Poultry Breeds in India—Complete Guide for Broiler, Layer and Desi Chickens

Selecting the right poultry breed is one of the most important decisions in successful poultry farming. The overall profitability of a poultry farm depends heavily on the genetic potential of the breed chosen for meat production, egg production, disease resistance, feed efficiency, and adaptability to local climatic conditions. In India, poultry breeds are broadly classified into broiler breeds, layer breeds, and desi or improved backyard breeds, each serving a specific commercial purpose. Choosing the wrong breed for the wrong system often leads to poor growth, high mortality, low egg production, and heavy financial losses.

Indian poultry farmers must understand that a breed which performs excellently in one climate or management system may fail in another. Therefore, breed selection should always be based on farm objectives, climatic stress, feed availability, management capacity, and market demand.

Broiler Poultry Breeds in India (Meat Production)

Broiler breeds are genetically developed for fast body weight gain, excellent feed conversion ratio (FCR), and short marketing age. These breeds convert feed into meat very efficiently and are usually marketed within 35 to 45 days under proper management. In India, commercial broiler farming is dominated by a few internationally developed hybrid strains that perform exceptionally well under Indian conditions when proper vaccination, feeding, and temperature control are maintained.

Among all broiler breeds used in India, Cobb-430Y and Ross-308 are the most widely preferred due to their consistent growth rate, better breast meat yield, strong feed efficiency, and high adaptability to both open and environmentally controlled sheds. These birds show rapid growth during the first three weeks of life and achieve ideal market weight within a short period, making them highly profitable for commercial poultry farmers.

Broiler performance depends not only on breed genetics but also on proper brooding temperature, ventilation, lighting program, balanced nutrition, and stress-free management. Even the best broiler breed can fail if management practices are poor.

Layer Poultry Breeds in India (Egg Production)

Layer breeds are specially developed for high egg production over a long laying cycle. Unlike broilers, layer breeds grow slowly but start laying eggs at around 18 to 20 weeks of age. Once they enter peak production, they are capable of producing more than 300 eggs per year under scientific management.

In India, White-egg layers such as Hy-Line, Lohmann, and BV-300 are the most commonly used commercial layer strains. These birds are highly efficient in feed conversion for egg production and show excellent persistence of lay when proper nutrition and lighting schedules are maintained. Brown-egg layer strains are also gaining popularity in some regions due to better market price perception.

Layer farming requires precise control of nutrition, calcium supplementation, lighting, vaccination, and biosecurity because even minor stress can cause a sharp drop in egg production. Breed selection in layer farming directly affects shell quality, egg size, peak production percentage, and overall farm income.

Desi and Improved Backyard Poultry Breeds in India

Desi and improved backyard breeds play a very important role in rural and small-scale poultry farming in India. These birds are valued for their high disease resistance, strong immunity, adaptability to harsh weather, and low management requirements. Although their growth rate and egg production are lower than commercial broiler and layer breeds, they fetch much higher market prices due to their superior taste and strong consumer demand.

Popular improved desi breeds in India include Kadaknath, Vanaraja, Gramapriya, Giriraja, Kuroiler, and Aseel crosses. These birds are well suited for free-range and semi-intensive systems. Farmers using these breeds benefit from lower medicine costs, reduced mortality, better survival in village conditions, and strong local market acceptance.

Desi birds grow slower and require longer marketing age, but their premium selling price compensates for the lower growth speed. For farmers targeting organic, antibiotic-free, and village market segments, desi breeds are often more profitable than commercial broilers.

How to Choose the Right Poultry Breed for Your Farm

The correct poultry breed should be selected only after clearly defining the farming objective. Farmers focused on rapid meat production and regular bulk market supply should choose commercial broiler strains. Those targeting egg production must select scientifically developed layer breeds. Farmers working in rural, low-investment, and backyard systems should prefer improved desi breeds that offer better survival and premium pricing.

Climatic adaptability is another critical factor. High-temperature areas require heat-tolerant strains with good stress resistance. Areas with poor biosecurity and limited veterinary access benefit more from hardy desi and dual-purpose breeds. Market demand also plays a major role, as some regions prefer white-skinned broilers while others pay more for desi meat and brown eggs.

Proper breed selection alone can improve farm profitability by 25–35 percent without increasing investment, simply by reducing mortality, improving growth rate, and enhancing feed efficiency.

Importance of Breed-Specific Management in Poultry Farming

Every poultry breed has a specific genetic potential that can only be achieved when its management requirements are properly met. Broilers require early high-protein feed, precise temperature control, and efficient ventilation. Layers demand strict lighting programs, adequate calcium supply, and long-term vaccination planning. Desi breeds need open movement space, natural feeding supplements, and strong predator protection.

Applying the same management model to all breeds leads to underperformance. Therefore, breed-specific feeding, housing, vaccination, and stress management programs are essential for achieving the full genetic potential of any poultry breed.

Expert Breed Selection Guidance from Ali Veterinary Wisdom

At Ali Veterinary Wisdom, we assist poultry farmers in selecting the most suitable poultry breed based on farm size, budget, climate, disease risk, and market demand. Our breed-specific technical guidance helps farmers improve survival rate, growth performance, egg production efficiency, and long-term farm sustainability. With scientifically planned breed selection, farmers can avoid costly mistakes and achieve stable profitability in competitive poultry markets.

Cobb-430Y (Broiler)

Cobb-430Y is one of the most widely used commercial broiler breeds in India developed by Venkys, known for its fast growth rate, excellent feed conversion ratio (FCR), and uniform body weight. It performs very well in both open and controlled environment systems. With proper management, Cobb-430Y reaches market weight within 35–40 days, offering high profitability to farmers.

Hubbard (Broiler)

Hubbard broilers are globally recognized for their strong livability, good breast meat yield, and stable performance under different climatic conditions. In India, Hubbard strains are preferred for their better disease tolerance and consistent growth even in semi-controlled sheds. This breed is suitable for farmers seeking reliable performance with moderate management effort. Its Skylark breed.

Ross-308 (Broiler)

Ross-308 is a high-performance broiler breed used extensively in Indian commercial poultry farming by IB and Suguna. It is known for rapid early growth, very efficient feed utilization, and excellent carcass quality. Ross-308 performs best under scientific management with proper brooding temperature, balanced nutrition, and disease prevention programs.

BV-300 (Layer)

BV-300 is a popular white-egg layer breed developed specifically for Indian farming conditions by Venkys. It is known for early sexual maturity, high peak egg production, and good egg shell quality. With proper lighting, vaccination, and calcium supplementation, BV-300 layers can produce more than 300 eggs per year under commercial systems.

Hy-Line (Layer)

Hy-Line is one of the world’s most trusted commercial layer breeds, widely used in India Srinivasa Hatcheries for high egg output and long laying persistency. It offers excellent feed efficiency for egg production and strong adaptability to different climatic zones. Hy-Line birds require precise nutrition, lighting, and biosecurity to maintain consistent high productivity.

Kadaknath (Desi)

Kadaknath is a premium Indian desi chicken breed known for its black meat, high nutritional & medicinal value, and strong disease resistance. It grows slower than commercial broilers but fetches a very high premium market price due to strong consumer demand. Kadaknath is ideal for backyard and organic poultry farming systems in India.

Double FG

Double FG is an improved dual-purpose poultry strain used for both meat and moderate egg production. It performs well under semi-intensive and backyard farming conditions. This breed is known for better survival, adaptability to village environments, and lower management cost compared to commercial broilers and layers. It is a type of Kuroiler bird.

Sonali Breed

Sonali is a popular backyard and semi-commercial poultry breed used mainly in eastern and northeastern India, but now its demand is increasing in northern India. It has good disease resistance, better adaptation to rural conditions, and a moderate growth rate. Sonali birds are preferred in local markets due to their taste, hardiness, and better survival under low-input farming systems.

Kuroiler

Kuroiler is a crossbred poultry developed by Keggs farms in 80s for faster growth than desi birds with better hardiness than commercial broilers . It is suitable for semi-intensive and rural poultry systems. Kuroilers require moderate management, show good disease tolerance, and provide better meat yield compared to traditional backyard breeds. It includes FFG, FFFG & 4FG.

Gawran (Desi)

Gawran is a traditional Indian desi poultry breed valued for its excellent adaptability to local conditions, strong disease resistance, and good meat quality. Although its growth rate and egg production are lower than improved breeds, Gawran commands premium prices in local markets due to taste and consumer preference. It is mainly grown in Maharashtra and MP.

Vanaraja (Backyard Dual Purpose)

Vanaraja is an improved backyard dual-purpose poultry breed developed by ICAR-Directorate of Poultry Research Hyderabad in India for rural farmers. It grows faster than local desi birds, produces a good number of eggs, and has strong resistance to common diseases. Vanaraja is highly suitable for free-range and low-input farming systems.

RIR (Rhode Island Red) – Dual Purpose

Rhode Island Red (RIR) is a popular dual-purpose poultry breed used for both egg and moderate meat production in India. It is well known for its strong disease resistance, good adaptability to different climates, and steady brown egg laying performance. RIR is suitable for small farmers, backyard systems, and semi-commercial poultry farming with low management risk.

Poultry Breeding Consultancy & Expert Support

(Ali Veterinary Wisdom)

Choosing the right poultry breed and managing it according to its genetic potential is the key to long-term success in poultry farming. At Ali Veterinary Wisdom, we provide professional poultry breeding consultancy to help farmers select suitable broiler, layer, desi, and dual-purpose breeds based on Indian climatic conditions, farm size, investment capacity, and market demand.

Our consultancy services are designed for small farmers, commercial poultry entrepreneurs, backyard poultry keepers, and veterinary students who want scientifically accurate and practical guidance. We help farmers avoid common breed selection mistakes that lead to poor growth, low egg production, high mortality, and financial losses.

With our experience in Indian poultry systems, we offer breed-specific management advice, vaccination planning, nutrition strategies, disease prevention protocols, and performance optimization guidance to ensure farmers achieve the best possible results from their chosen poultry breeds.