Assessment of reproductive performance of indigenous Kakkera chickens under field and farm conditions in Yadgir district of Karnataka

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to evaluate and document the reproductive performance of Indigenous Kakkera chickens of Yadgir district, Karnataka, under both field and farm conditions. Under field conditions, data collected through a structured questionnaire revealed that the average number of eggs retained for natural incubation was 11.62±0.09, with a mean hatchability of 9.38±0.11 chicks and an overall hatchability of 80.85±0.81 percent. The mean age at sexual maturity was 8.93±0.10 months. Under farm conditions, the mean age at sexual maturity was 194.08±1.44 days with a corresponding body weight of 1437.20±18.21 g. The mean weight of the first egg was 37.68±0.19 g. Fertility and hatchability percentages were recorded as 85.32±0.69 percent and 75.68±2.03 percent, respectively. The reproductive traits observed in the present study were comparable with earlier reports on other indigenous breeds across India. The findings indicate that Kakkera chickens exhibit satisfactory reproductive performance under both backyard and farm management systems, which highlights their potential for sustainable rural poultry development.