Ankaleshwar

Ankaleshwar, often spelled Ankleshwar, is an indigenous chicken population from Gujarat, India, named for the Ankleshwar area. It is a village-type Gallus gallus domesticus rather than a highly uniform exhibition breed, with medium body size and plumage that may vary among local flocks. Rural households have traditionally used these birds for eggs, meat, and small cash sales under backyard or semi-scavenging conditions.

The value of Ankaleshwar chickens lies in adaptation to local heat, feed scarcity, and mixed farming systems, so management should not copy intensive broiler methods. A secure night shelter, vaccination where poultry diseases are common, and modest supplementation can improve survival while allowing birds to forage. For conservation or research flocks, the main concern is keeping enough unrelated birds to preserve the local type and avoiding uncontrolled replacement by commercial crosses, which can quickly dilute traits that village keepers rely on.