CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS OF NATIVE CHICKEN VARIETIES OF INDIA – REVIEW

The total meat production in India is 9.29 million out of which 4.78 million tonnes is from poultry and the growth of poultry meat sector has increased by 6.86 % over previous year. The growth rate of backyard poultry population from 2012 to 2019 (45.79 %) is ten times higher than when compared to commercial poultry (4.50 %) (BAHS, 2022). The native chickens are slowly growing in nature and are preferred for better flavor and for the belief that natural, less intensive management systems provide desi birds with higher welfare levels, resulting in much better product quality and great demand. The meat from native chicken is more delicious and provides nutritional security and economic support for the rural and most suited for backyard system of rearing. The aim is to study the carcass traits of available native chicken in India and compare it with native chicken at Hosur. The carcass characteristic of the native chicken variety at Hosur was evaluated by sacrificing 25 birds of each sex at 16 weeks of age. The observed results were compared with the performances of other varieties of native chicken in India with respect to the parameters like New York dressing yield, eviscerated yield, Ready to cook yield, cut-up parts yield, Meat bone ratio and Giblets yield at each sex of the bird at different age of slaughter especially at 16 weeks of age. It helps to identify the variety of native chicken which had good carcass traits and could be utilized for table delicacy.