Growing demand for Giriraja chicken breed
Like 2 Dislike 0 Published on 9 Aug 2016
Rearing poultry in the backyard appears to have picked up in Mysuru region ever since the Giriraja breed, a hybrid variety that grows faster and lays more eggs than the local breed, has caught the fancy of enthusiasts.
Nagaraju, an organic farmer from Chowkalli village in the district’s K.R. Nagar taluk, was lured into poultry farming as an additional source of income. He was impressed by the Giriraja breed’s ability weigh four kilograms in three months. Also, the hens lay more eggs than the local breed (country chicken).
“I get Rs. 200 for every kg of meat. It fetches me anywhere between Rs. 800 and Rs. 1,000 when the chicken reaches around five kgs in twelve to fifteen weeks,” he says.
The Giriraja breed lays about 150 eggs a year as against the country chicken’s 50 to 60. An egg fetches Rs. 5.
Deputy Director of Department of Animal Husbandry Devadas said the breed is highly suitable for backyard rearing. “There is no need to spend money on balanced diet or poultry feed for the Giriraja breed as they feed on leftovers.”
The State Animal Husbandry Department’s lone poultry rearing centre, situated in T. Narsipur, is unable to meet the growing demand for chicks of the Giriraja breed. “We can rear only 1,000 chicks in a batch. The demand for the breed is so high that we need to open at least one more rearing centre,” Dr. Devadas said.
To meet the growing demand, several farmers have taken to private rearing. Day-old chicks are available at the Regional Poultry Breeding and Training Centre at Malavalli in Mandya district.
Shivalingu, who was found selling four-week-old chicks on Mahadevapura Road near Udayagiri on Saturday, said a lot of people preferred the Giriraja breed. He was selling a pair of Giriraja chicks for Rs. 100.
T.S. Sreedhara Murthy, assistant director of the Regional Poultry Breeding and Training Centre, Malavalli, said the centre, which had a parent stock of 1,000 birds, produces close to 2,000 chicks a week.
Though the centre sells each chick for Rs. 15, poultry-rearers prefer four-week-old chicks that have passed the brooding period.
They buy them from the department’s rearing centre for Rs. 40 a chick.
H.G. Satish, assistant director, Karnataka Co-operative Poultry Federation, Mysuru district, said the Giriraja breed was a hybrid developed from pure line exotic birds crossed to have the desired traits that resemble desi birds. It was developed by Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University.
Source : http://www.thehindu.com
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