author(s)
Sudhanshu Shekhar

abstract
Backyard poultry is one of the age old, handy and promising enterprises to improve the socio-economic status of farmers in rural areas with low-cost initial investment and high economic return along with, it also help in alleviation of malnutrition and empowerment of rural women. The present study has been undertaken to evaluate the performance of Vanaraja poultry birds under backyard condition of the Koderma district of Jharkhand, India. The mean body weights of Vanaraja birds at 0 day, 4 week, 20 week and 40 weeks were recorded as 39.3 ± 1.17, 280.6 ± 2.05, 1680.8 ± 26.34 and 3170 ± 54.48 gram, respectively and the mean egg production at 280 and 500 days were recorded as 55.5 ± 2.4 and 170.15 ± 5.7 number, respectively. The overall mean body weight, the mean eggs production and egg weight of Vanaraja birds were significantly (P≤0.05) higher as comparison to indigenous birds. The mortality rate during 0 to 4, 5 to 20, weeks of age in Vanaraja birds under backyard system of rearing were recorded 8.12 ± 1.75, 2.26 ± 0.73 percent respectively and no mortality of Vanaraja birds were recorded above 20 weeks of age. The overall mortality rate and age of sexual maturity of Vanaraja birds were significantly lower (P≤0.05) than indigenous birds. The total gross income per farm family (10 birds) earned from sale of eggs and birds for Vanaraja birds were Rs. 11470.00 and the benefit cost ratio (B: C) was recorded 1: 3.06. Vanaraja birds is the promising dual purpose strain of poultry, that can help to reduce malnutrition, increase socio-economic condition of the rural people, which may be popularized in rural and tribal areas of Jharkhand.