Fast growing broilers cannot tolerate extreme temperatures, yet environmental control of poultry houses is costly and requires constant power. If the climate is not controlled, the birds' performance goes down drastically during hot weather. These birds also require high quality feed, which also is expensive.

In Asia, live bird marketing thrives and coloured birds command higher prices. And in developing countries, birds are reared in open-sided poultry houses, which are less expensive to build and the birds provide both employment and food for millions of people.

Native poultry are widely reared in rural areas all over the world but although they survive under poor conditions, their performance is inefficient.

The Indian Council of Agriculture Research and Government of India have been working on birds that look like native chickens and suit rural production systems. The birds are multi-coloured and combine higher egg production with faster growth than native birds, even if the feed is low quality and the conditions less than ideal. When reared under intensive system, they are cost-effective.

Indbro Research & Breeding Farms Pvt. Ltd, encouraged by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Technology Development Board, has bred the Rainbow Rooster for these conditions.

Further Reading

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