to

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 7000 kg of milk per lactation and the milk has a fat content of 4%.They are also used for
meat purposes.

Varieties of Buffalo
1. Murah- The Murrah buffalo is India's premier dairy breed, known for its jet-black color,
tightly curled horns, long tail to the fetlock, and heavy, wedge-shaped body with a short head
& long face, delivering high milk yields with rich fat content (6.5-9%). Key features include
high milk production (10-16L/day), adaptability, strong build, well-developed udder, and
disease resistance, making them ideal for dairy farming. Body structure of Murrah buffalo
has deep massive frame with short broad back and a comparatively long neck and head.
2. Jaffarbadi -They are native to the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, particularly around the
Gir forest area, and are well-adapted to the local climate. Many are maintained by traditional
nomadic breeders called Maldharis. They are one of the heaviest and most massive buffalo
breeds, with a robust and deep body. Males can weigh up to 1000 kg, and females average
around 620 kg. The head is big and heavy, with a very prominent, wide, and bulging
forehead that sometimes partially covers the eyelids, giving the animal a characteristic
"sleepy eyes" appearance, especially in males. A peculiar and distinguishing feature is their
heavy, thick, and flattened horns. They typically droop down on each side of the neck and
then curl slightly upwards at the tips, forming a ring-like structure. The coat color is usually
solid black, though some animals may have white or grey markings on the forehead, feet, or
tail switch. The ears are long and horizontal, sometimes described as folded like a leaf.
Average milk production ranges from 1500 to 2500 liters per lactation, with some individual
animals producing much higher yields.
Varieties of sheep
1. Barbari- This breed is mainly used for meat production. It is found in districts of Punjab,
Rajasthan and Agra and some districts of U.P. It is a medium height animal having compact
body. It has short and tubular ears. The male barbari has 38-40kg of weight and female
barbari has 23-25 kg of weight. The length of male barbari is approximately 65cm and that of
female is approximately 75cm. It has wide range of coat color but the white color having
small light brown color patches is most common. Both male and female barbari goat have
large thick beard. The average milk yield per day is 1.5-2.0kg and yield per lactation period
varies from 140kg.

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● Deccani- Deccani breed is an admixture of the woolly types of Rajasthan and the hairy
types of Andra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. It is found in Bombay-Deccan region and parts
of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh States. The sheep is small and hardy, and well adapted
to poor pastoral conditions. It possesses a coloured fleece, black and gray colours being
more dominant. The average annual yield of wool being 4.54 kg per sheep. The wool is
of a low grade and is a mixture of hair and fine fibres, mostly consumed for the
manufacture of rough blankets (Kambals). The flocks are maintained chiefly for mutton.

Varieties of Goat
Malabari – This is short haired and erect-horned goat popular in urban areas of Delhi, Uttar
Pradesh, Gurgaon, Karnal, Panipat and Rohtak in Haryana state. Barbari breeds are grown
mainly for milk and meat [Link] color of this breed is white with light brown patches.
An adult female goat weighs between 25kgs to 35kgs, whereas an adult male goat ranges
between 35kgs to [Link] are having the ability to give one kg to 1.5kgs of milk per day.
This breed have better reproductive [Link] will give, 2 to 3 kids in parturition.
They are usually stall-fed and are reported to yield 0.90-1.25 kg of milk(fat content 5%) a
day in a lactation period of 108 days. They are prolific breeder and kid twice in 12-15
months
Jamunapari- Jamunapari breeds are found mainly in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Its coat
colour is white with tan or black markings at neck and ears. They are beard in both sexes;
have tuft of long hairs in the buttocks. It is largest and most elegant of the long-legged goats
of [Link] has pronounced Roman nose having a tuft of hair which results in parrot mouth
appearance. Their horns are short and flat and horizontally twisting backward. An adult male
ranges from 90 to 100 cms in height, whereas a female goat ranges from 70 to 80 cms in
height. It is, tall and leggy with convex face line and large folded pendulous ears. Generally
found in white colors. Their ears are large and drooped [Link] adult female weighs
between 45kgs to 60kgs, whereas an adult male ranges between 65kgs to 80kgs. Average
birth weight is up to 4 kg. Average age at first kidding is 20-25 months. They have large
udder and big teats and average yield is 280 kg / 274 days. Have the ability to yield 2 to
2.5kgs of milk per day. The fat content of the milk ranges between 3 to 3.5%.They thrive
best under range conditions with plenty of shrubs for browsing.

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