03 Jul 2025
New Thai chicken breed boosts farmer incomes, reduce import reliance
Thailand's new native chicken breed, the 'Sri Khottaboon', promises faster growth, greater meat yield, better disease resistance, and improved rural livelihoods.
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Thailand’s Nakhon Phanom University, working with its Research and Development Institute and various agricultural agencies, has successfully developed a new native chicken breed.
This significant breakthrough, called ‘Sri Khottaboon’, promises to boost the livelihoods of small-scale farmers by providing faster growth rates, greater meat yield, and strong resistance to disease.
Fast growth, high market appeal
The Sri Khottaboon chicken results from crossbreeding Thai native chickens with hybrid strains, known locally as ‘three-line hybrids’. Designed for both meat and egg production, this breed matures quickly, reaching approximately 1.5kg in just 60 days. It can be sold for USD 2.40–2.70/kg, making it attractive for commercial farming.
This initiative addresses a long-standing challenge in Thailand’s poultry sector: the limited supply and low productivity of traditional native chickens, which typically grow slowly and lay fewer eggs. Most breeder chickens in Thailand are imported and controlled by a few large corporations, restricting smallholders’ access to quality stock.
Dr Matneeya Sarakun, a lecturer at Nakhon Phanom University, highlighted the broader implications of the project:
“The Sri Khottaboon chicken not only reduces dependence on imported breeds but also empowers local farmers. It’s an important step towards improving food security and decentralizing agricultural control in Thailand.”
Empowering smallholders with local innovation
Research on the breed began in 2022 and has progressed to its third generation of development. Through careful selection and breeding, the Sri Khottaboon is notable for its:
- Fast growth with a short feeding cycle
- Low feed costs
- High egg productivity and large eggs
- Strong resistance to common diseases and pests
- Suitability for tropical and rural environments
Farmers raising this breed have reported lower veterinary costs and higher profitability. The university has established a local breeding and distribution center to supply chicks and provide training to interested farmers as demand grows.
Chaimongkol Thanatoon, a 27-year-old farmer from Renu Nakhon District, is among the first to raise the breed in trial batches. He purchases chicks at about USD 0.55 each and reports a 30–40% profit margin per cycle.
“Compared to local breeds, Sri Khottaboon chickens grow faster, are easier to manage, and meet market preferences. I plan to start my own breeding line to reduce costs even further,” he said. “There’s consistent demand—buyers come directly to the farm.”
Shift to self-reliant poultry farming
The project reflects a trend in Southeast Asia to localize agricultural innovation and reduce dependency on multinational suppliers. As regional economies seek to enhance rural resilience and self-sufficiency, initiatives like this offer a promising model.
