<div style="text-align: justify;">A study was conducted covering a total of one hundred chicken farmers in tribal dominated Boko Block of Kamrup district in Assam to assess different productive and reproductive traits of Desi, Vanaraja and Srinidhi birds under field condition. Information was obtained on mean body weight at various ages, age at first egg, annual egg production, fertility and hatchability and mortality rate. Body weight, egg production and egg weight were significantly (P&pound;0.05) higher in Vanaraja and Srinidhi birds compared to Desi chicken. The age at first egg was significantly (P&pound;0.05) higher in Desi chicken while compared with Vanaraja and Srinidhi under traditional system of management. However no significant (P&pound;0.05) difference was found between Vanaraja and Srinidhi in their body weight and egg production at various ages. Higher mortality percent in Vanaraja (12.23&plusmn;1.62) and Srinidhi (11.34&plusmn;1.23) were recorded during 0 to 5 week. No significant (P&pound;0.05) differences were found among all three groups of birds in fertility and hatchability.</div>

Comparative performance of Vanaraja, Srinidhi and Desi chicken under traditional system among tribal community of Assam

<div>Background: The feeding value of rice-distillery dried grain with solubles (r-DDGS) for dual-purpose chicks was assessed in two feeding experiments. 
 
Methods: Day-old Srinidhi chicks (n=360) were divided into 6 equal groups with 10 replicates of 6 chicks each and fed r-DDGS at 0 or 15% in diet alongwith normal (100%) or higher (110 and 120%) concentration of lysine (Lys) and methionine (Met) individually (experiment 1). In the 2nd experiment, day-old Vanaraja chicks (n=390) were divided into 5 equal groups with 13 replicates of 6 chicks each and fed r-DDGS at 0 or 15% in diet alongwith normal (100%) or higher (110%) concentration of Lys and Met, either individually or in combination.&nbsp; 
 
Result: Rice-DDGS significantly (P&lt;0.05) depre&lt;ssed body weight (BW), which was totally countered by Met at 110% concentration (expt. 1). In the expt. 2, r-DDGS showed no effect on BW and FCR, except at 4 weeks, where FCR was similar in the control and the 110% Met groups. Abdominal fat content decreased in the r-DDGS groups with excess Met concentration (110%) in diet. It is concluded that Met in excess (110%) of normal concentration enabled inclusion of r-DDGS at 15% in the diet of dual-purpose chicks.</div>

Effects of Lysine and Methionine Concentration in Diet on Performance, Slaughter Variables and Serum Biochemical Profile in Slow Growing Chicks fed Rice Based Distillery Dried Grain with Solubles