Kadaknath Chicken – Breed Profile & Facts
The Kadaknath chicken is among the rarest poultry breeds globally. This black breed produces black meat, which has excellent medicinal properties. Although pretty rare, Kadaknath chickens can adapt to any environment.
These chickens are hardy and highly disease-resistant. Kadaknath chickens are suitable for backyard poultry farming. Kadaknath chickens require minimal maintenance and can survive even in poor living conditions.
What is a Kadaknath Chicken?
It’s a black chicken breed that originates from India. The breed is available in three varieties: golden, penciled, and jet black. Kadaknath chicken is famous in India and worldwide because of its adaptability and tasty black meat.
The breed is rare, and its numbers worldwide are on a sharp decline. However, the Indian government is working on a breeding program for Kadaknath chickens to save these birds from extinction.
Kadaknath Chicken Characteristics
The most notable physical feature of the Kadaknath chickens is their black color. This fowl is entirely black. Its black plumage has greenish iridescence. The Kadaknath chicken has a black beak, legs, wattles, and combs. The bird also has black bones and meat; most of its internal organs are black.
Its black plumage gives it a stunning turquoise glow that further complements this fowl’s elegance. Kadaknath chickens have single combs that give them sophisticated looks.
– Size & Weight
The Kadaknath chicken is a small-sized fowl. Kadaknath roosters weigh between 4 and 4.4 lb. Hens weigh between 2.6 and 3.3 lb.
– Temperament
With their black plumage, anyone would think that Kadaknath chickens are aggressive or chickens that are ever seeking trouble. However, this is far from reality. Kadaknath chickens are calm birds that hardly bother other fowl or cause trouble in the flock. Kadaknath chickens are also docile and gentle.
These chickens opt to mind their business. Kadaknath chickens have likable personalities. They are also active foragers. These birds aren’t only calm, friendly, and docile, but they are also highly adaptable and capable of thriving in all sorts of conditions.
– Lifespan
While Kadaknath chickens are pretty slow to mature, these birds are quite hardy. They are among the longest-living chickens, capable of living for around 12 years or even more. These chickens are suitable for chicken raisers searching for long-term fowl to keep in their homesteads or backyards.
However, hereditary dispositions, predation, and diseases are the worst threat to these chickens because they make their lifespans remarkably short.
– Egg Production
The Kadaknath chicken isn’t the best fowl to raise in your backyard for eggs. This breed is a relatively poor layer. Kadaknath hens lay between 80 and 120 brown eggs yearly. Kadaknath chicken eggs have great nutrition, are rich in protein, have less fat than most chicken eggs, and are also low in cholesterol.
Kadaknath pullets start laying between their 20th and 21st weeks. Like other hens, Kadaknath hens will lay steadily for at least two years before their egg production starts to decline. Kadaknath hens aren’t good setters. These hens also rarely go broody, although they are perfect mothers that are overly protective of their baby chicks.
– Meat Production
Kadaknath chickens aren’t terrific meat producers. Nonetheless, the quality of meat from these birds is incredible. Kadaknath chicken meat is flavored and textured. The black meat from Kadaknath chickens also has potent medicinal value.
The meat from Kadaknath chickens contains several types of vitamins and amino acids. The tribal communities in India have been consuming Kadaknath chicken meat to aid with the treatment of chronic illnesses. Kadaknath chicken meat is rich in phosphorus, calcium, nicotinic acid, and protein.
Kadaknath Chicken Care
The Kadaknath chicken is among the healthiest and most robust chicken breeds worldwide. This fowl is resistant to many diseases that affect most species. Moreover, Kadaknath chickens can survive in harsh conditions.
As hard and disease-resistant as Kadaknath chicken is, this fowl needs excellent care for optimal egg and meat production. Kindly go through this comprehensive Kadaknath chicken care guide to enable you to care for your Kadaknath chickens.
– Feeding & Nutrition
Feeding is the most crucial aspect of raising Kadaknath chickens. Poor nutrition will ultimately affect your Kadaknath chickens in the long run, so you must ensure your birds get proper nutrition. Luckily, Kadaknath chickens don’t have many nutritional requirements.
Feeding Kadaknath Chicks
Newly hatched Kadaknath baby chicks can start their growth and development journey with a quality starter feed. The advantage of a starter feed for Kadaknath baby chicks is that it contains many essential nutrients, including protein and vitamins. A high-quality starter feed also contains iron, phosphorus, and calcium minerals.
An excellent starter feed for your Kadaknath baby chickens must have a rich protein content. Ideally, Kadaknath baby chicks need not less than 20% protein in their first stages of growth. A high-protein diet will help your baby chicks grow muscle and feathers fast. Protein is vital for Kadaknath baby chicks because it protects them from malnutrition.
As your Kadaknath baby chicks grow into young chickens, you can introduce the standard chicken feed to your birds. However, this time, your chickens will require less protein in their diet, although the feed should contain crucial minerals and nutrients. Young Kadaknath chickens can consume various foods, including plant material, insects, and bugs.
You can place your young Kadaknath chickens on free-range to help them pick as many food items as possible. After all, Kadaknath chickens are independent and thrive on free-range rather than in confinement. Nonetheless, it isn’t always possible for chicken raisers to put their fowl on free range, especially for urban dwellers with minimal outdoor space.
Thus, introducing several food items to your Kadaknath chickens when in confinement ensures the birds get adequate nutrition. Kadaknath chickens need some grit in their diet to effectively digest the food they consume. Free-range Kadaknath chickens don’t require grit since they eat some small stones out there, which help them easily digest food.
Feeding Kadaknath Pullets
Young Kadaknath hens or pullets need plenty of protein, unlike their non-laying counterparts. Egg-laying Kadaknath hens need a minimum of 16% protein intake. Most layer feeds have adequate protein.
Try some supplemental protein for your egg-laying Kadaknath hens. Some superb protein sources for your Kadaknath chickens include mealworms, cooked eggs, insects, bugs, seeds, and fishmeal. Like other hens, Kadaknath hens also require calcium, which is vital for egg production. Kadaknath hens with a calcium deficiency will produce soft eggs.
Their eggshells will be extremely poor; thus, calcium should be an integral part of your Kadaknath hens’ diet. Some Kadaknath chicken raisers opt for calcium supplements, although crushed eggshells and oyster shells are excellent natural calcium sources for Kadaknath chickens.
Importance of Minerals and Vitamins
Kadaknath chickens of all ages need vitamins, including vitamins C, DK, A, and B2. Your Kadaknath chickens can get all these vitamins from consuming fruits, leafy greens, and vegetables. Some vitamin-rich vegetables for Kadaknath chickens include broccoli, chard, kale, spinach, and lettuce.
Some great fruits for Kadaknath chickens include melons, berries, tomatoes, lemons, and oranges.
Since Kadaknath chickens are pretty active, your chickens will require energy-giving foods to ensure they are active. Grains such as rice and cracked corn can be wonder energy-giving foods for your Kadaknath chickens.
Kadaknath chickens need fresh water throughout the day. These chickens can succumb to heat stress or dehydration if they lack water. Ensure your Kadaknath chickens have clean water all the time.
– Housing
Kadaknath chickens have minimal housing requirements. Nonetheless, Kadaknath chickens need an excellent cage like other fowl. Because Kadaknath chickens are relatively small, these chickens don’t require plenty of space compared to other large-sized fowl.
Although the size of the cage you intend to house your Kadaknath chickens will depend on how many birds you have, every Kadaknath chicken requires at least 3 square feet. Furthermore, your cage must have space for every chicken to walk around. You can have a run to keep your birds active while giving them some freedom.
The cage needs to have ample perches because Kadaknath chickens like roosting or resting on perches. Furthermore, provide nest boxes if you have egg-laying Kadaknath hens in your flock.
Although Kadaknath hens won’t frequently lay like most layers, they also need nest boxes for laying. The more Kadaknath hens you have, the more nest boxes you need to install in the cage.
A suitable cage for Kadaknath chickens should have bedding to ensure the birds are comfortable. Bedding also helps the birds remain dry and clean throughout. Some excellent bedding options for Kadaknath chickens include hay, straw, wood shavings, and sawdust.
– Health Problems
Kadaknath chickens are some of the most robust and disease-resistant chickens. The mortality rate in these chickens is lower than in other breeds. That notwithstanding, Kadaknath chickens face a couple of health problems. These are some common health problems in Kadaknath chickens.
- Fowl Cholera – This chronic poultry ailment affects Kadaknath chickens’ wattles, sinuses, body tissues, and joints. Kadaknath chickens suffering from Fowl Cholera show symptoms like loss of appetite, ruffled feathers, swollen combs, wattles, and diarrhea.
- Coccidiosis – The parasitic disease is common in young Kadaknath chickens, although adult Kadaknath chickens can also suffer from coccidiosis. This disease will ruin your chickens’ gut. The condition causes ruffled feathers, diarrhea, loss of appetite, and rapid weight loss in Kadaknath chickens.
- Avian Influenza – Kadaknath chickens get this disease from sick wild birds, although it is rare for Kadaknath chickens to suffer from It. Kadaknath with Avian Influenza shows signs like sneezing, coughing, nasal discharge, and ruffled feathers.
How Much Do Kadaknath Chickens Cost?
Because Kadaknath chickens are rare, they are somewhat more expensive than other breeds. Baby chicks cost around $20 per bird, while hens may cost approximately $50. Roosters cost below $35.
Are Kadaknath Chickens Good for Beginners?
These chickens are perfect for new chicken raisers because they are easy to maintain and highly adaptable to most environments.
Are Kadaknath Chickens Hardy?
Yes, these chickens are incredibly hardy. They are also disease-resistant and can withstand different weather conditions.
Can Kadaknath Chickens Fly?
Yes, Kadaknath chickens are flighty fowl capable of flying, especially when escaping danger. However, these chickens are calm and will rarely fly from your backyard.
Tips on Keeping Kadaknath Chickens
- Raise your Kadaknath in a peaceful and good environment
- Avoid raising Kadaknath chickens alongside aggressive fowl
- Provide nutritious foods to your Kadaknath chickens
- Allow your Kadaknath chickens to free-range
- Protect your Kadaknath chickens from predators
Conclusion
Kadaknath chickens are extraordinary black chickens to raise. These chickens are highly adaptable, and they can survive almost anywhere. Kadaknath chickens are calm, hardy, and docile, making the birds excellent for beginners. These chickens are worth raising if you consider adding some black fowl to your flock.