Vanaraja
Vanaraja is a dual-purpose chicken variety developed by the ICAR-Directorate of Poultry Research (formerly Project Directorate on Poultry) in Hyderabad, India. Vanaraja is aimed a rural communities where it can be reared in backyard on natural, scavenged food with minimal supplementation. It produces eggs and meat based on rearing and feeding practices. Important features of this breed are multi-color feather pattern, immunity to disease, requiring less nutrition, growing faster, and producing more eggs. Vanaraja give their best performance when reared free range. They each produce up to 110 eggs per year, and weigh 1.0 to 1.2 kilograms (2.2 to 2.6 lb) at age 6 to 6+1⁄2 months. Vaccination of native birds along with Vanaraja is recommended. Excess body weight may reduce egg production. Vanaraja are mainly found in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and are supplied to 26 states of India from ICAR-DPR, Hyderabad.
| Life Span | 5-10 years |
| Weight | 2-5 kg |
What to Know Before Buying a Vanaraja
Finding a responsible Vanaraja breeder requires more than browsing classified ads or responding to social media posts. The USDA requires any breeder who sells chickens commercially — especially those selling online or through third-party dealers — to hold a federal license and submit to regular inspections. A legitimate breeder should be willing to provide their USDA license number, invite you to visit their facility, and show you where the animals are housed and socialized.
Before committing to a purchase, ask the breeder for veterinary health records, vaccination documentation, and any genetic testing results relevant to the Vanaraja. Reputable breeders will also ask you questions in return — about your living situation, experience with animals, and ability to provide long-term care. A breeder who asks no questions and is eager to ship an animal immediately is a significant red flag.
Use the search tool below to check whether any USDA-licensed facilities breeding Vanarajas appear in our database. If they do, review their inspection history carefully. Look for patterns of violations, pay attention to severity levels, and compare their compliance grade with other breeders in the same state. This due diligence takes minutes and can save you from supporting a facility with documented animal welfare problems.
Looking for a Vanaraja breeder?
Search our database of USDA-licensed facilities to find inspected breeders and check their compliance history.
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