Breeds of Chicken

Chickens are grown for their egg and meat. Likewise they are classified as egg-type chicken and meat-types chickens. Egg type chickens are composed of stock that has been developed for egg production and are maintained for the principal purpose of producing chicks for the ultimate production of eggs for human consumption. Breeds of meat type chickens primarily include broilers, fryers, roasters, and other meat type chickens. Here broilers and other chickens are raised for their meat. Broilers are genetically selected for fast growth and raised for meat rather than eggs e.g. White Synthetic Male line (WSML), white synthetic dam line (SDL), coloured synthetic male line (CSML), coloured synthetic female line (CSFL), introgression of frizzle gene etc.

Indigenous breeds of egg type chicken in Kerala

Breed

Age at sexual Maturity

Age at 50% egg production

Total egg production (up to 72 weeks)

Body weight at 72 weeks

Egg weight

Livability

1. Gramalakshmi

160 days

180 days

180-200

1.7 Kg

50 g

96%

2. Gramapriya

175 days

190 days

200-225

2.0 Kg

55 g

95%

3. Athulya

123 days

145 days

280-290

1.5 Kg

55.8 g

98%

(Source: Kerala Agricultural University)

Native breeds of egg type chicken in India

Breed

Body weight
(20 weeks)

Age at sexual maturity (days)

Annual egg production (No.)

Egg weight at 40 weeks (g)

Fertility

Hatchability FES (5)

1. Aseel

1220

196

92

50

66

63

2. Frizzle

1005

185

110

53

61

71

3. Kadaknath

920

180

105

49

55

52

4. Naked neck

1005

201

99

54

66

71

(Source: Central Avian Research Institute)

Azeel
Azeel
Frizzle
Frizzle
Gramalakshmi
Gramalakshmi
Kadaknath
Kadaknath
Naked neck
Naked neck
White leghorn
White leghorn

Other commercial breeds of broiler chicken in India

Breed

First egg

50% Production

Peak production

Livability

Egg production peak

Feed efficiency

Egg weight

Net egg production (72 weeks)

ILI-80

17-18 weeks

150 days

26-28 weeks

Grower (96%)
Layer (94%)

92%

2.1

54 g

280 eggs

Golden-92

18-19 weeks

155 days

27-29 weeks

Grower (96%)
Layer (94%)

90%

2.2

54 g

265 eggs

Priya

17-18 weeks

150 days

26-28 weeks

Grower (96%)
Layer (94%)

92%

2.1

57 g

290 eggs

Sonali

18-19 weeks

155 days

27-29 weeks

Grower (96%)
Layer (94%)

90%

2.2

54 g

275 eggs

Devendra

18-19 weeks

155 days

27-29 weeks

Grower (97%)
Layer (94%)

90%

2.5

50 g

200 eggs

(Source: Central Avian Research Institute)

Commercial available meat-type chicken in India

Breed

Weight at six weeks (g)

Weight at seven weeks (g)

Food conversion ratio

Livability
(%)

B-77

1300

1600

2.3

98-99

CARIBRO-91

1650

2100

1.94-2.2

97-98

CARIBRO Multicoloured

1600

2000

1.9-2.1

97-98

CARIBRO Naked necked

1650

2000

1.9-2.0

97.98

Varna

1500

1800

2.1-2.25

97

(Source: Central Avian Research Institute & Kerala Agricultural University)