Abstract

Backyard poultry plays an important role in livelihoods of Indian farmers. Research and Development efforts on developing improved strains to enhance productivity have enhanced farmer’s income. Scaling up of improved strains is based on adaptive trials conducted by extension agencies for location specificity and feasibility. The present study is a first time report in India on the performance of newly released Kaveri poultry in the backyard production system through an on farm trial by Krishi Vigyan Kendra-Khordha, the farm science centre of Indian council of agricultural research at the district level. Kaveri birds have characteristic features like low early chick and laying mortality, excellent flock uniformity, early sexual maturity, withstanding predators, laying brown colour eggs etc. The participatory trial was organised at 30 farmer’s fields administering participatory approach by providing 300 chicks to the farmers. The biggest gain of Kaveri poultry in the trial was the body weight, which was recorded to be 3200 gm in male and 2800 gm in female birds at the end of 12 months study period compared to the 1750 gm and 1250 gm respectively with the local strains. Kaveri chicks exhibited superiority in their liveability with a mortality rate of 15% during the critical period of the first 10 weeks of their life compared to the most popular backyard improved strain Vanaraja in which it is up to 24% in the backyard system. Majority of the farmers perceived that this strain can withstand predation which scores better than the other improved strains. The study concluded that Kaveri is suitable for backyard farming system and is highly profitable. Attempts were taken in 2016 to link the results of the strain assessment to the mainstream extension at the district for larger adoption of rural communities.