The present study was conducted by ICAR Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Tiruppur to assess the productive and reproductive performance of TANUVAS Aseel and local desi chicken under backyard rearing system in Tiruppur district of Tamil Nadu, India. A total of five hundred day old TANUVAS Aseel chicks were procured and distributed to 25 farm women each with 20 day old chicks who possessed 20 numbers of local desi chicken rearing under backyard system. A field level study was undertaken to evaluate efficiency of productive and reproductive performance of TANUVAS Aseel and local desi chicken under backyard system with respect to average body weight at 8th, 12th, 16th week of age, body weight at first egg laying, age at the point of lay, egg weight and egg production upto 20 and 72 weeks of age, fertility and hatchability percentage. TANUVAS Aseel chicken body weight at 8th, 12th and 16th week of age, body weight at first egg laying, age at the point of lay and egg production upto 40 and 72 weeks, egg weight, fertility % and hatchability % were 0.57± 0.92 kg, 1.15± 0.69 kg, 1.41 ± 0.26 kg, 1.65 ± 0.98 kg, 159.0 ± 0.24 days, 42.5± 0.32, 134.6± 0.18, 52.5± 0.73 g, 91.2± 0.36, 85.6± 0.25 respectively. TANUVAS Aseel chicken birds are well adopted for rural areas under backyard system of rearing. TANUVAS Aseel chicken exhibit better productive and reproductive performance compared to local country chicken under backyard rearing. It is well accepted strain by rural areas of Tamil Nadu and also improved the socio economic status of rural people and rural women empowerment. Besides income generation, TANUVAS Aseel reared under backyard helps to alleviate the malnutrition of the rural people through production of valuable animal protein. The present study was concluded that TANUVAS Aseel birds can serve as an alternate improved strain to boost up the economic status of rural people.

Highlights

• The average body weight at 8th, 12th, 16th week of age, body weight at first egg laying, age at the point of lay, egg weight and egg production upto 20 and 72 weeks of age, fertility and hatchability percentage of TANUVAS Aseel was better than the production performance of desi chickens.
• TANUVAS Aseel chicken is performing well under backyard system rural areas of Tiruppur district, farmers can rear this bird to improve their livelihood and for nutritional security.