Kadaknath Farming in Nepal | Business Plan

"Kadaknath" as a breed is unique because of its meat colour i.e. black and also for its meat health benefits. Kadaknath chicken farming is a low maintenance profitable business and provides jobs to a lot of people related directly or indirectly to the business.

This business plan has plan to prepare and construct the sheds and structures to accommodate 1,000 Kadaknath adult along with chicks. However, during the first year of operation the farm will purchase 500 chicks and increase the number of the chicks gradually to 1000.

Introduction

This breed is a unique chicken breed for its outward and inward appearance as well as for its meat health benefits. The Kadaknath chicken breed is commonly called by locals as Kalo Kukhara for its black flesh. It is commonly found in eastern parts of Madhya Pradesh state in India. The birds survive well in hot semi-arid climatic conditions with temperatures ranging between 12° to 42° C. They thrive well in harsh growing conditions such as poor housing, poor management, and poor feeding environments. The chicken breed is well known mainly for its black meat, taste, adaptability and believed to infuse vigor. Because of a group of natural pigments called melanin; the chicken breed body parts are completely black such as –legs, toenails, tongue, comb, and wattles, beak, bones, meat, and even the internal organs are dark in color. The other important factor for this chicken breed to be unique is due to its fat content, while in all other chicken breeds the fat content varies from 12 to 26%, Kadaknath chicken fat content is 0.70 to 1.05%. The breed population is scarce due to lack of commercial farmers although it has high consumer demand.

Kadaknath chicken meat has high medicinal values apart from nutritive values compared with other meat. Because of this, black meat chicken is very much in demand. This breed is very popular for its adaptability, disease resistance and for its distinctive meat taste. The tribal communities believe in its medicinal properties and use the blood in treating many chronic diseases. The bird’s meat acts as a vasodilator that helps in regulating the blood flow in the human body and thereby infusing vigor. This meat is also used in homeopathy in treating a particular nervous disorder. Kadaknath meat is effective in treating women’s sterility, abnormal menstruation, and assists in habitual abortions. Meat and eggs of these birds are rich in protein and highly nutritive especially for children and older people suffering from high blood pressure, the cholesterol levels are very negligible compared with other bird meats.

Breeds of Kadaknath

There are three main varieties of Kadaknath Chicken.

a) Jet Black Kadaknath – The hen and cockerel are black in color.

b) Golden Kadaknath – Have golden feathers on the head and neck regions in both male and female birds.

c) Penciled Kadaknath – In the adult birds apart from black plumage, they have white feathers around the neck region.

The company is planning to rear jet Black Kadaknath variety which is fully black in colour.

Housing & Management

The shed and open space will be constructed to grow 5000 kadaknath birds. Brooder house, grower house and layer house shall be constructed for rearing purpose. For optimum Kadaknath breeding and for profits, Kadaknath housing must have a room temperature of 20° to 26° C and with 50% to 70% humidity. Birds can survive well in temperatures between 16° to 35°C. Kadaknath chicken will be housed or reared in a litter system. Sheds must be free from natural predators such as cats, dogs, snakes, predatory birds, and rats. Shed and surrounding areas must be free from flies and mosquitoes. Sheds must have comfortable housing conditions along with adequate light and proper ventilation during all seasons.

Before introducing chicks in the deep litter system, disinfect all watering equipment, feeders, and brooding equipment, spread around 2 to 4 inch clean litter material such as sawdust, wood shavings, chopped straw, and paddy husk on the floor. The floor must be flat with no sharp protruding objects or rocks.

Sheds length will be of any size with a width not more than 30 feet wide. The center of the shed height will be from 8 to 10 feet in height and the sides will be 6 to 8 feet in height. The flooring of the house or shed must be of cement concrete wherever possible. This will reduce disease problems and help in easy disinfection, maintenance, and cleaning. The poultry roof of the shed will be made up of jasta pata.

Feeding

In commercial breeding and farming, they will be given pre-starter broiler feed with maize crumbs in the first two month period. 20% protein diet can be given to birds once they cross two months. One can start feeding the birds with broiler starter feed followed by a regular feed depending upon the bodyweight and age. They eat a variety of foods from market waste to leafy vegetables, grass and etc. In semi intensive farming, they know what they want and start feeding on small insects, seeds, grass, and other things.

Diseases, Medication & Vaccination

This breed can tolerate summer heat and cold winter stress and thrives well under limited food resources and minimal management conditions. The birds are hardy and exhibit an appreciable degree of resistance to diseases compared to other poultry birds and exotic fowl breeds. Over-crowding will be avoided in the brooder shed of chicks to prevent coccidiosis disease.

Production & Productivity

Kadaknath hen reaches maturity and starts laying eggs from sixth month onward. The hen lays eggs in two to three clutches, eggs are laid in two to three clutches with each clutch producing 25 to 40 eggs; thus, giving about 100 to 120 eggs in a year.

The products of Kadaknath chicken such as its black meat, brown eggs, and Kadaknath chicks are highly in demand with large profit margins. The birds gain weight from 0.50 grams to 1.75 kg within a period of 107 to 115 days with a high feed conversation ratio yielding maximum profits.