Gramapriya is an improved egg-laying chicken variety, not a breed. ICAR's Directorate of Poultry Research (ICAR-DPR) in Hyderabad developed it for free-range farming in villages and tribal areas: the hens are kept for brown eggs, and the young cocks are sold for meat (ICAR-DPR).
How to recognise it
- Colour: mostly brown feathers (ICAR-DPR). It looks much like a country hen (TANUVAS review), so colour alone does not prove a bird is Gramapriya.
- Eggs: brown-shelled and fairly large, about 55–60 g on average (ICAR-DPR).
- Size: a light bird. Young cocks reach 1.5–1.8 kg at 15 weeks, their usual market age (ICAR-DPR). ICAR-DPR gives no adult weights for cocks and hens.
What it is good for
- Eggs. ICAR-DPR calls Gramapriya a layer-type variety (ICAR-DPR).
- How many eggs. ICAR-DPR's two publications give different backyard figures: about 150–160 eggs a year in farmers' backyards on its variety page (ICAR-DPR), and 160–180 in its 2024 leaflet (ICAR-DPR leaflet). So a backyard hen lays roughly 150–180 eggs a year, depending on feed and care.
- Meat from the young cocks. Their meat is tender and suits tandoori-style dishes (ICAR-DPR).
- Few losses. ICAR-DPR describes its livability as high (ICAR-DPR).
- Village brooding. Chicks are usually brooded to 6 weeks before they go to backyards; in many villages a few women brood the chicks and share them out after 6 weeks (TANUVAS review).
Where it is mainly found
Gramapriya has no home district: it was bred at ICAR-DPR in Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, and is raised across India. ICAR-DPR says about 30 lakh Gramapriya birds have gone to farmers, and that it has supplied about 2.05 lakh Gramapriya parent birds to government agencies (ICAR-DPR). In South India, TANUVAS's poultry college at Hosur had supplied 7,12,354 Vanaraja and Gramapriya chicks to farmers in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh by March 2022 (TANUVAS), and TANUVAS's veterinary college in Tirunelveli hatches Vanaraja and Gramapriya eggs for farmers around Tirunelveli (TANUVAS review).
Looking for Gramapriya chickens?
Gramapriya is an improved bird bred by a research institute, and farmers in many states raise it. Search “Gramapriya” in the Kattutharai app to find birds near you, or see all chickens for sale. The seller names the breed and Kattutharai does not check it, so look at the birds yourself before you pay.
Rearing tips
- Brood the chicks first. Spread 2–3 inches of rice husk, sawdust or clean sand on the floor, cover it with old newspaper, and give heat inside a brooder guard (ICAR-DPR leaflet). Keep the chicks under the brooder for about 6 weeks (TANUVAS review).
- Then free range. Keep 10–20 birds per household, depending on your space and the natural feed around it (ICAR-DPR leaflet).
- A night shelter. Shut the birds in at night against predators. Give 20–30 g of grain each in the evening, and clean water every morning before you let them out (ICAR-DPR leaflet).
- Chick feed from local grain. ICAR-DPR's leaflet suggests about 50 parts grain (maize, bajra, jowar, ragi or broken rice), 20 parts bran, 28 parts oilcake and 2 parts vitamin and mineral mixture (ICAR-DPR leaflet).
- Prevent disease. Clean the night shelter regularly. ICAR-DPR advises deworming every 2–3 months and vaccination against Marek's disease, Ranikhet disease, infectious bursal disease (Gumboro) and fowl pox; ask your vet for the schedule (ICAR-DPR leaflet). For more on keeping chickens healthy, see Country chicken in South India: breeds, buying and care.
Buying tips
- Buy from a known hatchery. There is no fixed look that proves a bird is Gramapriya, and crosses with country chickens are common. The breed name in an ad is the seller's word, and Kattutharai does not check it. Ask where the chicks were hatched; TANUVAS centres and ICAR-DPR itself supply chicks (TANUVAS, ICAR-DPR leaflet).
- Brooded birds if you cannot brood. Ask for chicks that have been brooded to about 6 weeks (TANUVAS review), and ask the hatch date and which vaccines they have had.
- Healthy birds only. Do not buy birds that are weak, sit still with drooping wings, or have a swollen head, a runny nose, or a comb and wattles that have changed colour (bird flu action plan).
Frequently asked questions
Is Gramapriya a breed?
No. It is an improved variety developed by ICAR-DPR (ICAR-DPR), and it is not one of the registered chicken breeds on NBAGR's list (ICAR-NBAGR).
How many eggs does a Gramapriya hen lay?
ICAR-DPR gives 150–160 eggs a year in farmers' backyards on its variety page and 160–180 in its leaflet: roughly 150–180, each about 55–60 g (ICAR-DPR, ICAR-DPR leaflet).
Gramapriya or Vanaraja: what is the difference?
Gramapriya is ICAR-DPR's egg-type variety. Vanaraja is a heavier dual-purpose bird kept for meat and eggs, laying about 100–110 eggs a year (ICAR-DPR).
Are Gramapriya cocks good for meat?
They are light birds, about 1.5–1.8 kg at 15 weeks, but ICAR-DPR notes that their meat is tender and suits tandoori-style dishes (ICAR-DPR).
Next
Compare it with ICAR-DPR's dual-purpose varieties Vanaraja and Srinidhi, and with Giriraja from Karnataka. Read Country chicken in South India: breeds, buying and care for buying and care, and browse country chickens for sale.