After Kadaknath rooster came to the limelight owing to its dark black colour and high protein content, this exotic breed seems to have caught the fascination of former captain of Team India Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
If reports are to be believed, Vinod Meda of Ashish Kadaknath Poultry Cooperative Society in Rundipada near Thandla in Madhya Pradesh has received an order of two thousand Kadaknath roosters from Mahendra Singh Dhoni. He has already received an advance of one lakh eighty thousand rupees from Dhoni. One-month-old kadaknath chick is sold for 130 rupees. Dhoni will raise these roosters at his Simalia farmhouse in Ranchi.
Vinod Meda will come to Ranchi on December 15 to deliver the order. He has been in contact with veterinarian Dr. SS Kuldu of Ranchi for 3-4 months in connection with this order. Dr. Kuldu and Dhoni are old friends. Although Vinod has taken Kadaknath to many places in the country, this order is special to him.
Speciality of Kadaknath
Kadaknath is native to Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh and is one of the rarest poultry breeds in India. It is known for its high iron content and much lower cholesterol compared to other breeds. It has 25-27% protein in it. The bird and its meat is striking jet black in colour.
Originally reared by tribal communities of Madhya Pradesh, the chicken has fast become commercially popular in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu in recent years. Jhabua had also received GI (Geographical Indication) tag for Kadaknath chicken meat.
