Potential and Sustainability of KUB (Kampung Unggul Balitbangtan) Chicken Development in Indonesia: A Review Potential and Sustainability of KUB Chicken Development in Indonesia Section Articles

Abstract

The Kampung Unggul Balitbangtan (KUB) chicken is the first Indonesian native chicken systematically selected for egg production, released by the Ministry of Agriculture in 2014 after six generations of selection at the Indonesian Research Institute for Animal Production. This review synthesizes current evidence on the productive potential, economic contribution, and sustainability of KUB chicken development in Indonesia. KUB chickens lay 160–180 eggs hen⁻¹ year⁻¹ at a hen-day production of 45–50% (up to 60–65% at peak), reach 0.8–1.0 kg slaughter weight within 10–12 weeks, and show markedly reduced broodiness and lower mortality than unimproved kampung chickens. The second line, KUB-2, was further selected for higher egg output and yellow shank, improving carcass acceptability. Economically, KUB farming is more profitable than rearing unimproved native chickens (revenue–cost ratio ≈ 2.4 versus 1.7) and underpins several government poverty-alleviation and food-security programs. Across economic, ecological, and social dimensions, KUB farming shows strong sustainability, supported by adaptation to marginal and dry land, the use of local and agro-industrial by-product feeds, and strong community social capital. Nevertheless, high feed costs, disease pressure, an on-farm productivity gap, and weak genetic and seed stock management constrain sustainable scale-up. Strengthening biosecurity, local feed formulation, breeding-stock management, farmer institutions, and value-chain integration is therefore essential. KUB chicken offers a robust, locally adapted pathway toward sustainable smallholder poultry and national food sovereignty.