1. Ankaleshwar

Ankaleshwar is a native chicken breed of Gujarat state in Western part of India. The home tract of this breed is Ankleshwar region of Bharuch district and Narmada region of Gujarat. These birds are mostly reared by the tribal communities in their backyard and the average flock size is around 5-10 fowls. The birds are yellow in colour with black strips or white colour with black strips. The skin colour of the bird is yellow. The birds have single and rose comb. They are small to medium sized birds.

Body weights of Ankaleshwar chicken at 8 and 12 weeks of age are 0.55 Kg in male and 0.46 Kg in female; 0.83 Kg in male and 0.75 Kg in female, respectively. Age of the first egg lay is around 179.9 days and annual egg production is around 79.3 eggs with average weight of an egg of 35.09 g. The egg shell colour is light brown. The egg albumin and yolk indices are 0.08 and 0.36, respectively while Haugh unit is 83.68.

2. Aseel

Aseel is a native chicken breed of Andhra Pradesh in South Eastern part of India. The home tract of this breed includes East Godavari, Visakhapatnam and Vizianagram regions of Andhra Pradesh. These birds are unique for their pugnacity, stamina, majestic gait, and fighting characteristics. Based on plumage colour, there are 7 varieties of this breed, which are peela (brilliant red), yarkin (dark and red), Nurie (white), Kagar (dark), Chitta (highly contrasting silver), Teekar (earthy colored) and Reza (light red). The birds have pea comb, and wattles and ear lobes are bright red. The face is long and thin, and not secured with plumage. The eyes are compact, very much set, and present intense looks. The neck is long, consistently thick however, not fleshy. The body is round and short with wide bottom straight back and close-set solid tail root. The plumage has no cushion and the quills are intense. The tail is little and hanging. The legs are solid, straight, and set well apart.

Body weights of the adult Aseel birds are 4 to 5 Kg in cock; 3 to 4 Kg in hen; 3.5 to 4.5 Kg in cockerel; 2.5 to 3.5 Kg in pullets. Age at first egg is 27 to 29 weeks. The The birds are poor layers producing 30 to 36 eggs annually with average egg weight of 50g at 40 weeks of age. Broodiness is common in this breed.

The Aseel birds are noteworthy for their meat characteristics. Shear force value and hydroxyproline substance of meat were higher in Aseel birds as compared to commercial broiler chicken. Due to high collagen content and interlocking connective tissue between the muscle fibers, Aseel meat has the firm surface with higher red shading and lower softness than that of broiler chicken. Scanning electron microscopy reveals that the muscle fibers in Aseels are orchestrated in a more coiled pattern making the muscle strong. Aseel cock has solid legs, lean meat, and less stomach fat making them high-esteem meat birds notwithstanding their forceful battling capacity. The meat: bone proportion is lower (1.07:1.0) in Aseel than in commercial broiler (1.31-1.0).

3. Busra

Busra breed of chicken is found in the Navapur and Sakri Taluk of Dhule region of Maharashtra state, and the Songadh and Uchchal Taluks of Surat area of Gujarat state of Western India. The plumage of this bird is mostly white blended with black quills on the neck, back, tail, and reddish brown colour on shoulder and wings. The comb is red, single, little to medium in size and stands erect. The beak is yellow and wattles are red, with yellow shank.

The average body weights of Busra are 0.85 to 1.25 Kg in cocks and 0.80 to 1.20 Kg in hens. The birds start laying at the age of 5-7 months. Annual egg production is around 40-55eggs with average weight of 28 to 38 g. The egg-shell colour is light brown.

The albumin and yolk indices of eggs of this breed are 0.05 and 0.35, respectively while Haugh unit is 73.66. The birds are mostly reared by the farmers for meat purpose.

4. Chittagong (Malay)

Chittagong breed of chicken is found in the North-Eastern states of India and Eastern parts of Bangladesh. The plumage colour is buff, white, black, dark brown and grey while the plumage pattern is solid, firm, short and glossy. The birds have bright eyes, long mane and tail, high headset with contentious personality. The comb is small and pea type. Wattles are red. Shank and beak is yellow in colour.

The matured body weights of Chittagong chicken breed are 3.50-4.50 Kg in cocks and 3.00-4.00Kg in hens. These birds are also considered as game fowl.

5. Danki

Danki chicken breed is found mostly in the Vizianagram and Srikakulam regions of Andhra Pradesh and southern parts of Odisha. Plumage colour is primarily brown followed by black. Cocks have sparkling blue dark quills on wings, breast, tail, and thighs. The neck is darker contrasted with the remainder of the body. Wattles are absent. The comb is red, pea type, and compacted. Spur is long and sharp in cocks and little in hens.

The matured body weights of Danki breed are 3.12 Kg in cocks and 2.22 Kg in hens. The birds start laying at the age of 6-8 months and annual egg production is around 25-35eggs with egg weight of 37 to 54 g. The egg shell colour is light or dark brown.

The albumin and yolk indices of eggs are 0.05 and 0.27, respectively while Haugh unit is 66.81. The Danki is essentially used by the village farmers as a warrior flying bird and game purpose.

6. Daothigir

Daothigir birds are found in Bodoland, Kokrajhar, Chirang, Udalguri, and Baska areas in Assam state of North Eastern India. Plumage colour is mostly black sprinkled with white quills. The comb is red, single, erect, and enormous.

The matured body weights of Daothigir birds are 1.79 Kg in cock and 1.63 Kg in hen. The age at first egg is 6-8 months and the annual egg production is around 60-70eggs. The egg weight is around 44.4 g. The egg shell colour is brown and creamy.

The albumin and yolk indices of eggs are 0.06 and 0.29, respectively while Haugh unit is 76.35. These birds are mostly raised by the Bodo tribals in Assam.

7. Ghagus

Ghagus birds are found in the Kolar and adjacent areas of Karnataka, and Eastern parts of Andhra Pradesh states of South India. The plumage is mostly brown, trailed by black. Blue dark plumages are found on the bosom, tail, and thighs of cocks. The neck is secured with golden plumages. Wattles are absent. The comb is red and pea or single sort. Spur is short in cocks.

The matured body weights of Ghagus breed are 2.16 Kg in cock and 1.43 Kg in hen. The birds start lay eggs at the age of 5-8 months and the annual egg production is around 45-60 eggs with average egg weight 40.25 g. The egg shell colour is brown. The egg albumin and yolk indices are 0.06 and 0.38, respectively while Haugh unit is 76.79. The birds are reared up to a great extent for eggs and sometimes, used as game fowls.

8. Harringhata Black

Home tract of Harringhata black chicken breed is Nadia and North 24 Pargana districts of West Bengal of Eastern India. Plumage colour of the birds is dark black with red comb and wattles while the shanks are white in shading.

The body weights of Harringhata black chicken breed at 6, 8 and 10 months of age are 1.08, 1.13 and 1.28 Kg in males and 0.98, 1.06 and 1.12 Kg in females, respectively. This breed is one of the good layers among all Indian native breeds. The age at first lay varies from 3.5 to 8.2 months and annual egg production is around 130eggs with average egg weight of 36.53 g. The egg shell colour is brown and cream white. The birds run first and can fly to protect themselves from predators. These birds show resilience to some of the common illness of birds. The egg albumin and yolk indices are 0.07 and 0.47, respectively and the Haugh unit is 76.97. Sometimes, the hen's broodiness and mothering ability are utilized by the farmers to incubate and brood eggs of other fowl and even ducks.

9. Kadaknath

Kadaknath chicken is found at Jhabua and Dhar Districts of Madhya Pradesh of middle India. All the tissues of these birds are black and consequently, these birds are named as Kali masi chicken. There are three varieties of Kadaknath chicken, which are jet black, golden and pencilled. Day-old chicks are somewhat blue to dark with unpredictable dull stripes over the back. Adult plumage differs from silver and gold-spangled to pale blue black with no spangling. The skin, beak, shanks, toes, and bottoms of feet are slate like in shading. The comb, wattles, and tongue are purple. A large portion of the inner organs shows intense dark coloration and blood is darker than that of other birds. The black shade of the birds is the due to intense melanin deposition or fibrimelanosis in the tissues.

The matured body weights of Kadaknath chicken are 1.50 Kg in cocks and 1.20 Kg in hens. The average age at first egg is 185 days and the annual egg production is around 120-140 eggs. The eggs are light brown in color. Egg weight is around 46g. Consumers prefer Kadaknath meat due to its desirable flavour and leanness of meat (0.11 to 0.52% abdominal fat) as compared to the commercial broiler meat (1.74 to 1.85% abdominal fat). The bird is very popular among the tribals and Adiwasis mainly due to its adaptability to the local environment, disease resistance, tasty meat quality, texture and flavour and me dicinal value such as meat as aphrodisiac (Believed to infuse vigor in Male) and treating women's sterility, abnormal menstruation, and habitual abortion.The meat of these birds has a geographical indication (GI Tag) tag that was approved by the Indian government in 2018.

10. Kalasthi

Kalasthi Indigenous chicken is found at Chittoor, Nellore and Cuddapah districts of Andhra Pradesh state in South India. The plumage colours of the birds are bluish black or brown with sparkling golden in the neck and wings. Legs are proportionately longer and wings are dorsally set with uncovering thighs encompassed with smooth plumages. Wattles are absent in this breed. The comb is red, pea type, and compact. The spurs of the birds are small.

The adult body weights of Kalasthi chicken are 2.48Kg in cock and 1.85 Kg in hens. The birds start to lay at 5-9 months of age. The annual egg production is around 30-40eggs with average egg weight of 42.91 g. The egg shell is brown in colour. The egg albumin and yolk indices are 0.05 and 0.35, respectively and the Haugh unit is 68.81. The birds are mostly preferred for meat purpose.

11. Kashmir Favorolla

Home tracts of Kashmir Favorolla breed include Anantnag, Baramullah, Budgam, Kupwara, Srinagar and Pulwama districts of Jammu and Kashmir of North India at an elevation of 1,500 to 2,000 meters above the sea level. These birds are locally known as "Kashir Kukkar". This breed is very much adapted at cold atmospheres and hilly landscapes. These birds have jet black, dark brown and golden to pure white plumage colour while plumage pattern varies from solid to dull striped and spotted. The skin and shank colours of the birds are white and yellow, respectively. The birds have little single comb and wattles.

The average body weights of Kashmir Favorolla breed are 1.87 Kg in cocks and 1.41Kg in hens. The age at first egg is around 210 days while annual egg production of hens are around 60-85 eggs with average egg weight of 45.76 g. The egg shell colour varies from light to dark brown. The egg albumin and yolk indices are 0.05 and 0.35, respectively and the Haugh unit is 70.26. The birds are relatively more resistant to bacterial diseases, which was reported in an experiment where a comparison of Kashmir Favorolla with commercial birds under similar management condition indicated that the commercial birds suffered heavy mortality (More than 60%) from an infectious bacterial disease within a period of 3 weeks, but Kashmir Favorolla birds virtually escaped the outbreak. The birds are known for their hardiness and can survive and produce at sub-zero temperature.

12. Miri

Miri Indigenous breed is found at Dhimaji, Lakhimpur and Upper Assam areas of Assam state in North Eastern India. These birds are mostly reared by the Mising or Miri Tribes of Assam and the birds are locally called as "Porog". The plumage colours of the birds are white followed by brown and black. The plumage pattern is solid, but few spotted and striped patterns are also found. The skin and shank colour is white to yellow. The comb is single and red in colour while ear lobes are mostly red.

The average body weights of Miri breed at 6 and 12 months of ages are 1.06 and 1.52 Kg, respectively. The birds start to lay at the age of 212 days and the average annual egg production is 62 eggs with egg weight of 42.06 g. The egg shell colour is light to dark brown. The egg albumin and yolk indices are 0.10 and 0.44, respectively and the Haugh unit is 81.64. These birds are reared for dual purpose (Egg and meat).

13. Nicobari

Home tract of Nicobari chicken breed is Andaman & Nicobar Islands of South India located at Bay of Bengal. The plumage colour of the birds is brown or black or white. The birds are very short-legged and they have single red colour comb. Wattles and ear lobes are pinkish in colour. The shank and skin is pinkish white.

The body weights of Nicobari breed at 8 and 12 weeks of age are 0.24 and 0.39Kg, respectively while the matured body weight is 1.20 Kg in cocks and 0.90 to 1.00 Kg in hens. The birds are very much adaptable to the hot and humid tropical conditions. Nicobari fowl is comparatively resistant to Newcastle disease, Marek's disease, IBD, Salmonella, E. coli and coccidiosis and in the field, vaccination is not provided to the birds. The age at first egg is 201.6 days while annual egg production is 148.7eggs with average egg weight of 44.01 g. The Nicobari is one of the best layer Indian birds. Broodiness is not so common in this breed. The egg shell colour is white or light brown. The egg albumin and yolk indices are 0.09 and 0.29, respectively.

14. Punjab Brown

Punjab Brown breed is found in Gurdaspur area at Punjab state and Ambala and Yamunanagar areas at Haryana state of North India. Plumage colour of the birds is mostly brown and in some cases, black or white with golden colour in neck, wings and tail regions. The plumage pattern is usually solid but, spotted or striped ones are also found. Male birds have dark spots/stripes on their neck, wings, and tail. Skin is white and shank is yellow in colour. Ear lobes are mostly brown and sometimes, white or grey. The comb is red, single and erected. Beak is yellow.

The matured body weights of Punjab Brown breed are 2.14 Kg in cocks and 1.56 Kg in hens. The age at first egg is 5-6 months and the annual egg production is around 60-80 eggs with average egg weight of 46.00g. Egg shell is light brown in color. The egg albumin and yolk indices are 0.10 and 0.40, respectively and the Haugh unit is 82.80. The birds are reared for dual purpose (for both meat and eggs).

15. Tellichery

The home tract of Tellichery breed is Calicut, Kannur and Malappuram regions of Kerala state, and Mahe area of Puducherry Union Territory of South India. Plumage colour of these birds is black with a sparkling blue tint on the hackle, back, and tail quills. The comb is red, single, and large. Ear lobe is mostly red in colour with white markings in some birds. Skin is greyish and shank is blackish grey in colour. Beak is blackish in appearance.

The adult body weights of Tellichery breed are 1.62 Kg in cocks and 1.24 Kg in hens. The age at first egg is 5-8 months and annual egg production is around 60-80 eggs with average egg weight of 40.02 g. Egg shell colour is brown. The egg albumin and yolk indices are 0.06 and 0.32, respectively and the Haugh unit is 69.07. However, these birds are reported to be less affected by Newcastle disease where no vaccination is provided in the field.

16. Mewari

Mewari chicken breed is found in the Central and Southern parts of Rajasthan state of Western India.

Adult body weight of Mewari chicken is about 1.90 Kg in cocks and 1.20 Kg in hens. Annual egg production ranges from 37 to 52 eggs. Egg weight is about 53 g. The birds are very much adapted to desert climate (Thar Desert) of Rajasthan state. Farmers rear this breed for dual purpose (Egg and meat).

17. Kaunayen

Home tract of Kaunayen breed is Thoubal, Imphal West, Imphal East and Bishnupur regions of Manipur state in North Eastern India. Hens are commonly black, gray, blackish gray or whitish gray while cocks are bluish black quills on wings, bosom, tail and thighs. The comb is red and pea type. Spur is long and sharp in cocks.

The matured body weight of Kaunayen breed is 3.01 Kg in cocks and 2.32 Kg in hens. The hens start to lay eggs at the age of 5-7 months and annual egg production is around 35 eggs with average egg weight of 42.43 g. The egg albumin and yolk indices are 0.07 and 0.38, respectively and the Haugh unit is 76.88. The birds are, sometimes used by the local villagers as game fowls.

18. Hansli

Hansli breed is found in Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar districts of Odisha state of Eastern India (ICAR-NBAGR Newsletter 2017). Birds are tall and thin and have lofty look. The plumage is predominantly black. Males have golden yellow or red hackle and saddle quills (ICAR-NBAGR Newsletter 2017). The comb is pea type and red in colour. Earlobe, and face are red in colour. Wattles are small and rudimentary, and red in colour. Spur is present in males. The beak is small, strong, and stout, and light yellow in cocks and dull grey in hens. Wattles are small and wings are medium to huge and well folded. Skin colour is pink.

Body weights of Hansli breed at 8 weeks of age are 0.43 Kg in male and 0.38Kg in female. Matured body weights are 2.50 to 3.00 Kg in cocks and 1.50 to 2.00 Kg in hens. The age at first egg is 6 months and annual egg production is around 50-60 eggs with average egg weight of 46.00g. The egg shell colour is light brown. Male birds are very aggressive and are also used as game fowls. This breed is relatively more resilience to intestinal parasites and ectoparasites such as ticks and mites.

19. Uttara

Home tract of Uttara breed is Kumaon district of Uttarakhand state of North India. These birds are reared mostly by the tribal people of Uttarakhand state. Plumage colour of the birds is black. The birds have feathered shank, which is not present in any of the Indian Indigenous chicken breeds.

Adult body weight of Uttara breed is 1.30 Kg in cocks and 1.10 Kg in hens. The hens are very good layers laying around 125-160 eggs annually with egg weight ranging from 49.8-52.7g. The birds are tough and are adaptable to cold temperature and high altitude of Himalayan mountain range.