HYDERABAD: Black is not only beautiful, but black is a lot more expensive when it comes to poultry.
Contrary to the white birds that dot all the broiler chicken outlets in the city, a new variety ‘Kadaknath’ chicken has made its entry here recently, boasting black feathers, black plumage, and hold your breath, black meat too!
“Its bones too are black,” adds K.Narasimha Reddy who raises the variety at his native place —Dosakayalapadu village in Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh. He has brought the chicken to the city, to be sold in a retail outlet at Gandhi Nagar, again hold your breath, at ₹900 per kilogram!
Madhya Pradesh native
‘Kadaknath’ chicken is the original pure breed of Madhya Pradesh, and actively promoted by the State Government there, through provision of financial assistance to the BPL families for raising them. There, it is also known by the name ‘Kaali Maansi’ after the colour of its meat.
Mr.Narasimha Reddy found the chicken for the first time when he visited a friend’s place in Jhabua, during his stay at Delhi while preparing for the Civil Services examination.
“My friend’s family raised these chicken in their fields, by fencing them off in an open range farm. I found the idea interesting, and wanted to do the same at my native place,” he said.
He bought 1,200 hatchlings at ₹150 apiece, and raised them at his village.
High nutritional value
From the single outlet in the city, he sells mere four to five kilograms a day as of now. Though eggs were not intended to be the merchandise, he had to sell eggs too, owing to the delay in selling the chicken due to lack of demand.
‘Kadaknath’ chicken, with its high protein and low fat content, is known for its nutritional value. High cost is due to the longer time taken to raise the chicken. While a broiler grows to 2.5 kg in 45 days, the black one takes six months to attain 1.5 kg weight. Further, the egg’s fertility rate is very low.
Mr.Narasimha Reddy vouches for the taste of its meat, though it takes thrice the time as the broiler to cook.
