Srinidhi is an improved dual-purpose chicken variety, not a breed. ICAR's Directorate of Poultry Research (ICAR-DPR) in Hyderabad developed it for rural poultry farming: a bird of many colours, kept for both meat and eggs (ICAR-DPR).
How to recognise it
- Colour: feathers in a wide range of colours and patterns (ICAR-DPR), so there is no single colour that marks a Srinidhi.
- Eggs: brown-shelled (ICAR-DPR leaflet).
- Adult weight: in farmers' flocks, cocks weigh about 2.2–2.8 kg and hens about 2.0–2.4 kg (ICAR-DPR).
- Growing birds: about 600–650 g at 6 weeks (TANUVAS review). Cocks reach 1.6–1.8 kg at 12 weeks, their market age (ICAR-DPR).
What it is good for
- Meat and eggs. ICAR-DPR says Srinidhi does well for both growth and egg production (ICAR-DPR).
- Eggs. A hen lays about 140–150 eggs a year in farmers' backyards (ICAR-DPR, ICAR-DPR leaflet).
- Meat. Cocks are ready for market at about 12 weeks (ICAR-DPR).
- Choose by demand. Depending on what buyers near you want, Srinidhi birds can be raised mainly for meat or mainly for eggs (TANUVAS review).
Where it is mainly found
Srinidhi has no home district: it was bred at ICAR-DPR in Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, for rural and tribal areas (ICAR-DPR, TANUVAS review). Far fewer Srinidhi birds have reached farmers than Vanaraja: about 1.2 lakh Srinidhi birds, and about 14.6 thousand parent birds to government agencies, against about 38 lakh Vanaraja birds (ICAR-DPR). ICAR-DPR sells Srinidhi chicks and hatching eggs from Hyderabad (ICAR-DPR leaflet).
Looking for Srinidhi chickens?
Srinidhi is an improved bird bred by a research institute, and farmers in many states raise it. Search “Srinidhi” 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. Keep chicks under a brooder for the first 4–6 weeks (TANUVAS review). 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).
- Then a small backyard flock. After brooding, about a dozen birds can be kept in a backyard, foraging by day and shut in a shelter at night (TANUVAS review). ICAR-DPR's leaflet suggests 10–20 birds per household, depending on space and natural feed (ICAR-DPR leaflet).
- Evening grain and clean water. Give 20–30 g of grain each in the evening, and clean water every morning before you let the birds 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
- Ask where the chicks came from. Srinidhi has many colours and no fixed look, and crosses with country chickens are common. The breed name in an ad is the seller's word, and Kattutharai does not check it. Buy from ICAR-DPR, a government hatchery or a supplier who can say where the chicks were hatched (ICAR-DPR leaflet).
- Brooded birds if you cannot brood. Ask for birds that have been brooded for 4–6 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 Srinidhi 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 Srinidhi hen lay?
About 140–150 brown eggs a year in farmers' backyards (ICAR-DPR, ICAR-DPR leaflet).
How heavy does a Srinidhi grow?
In farmers' flocks, adult cocks weigh about 2.2–2.8 kg and hens about 2.0–2.4 kg; cocks reach 1.6–1.8 kg by 12 weeks (ICAR-DPR).
What is the difference between Srinidhi and Vanaraja?
Both are ICAR-DPR's dual-purpose varieties. In ICAR-DPR's field figures, Srinidhi lays more, about 140–150 eggs a year against 100–110 for Vanaraja, and Srinidhi hens are a little heavier (ICAR-DPR).
Next
Compare it with ICAR-DPR's Vanaraja and the egg-type Gramapriya, 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.