Dhaka Tribune: The new variety tastes exactly like native chickens and is expected to improve the country’s per capita meat consumption, say officials

The Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute (BLRI) has developed a new chicken breed that has better adaptability to the country’s climate and tastes like the indigenous species.

The new chicken-breed – BLRI Multicolor Table Chicken – aims to bring back the old taste and quality chicken meat for general consumers.

According to BLRI officials, as the variety is suitable for the local climate, the possibilities of the chicken getting sick and needing to use medicine are much lower compared to the other breeds now in the market.

They are hopeful that the new chicken variety, which looks exactly like a native chicken, will bring more opportunities for commercial poultry farming in Bangladesh.

BLRI began research on this new breed back in 2014 with a group of nine scientists. Following laboratory success, experimental production got underway at the field level in 2018.

Speaking to, BLRI Senior Scientific Officer Dr Shakila Faruque said that the mortality rate of the newly developed chicken breed (eight-weeks-old) was below 2%.

“Since the mortality rate is significantly low and the new breed is easily adaptable with our climate, investment cost will go down for poultry farmers,” said Shakila, who was involved in the project.

According to the BLRI study, the chicken of the new breed can weigh from 950 grams to 1 kilogram in just eight weeks.

Besides, poultry farmers do not need large facilities or temperature control systems for the new variety as it can be bred in open spaces, just like native chickens.

BLRI has estimated that a poultry farmer will be able to earn Tk45,000-60,000 per 1,000 chickens of the newly introduced chicken breed.

When asked about the properties of the new breed, officials said that this new breed required less time to grow compared to native species.

The meat and bones of broiler chickens are soft, but the multicoloured table chicken resembles the taste and feel found in native chickens, they added.

Dr Faruque said: “People in Bangladesh like native chickens but their prices are quite high. But this new breed will help in meeting the protein demand of the people of Bangladesh.”.

Md Mahabub Hassan, general secretary of World Poultry Science Association (WPSA) – Bangladesh Branch (BB), said: “Bangladesh has a huge demand for native chicken. But many cannot afford to buy them because of the high prices. This new breed will help meet the demand for native chicken across the country.”

BLRI has already signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Aftab Hatchery Ltd for commercial production and marketing of the new breed.