Residents of the State Capital will soon be able to taste the famous Kadaknath chicken. Various poultry farms have started several breeding centers for the special breed of chicken, which is said to have more nutritional value than the regularly bred chicken and also has several health benefits. Ranchi-based poultry farm owners said that the new breed will be available within 6-7 months in the city.
Ranchiites need not fear the cholesterol and fat content in chicken if they consume the black-coloured meat of the Kadaknath. The meat may not make for a very pretty sight on the dining table but its nutritional value and taste is unbeatable, said chicken sellers.
Harjeet Singh a supplier of chicken says, “We have recently started supplying chicken in various farms for breeding Kadaknath in the city. The nutritional properties of this chicken and its lip smacking taste are the reason behind it being high rated.” He claimed that the chicken has less than 2 per cent fat, low cholesterol and high percentage of protein, iron, amino acids, vitamins and calcium.
There are two sub-breeds of this chicken and they have more immunity than the regular chicken. “We are into commercial farming, so we have to do vaccination of these chickens in gaps of seven days in a month,” he added.
However, the denizens will have to shell out more in order to have this chicken on their platter. Further, chicken will be sold for Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,200 a piece which is five times expensive than the regular broiler chicken which is 140 per kg.
Kadaknath is the only Black Meat Chicken breed of India. It is a native bird of Madhya Pradesh, where it is known as ‘Kali Masi’. It is mainly reared by the tribal communities of Bhil and Bhilala. The commonly available colours of kadaknath are jet-black and pencilled. With highly nutritional meat, Kadaknath has now become a bone of contention between Madhya Pradesh and Chhatisgarh States; both the neighbouring States have filed a petition at Chennai registry office claiming the breed for Geographical Indicator over its nativity.
It is very popular among the adiwasis mainly due to its adaptability to the local environment, disease resistance, tasty meat quality, texture and flavour. Though the flesh of this breed is black, it is considered not only a delicacy of distinctive taste, but also of medicinal value.
Meanwhile, Sunil, Owner of Kadaknath Farm based in Bero said, “I sell this rare Kadaknath chicken at Rs 900/kg in Ranchi”.