• Live and thrive in resource poor village environment with a marked edge in production capacity when compared to the non-descript desi or traditional village chicken.
• Acceptability by poultry keepers in villages.
• Multicoloured birds (white not acceptabie).
• Dual purpose birds capable of producing both large number of eggs and good quantity of meat per bird.
• Survive and thrive on village and household waste.

Keggfarms used all its experience, knowledge and in-house acclimatized poultry stocks to achieve this unique goal. A genuine dual purpose coloured bird, capable of performing in harsh rural conditions was produced. Structured and replicated trials were initiated in 1990 in different agro climatic zones of India.

Based on feedback, special requirements of village poultry were bred into the bird - now branded as 'Kuroiler'. Apart from this final product, genetic scientists and breeders are working on a continuous basis to produce parent birds of high efficiency in terms of egg production, feed consumption and hatchability for cost efficient Kuroiler production - a benefit which is passed on to the rural households.

Ensuring Livability and Production - Methodology

• Day Old Chicks (DOC) are vulnerabie in open range conditions as much as any other country chicken.
• Keggfarms therefore encourages 'mother units' or brooding centres - run by rural entrepreneurs for brooding of DOCs in reasonably controlled conditions for 3 to 4 weeks by which time these 'started' birds are capable of thriving in open range conditions.

Delivery Mechanism to Village Households

A major challenge was to devise a cost effective delivery system of 'started birds' from Mother Units to village households who normally require small flocks of 4 to 6 birds. This challenge was addressed by invigorating the age old system of village vending. Vendors were encouraged to take up vending of started birds in villages and this has resulted in a micro-enterprise which not only is a successful delivery system but also a vocational activity for vendors.

Open range rearing by village households.
- Householders rear the brooded birds in open- range scavenging / foraging condition and on this 'no cost' rearing model produce birds of marketable weight in around 40 days. Some householders retain the females for egg production. Production of meat and eggs is four times higher than that of the non-descript 'desi' birds.

This successful pioneering of an innovative rural poultry programme by Keggfarms has no parallel in India or anywhere else in the world.
This successful pioneering of an innovative rural poultry progranmme by Keggfarms has no parallel in India or anywhere else in the world.

Key factors for success are

• Marginal change if any in traditional husbandry practices.
• No requirement of specifically formulated feed.
• Hugely improved production of both eggs and meat.

Keggfarms has already placed in excess of 80 million Chicks in the market in last 6 years. Current placements are around 1.6 million chicks/month.

Keggfarms estimates that at current levels of placement. around 1 million village householders benefit from this programme and the numbers are growing.

Work of Keggfarms has been duly recognized by Central Govt agencies and they are providing financial support to State Govts. to focus on and promote village poultry programmes with Keggfarms participation.
Keggfarms has received recognition from both National & International bodies - details are mentioned under 'Achievements'.

Keggfarms is willing and ready to commit its unique knowledge, expertise and products to individuals, organizations or Governments for promotion of improved village poultry programme.