The Kadaknath is an India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

n breed of chicken

Chicken

The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...

. It is local to the Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....

 area, where it is known as "Kali masi" ("fowl having black flesh"). The Kadaknath is popular mainly for its adaptability, and the well-tasting black meat, which is believed to infuse vigor. Its colour stems from the deposition of melanin

Melanin

Melanin is a pigment that is ubiquitous in nature, being found in most organisms . In animals melanin pigments are derivatives of the amino acid tyrosine. The most common form of biological melanin is eumelanin, a brown-black polymer of dihydroxyindole carboxylic acids, and their reduced forms...

 pigment.

Due to the meat's alleged medicinal properties, it is in high demand. To save the breed from extinction, the state government started a Kadaknath poultry breeding program involving 500 BPL families, who were to receive financial support and assistance.